Way Down South in Dixie (Break the heart of me) They hung my [dark]1 young lover To a crossroads tree. Way Down South in Dixie (Bruised body high in air) I asked the white Lord Jesus What was the use of prayer. Way Down South in Dixie (Break the heart of me) Love is a naked shadow On a gnarled and naked tree.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
View original text (without footnotes)1 Moore: "black"
Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Song for a Dark Girl", appears in Fine Clothes to the Jew, first published 1927 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956), "Song for a Dark Girl" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dorothy Rudd Moore (1940 - 2022), "Song for a Dark Girl", published 1976 [ soprano, piano, and violin ], from Sonnets on Love, Rosebuds, and Death, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Song for a Dark Girl", published 1958 [ baritone and piano ], from Meine dunklen Hände, no. 4, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Silvestre Revueltas (1899 - 1940), "Song for a Dark Girl", published 1948 [ voice and piano ], also set in Spanish (Español) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Paridam von dem Knesebeck (c1911 - 2000) , "Lied für ein dunkles Mädchen", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, copyright © and by Eva Hesse (1925 - 2020) , "Lied für ein dunkles Mädchen", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, copyright © ; composed by Hermann Reutter.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Josef Luitpold Stern (1886 - 1966) ; composed by Alexander Zemlinsky.
- Also set in Spanish (Español), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , copyright © ; composed by Silvestre Revueltas.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-10-12
Line count: 12
Word count: 63
Weit unten, im Süden, in Dixieland O brich, mein Herz, o brich! Sie haben an einen Baum dich gehängt, o Ärmster, Liebster, dich! Weit unten, im Süden, in Dixieland Zermalt, vom Wind umweht! Und ich hab den weissen Herrn Jesu gefragt: Wozu, wozu noch das Gebet? Weit unten, im Süden, in Dixieland Ich leb', ich atme kaum. O Liebe , nackter Schatten An einem kahlen Baum!
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Authorship:
- by Josef Luitpold Stern (1886 - 1966), as Josef Luitpold [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Song for a Dark Girl", appears in Fine Clothes to the Jew, first published 1927
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Lied aus Dixieland", op. 20 no. 1 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and orchestra ], from Symphonische Gesänge, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Anne Ozorio
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 66