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"My Old Kentucky Home" is the state song of Kentucky. It was written by Stephen Foster in 1853 and was adopted by the Kentucky General Assembly as the official state song on March 19, 1928.

The song was inspired by Foster's visit to Federal Hill Mansion, the home of his cousins, the Rowans, in Bardstown, Kentucky. Rowan's wife was given land by her father William Lytle, a member of the prominent Lytle family of Cincinnati, and there Rowan built his home. This house, now part of My Old Kentucky Home State Park, appears on the Kentucky state quarter.

The song describes a scene of life on a slave plantation. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass saw the song as sympathetic to slaves. [1] In 1986, the Kentucky General Assembly adopted a version unlikely to cause offence in which the original word "darkies" was changed to "people."

"My Old Kentucky Home" is sung annually at the Kentucky Derby with the accompaniment of the University of Louisville marching band. The tradition began sometime between 1921 and 1930, by which time it was established as the music played while the horses are led to the post parade. Churchill Downs, home of the Derby, has, since 1982 held The Stephen Foster Handicap. [2] The song is also played at all University of Louisville football and basketball games accompanied by the Call to the Post which signifies the City and University of Louisville's tie to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. In addition, the University of Kentucky band also plays the song at their college's basketball and football games following the conclusion of the game in lieu of the school's alma mater.

The lyrics to the first verse and chorus are

The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home,
Tis summer, and people* are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom
While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright;
By'n by hard times comes a knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, Good-night!

Weep no more my lady. Oh! Weep no more today!
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home
For my old Kentucky home, far away.

* original words: "darkies"

• In 1970 Randy Newman wrote and recorded an adaptation of the song. Newman's version contains a much less sentimental view of Kentucky life.

• In the 1953 Bugs Bunny cartoon Southern Fried Rabbit Bugs, disguised as Uncle Tom, sings My Old Kentucky Home in order to cross the Mason-Dixon Line.

My Old Kentucky Home was recently sampled by Louisville, Kentucky Rapper KD. KD's version was a hit in Indiana and Kentucky.

• My Old Kentucky Home as Played by one of the University of Kentucky Bands