#166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane

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• Composer:
  • arr. J.C. Chamberlain, 1875
• Title variations:
  • The Little Log Cabin
• Also known as:
  • The Old Log Cabin In the Lane
• Photos
• Early Arrangements
• MIDI | show
  
• Incipit: 3455655331211651233336555234556553312116512353124321
• Condensed Incipit: 345653121651236523456531216512353124321
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• Lyrics:
  I am growing old and weary now, my sight is getting dim,
  And my work upon the earth is nearly done;
  Old massa has departed, I soon will follow him,
  And my friends have cross'd the river one by one.
  Oh, 'tis sad to bid goodby to all that was so dear,
  For I'll never see those old times again;
  And I miss the happy voices that I fondly used to hear
  In my little old log cabin in the lane!
  
  chorus:
  Ah, yes, I am old and feeble now, my head is bending low,
  And I nevermore shall hoe the corn again!
  Yet the angels they will lead me, when my time has come to go,
  From my little old log cabin in the lane!
  
  Oh, I once was happy all the day, and never knew a care,
  And my good old wife she wander'd by my side;
  Our little home was humble, but happines was there—
  'Twas the sweetest spot in all the world so wide!
  Now 'tis sinking to decay, and all is dark and sad,
  And I hear upon the roof the falling rain;
  E'en the banjo now is silent, that sure made my heart so glad
  In my little old log cabin in the lane!
  
  So I'll totter to my journey's end and try to do my best,
  Tho' I'm sad and weary-hearted all the day;
  The angels soon will call me, I soon will be at rest,
  In that bright and happy home so far away.
  Still I linger by the door and try to sing my song
  As I used to do among the sugar-cane;
  And I'm waiting for the summons, and it soon will come along
  To my little old log cabin in the lane!
  
  
  • Grace Carleton, 1875
• Lyrics:
  I'm getting old and feeble now,
  I cannot work no more,
  I've laid de rusty bladed hoe to rest,
  Ole massa an' ole miss's am dead,
  dey're sleepin' side by side,
  Deir spirits now are roaming wid de blest;
  De scene am changed about de place,
  de d—ies are all gone,
  I'll nebber hear dem singing in de cane,
  And I'se de only one dat's left
  wid dis ole dog ob mine,
  In de little old log cabin in de lane.
  
  chorus:
  De chimney's falling down, and de roof is cavin' in,
  I ain't got long round her to remain,
  But de angels watches over me when I lays down to sleep,
  In de little old log cabin in de lane.
  
  Dar was a happy time to me,
  'Twas many years ago,
  When de d—ies used to gather round de door,
  When dey used to dance an' sing at night,
  I played de ole banjo,
  But alas, I cannot play it anymore.
  De hinges dey got rusted an' de door has tumbled down,
  And de roof lets in de sunshine an' de rain,
  An' de only friend I've got now is dis good ole dog ob mine,
  In de little old log cabin in de lane.
  
  De footpath now is coverd o'er
  dat led us round de hill,
  And de fences all are going to decay,
  An' de creek is all dried up
  where we used to go to mill,
  De time has turned its course anodder way.
  But I ain't got long to stay here, and what little time I got,
  I'll try and be contented to remain
  Till death shall call my dog an' me to find a better home
  Dan dat little old log cabin in de lane.
  
  A copy of the 1871 sheet music for the song, giving the title as “The Little Old Cabin in the Lane” and including Hays' lyrics, is held in the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection in the Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries & University Museums and can be viewed at levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu
  
  
  • William Shakespeare Hays

    • #166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane
    • #237 - I'll Remember You, Love
    • #484 - The Little Log Cabin's the Home After All
    • #498 - Out in the Snow
    • #499 - My Boy Across the Sea

    (1837-1907), 1871

#166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane and #308 - Das Kleine Deutsche Heim (The Little German Home—German) are the same melody, but with different lyrics.

There are a large number of variations on this melody and theme, such as:

• The Old Log Cabin In the Lane — J.C. Chamberlain
• The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane — William Shakespeare Hays

  • #166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane
  • #237 - I'll Remember You, Love
  • #484 - The Little Log Cabin's the Home After All
  • #498 - Out in the Snow
  • #499 - My Boy Across the Sea

  (1837-1907), 1871
• The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane — Charles W. Fry (1837-1882), 1881
• The Old Log Cabin In the Dell — C.A. White
• The Little Old Log Cabin by de Stream — Billy Radcliffe
• The Old Log Cabin On the Hill — Frank Dumont

  • #166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane
  • #254 - Jennie, the Flower of Kildare
  • #418 - Perhaps He's on the Railway

  (1848-1919)
• Little Log Cabin By the Stream — by Richard Dunn
• The Little Log Cabin On the Hill — by Herbert Hersey
• etc.

None of these exactly fit the melody, but J.C. Chamberlain's version appears to be the closest. William Shakespeare Hays's version was the most popular, and is known by the cob title, so it is likely that buyers expected that melody. Hays also composed a similar piece, #484 - The Little Log Cabin's the Home After All. A companion piece #284 - Down Among the Sugar Cane was also written by Charles Dupee Blake

• #166 - The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane
• #284 - Down Among the Sugar Cane
• #450 - Clayton's Grand March

(1846-1903) so it is possible the he also composed or arranged this title.