[3] Foster had composed most of the lyrics but was struggling to name the river of the opening line, and asked his brother, Morrison, to suggest one.

Morrison wrote, “One day in 1851, Stephen came into my office, on the bank of the Monongahela, Pittsburgh, and said to me, ‘What is a good name of two syllables for a Southern river?

‘Oh, pshaw,’ he replied ‘I won’t have that.’ I then took down an atlas from the top of my desk and opened the map of the United States.

[5] Despite the song's popularity during the era, few people outside of Florida actually knew where the Suwannee River was, or that it was even a real place.

The Library of Congress's National Jukebox presents a version with soprano Alma Gluck and violinist Efrem Zimbalist Sr.[7] Jean Arthur and Gary Cooper sing a duet of Old Folks at Home combined with Humoresque No.

[10] In general, at public performances another word like "lordy", "mama", "darling", "brothers", "children", or "dear ones" is typically substituted.

In practice, the pronunciation, as written in dialect, has long been disregarded in favor of the corresponding standard American English usage, as demonstrated by the song's performances at the 1955 Florida Folk Festival.

However, over time, the lyrics were progressively altered to be less offensive; as Diane Roberts observed: Florida got enlightened in 1978; we substituted "brothers" for "darkies".

[13] Crist then encouraged state Senator Tony Hill, who was the leader of the legislature's Black Caucus, to find a new song.

3rd Verse One little hut among de bushes, One dat I love Still sadly to my memory rushes, No matter where I rove.

2nd verse All ‘round the little farm I wander’d, When I was young; Then many happy days I squander’d, Many the songs I sung.

[23] Tony Sheridan recorded it in 1962 on the Polydor label as a Rock 'n' roll song with his backing band The Beat Brothers issued on his album "My Bonnie".

The Beach Boys would later revisit it as an instrumental intro to "Ol' Man River" during the recording sessions for their 1968 20/20 album, which wouldn't make the final cut.