佛斯特是美國的民謠大師。曾祖父是愛爾蘭籍，祖父曾在美國獨立戰爭時期立下大功。佛斯特的音樂非常樸素，旋律也常不脫蘇格蘭的五聲音階（與中國的一樣）如
Ring the Banjo的前半，De Camptown
races都是，並且存有歐洲傳統音樂的優美特質。他的作品有兩百多首歌曲，歌詞大多是他生活周遭的點滴，由於旋律朗朗上口，歌詞輕鬆有趣，常常一推出就轟動全國，所以有美國民謠之父的美稱。
1826年出生於匹芝堡東邊的一個小鎮，在家中十個兄弟姊妹中排行第九。因為家中並不富裕，所以自小幾乎失學在家，但他喜歡閱讀及熱愛音樂。青少年時期界與哥哥即有人合組一個音樂社，名為「方桌武士」，在其十八歲時寫下其生平第一首歌「打開窗扉的愛」（Open
The Lattice Love）。
1846，20歲時，在一家書商工作，那時寫了膾炙人口的「噢！蘇珊娜」（Oh!
Susanna），1848-1849，22-23歲時寫了有名的「尼得叔叔」（Uncle
Ned）及「妮莉是一位淑女」（Nelly
Was a Lady），至1850，24歲時已完成了12首歌曲，並於同年與珍妮（Jane
Denny MacDowell）結婚，並決定成為一位專業作曲家。
1851年間，是生活美滿予快樂的時期，在那時創作了有名的「家鄉的老友」（Old
Folks at Home）（或名為Swanee
River 史瓦尼河）及「斑鳩琴的鈴聲」（Ring,
Ring de Banjo!），「家鄉的老友」成為當時遊子最喜歡唱的歌。1852，至南方的紐奧良補度蜜月，1853遷居至書商較多的紐約，當年寫了聞名的「My
Old Kentucky Home, Good Night」（肯德基老家），1854，為妻子珍妮寫了動人的歌曲「金髮珍妮」（Jeanie
With the Light Brown Hair），1855因雙親去世而搬回匹芝堡。1851-1854歌曲創作的多產時期之一。
1860，再度隻身前往紐約，當時南北戰爭一觸即發，憶起當年珍妮家中之黑僕，而寫下「Old
Black Joe」（老黑爵），此曲成為之後南北戰爭期間黑奴的精神支柱。1860-1864隻身在紐約期間，1861年，福斯特和妻子分手以後，獨自住在廉價供膳宿的宿舍裏
，生活經濟並未改善，並且乏人照顧，1864年初，由於身體衰弱，在一天早晨他突然跌倒在臉盆（或水缸）上，割破了頭頸，1月13日因連日持續高燒不退，無法起床，在沒人照顧的情況下意外去世，死時才37歲，當時身上只有美金38分錢。佛斯特生平創作的200多首歌曲中的將近100首是在這段期間所作，包括思念其妻珍妮，之後舉世聞名的「美麗的夢仙」或譯為「夢中的佳人」（Beautiful
Dreamer）。
I come from Alabama, Wid my banjo on my
knee,
I'm goin' to Lousiana, My true love for to
see,
It rain'd all night the day I left, The
weather it was dry,
The sun so hot, I froze to death, Susanna,
don't you cry.
Oh! Susanna, Oh don't you cry for me,
I've come from Alabama, Wid my banjo on my
knee.
I had a dream de odder night, When ebery
ting was still,
I thought I saw Susanna, A coming down de
hill,
De buckwheat cake was in her mouth, De tear
was in her eye,
Says I, I'm coming from de South,
Susanna, don't you cry.
Chorus:
I soon will be in New Orleans, And den
I'll look all round,
And when I find Susanna, I'll fall
upon de ground,
But it I do not find her, Dis
darkie'll surely die,
And when I'm dead and buried, Susanna,
don't your cry.
美麗的夢仙 Beautiful Dreamer
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while i woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
家鄉的老友Old
Folks at Home
Way down upon the Swanee
River, Far far away,
That's where my heart is turning ever,
That's where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation, Sadly I roam,
Still longing for the old plantation,
And for the old folks at home.
All the world is sad and
dreary. Everywhere I roam,
Oh, lordy, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at
home.
All 'round the little farm I wandered when I was young,
Then many happy days I
squandered,
Many the songs I sung.
When I was playing with my brother happy was I.
Oh! take me to my old mother,
There let me live and die.
All the world is sad and
dreary. Everywhere I roam,
Oh, lordy, how my heart grows weary,
The sun shines bright in my
old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer the darkies 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 the old Kentucky Home,
For the old Kentucky Home far away.
金髮珍妮
Jeanie
With the Light Brown Hair
I dream of Jeannie with the
light brown hair
Borne like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way.
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour,
Many were the blithe birds that warbled them o'er
Chorus:
I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Floating like a vapor on the soft, summer air.
I sigh for Jeannie, but her light form strayed
Far from the fond parts round her native glade;
Her smiles have vanished and her sweet songs flown
Flitting like the dreams that have cheered us and gone
老黑爵 Old
Black Joe
Gone are the days when my
heart was young and gay,
Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away,
Gone from the earth to a better land I know,
I hear their gentle voices calling Old Black Joe.
Chorus:
I'm coming, I'm coming, for
my head is bending low,
I hear their gentle voices
calling Old Black Joe.
康城賽馬Camptown Races
The Camptown ladies sing
this song Doo-dah,doo-dah!
The Camptown race track's five miles long On, doo-dah day!
I come down there with my hat caved in Doo-dah.doo-dah!
I go back home with a pocket full of tin Oh, doo-dah day!
Goin'to run all night, goin'to run all day
I'll bet my money on a bob-tail nag
Somebody bet on the bay
The longtail filly and the
big black horse Doo-dah,doo-dah!
They fly the track and they
both cut across On. doo-dah day!
The blind horse stickin' in
a big mud hole Doo-dah.doo-dah!
Can't touch bottom with a ten-foot pole Oh. doo-dah day!
Goin'to run all night. goin'to run all day
I'll bet my money on a bob-tail nag
Somebody bet on the bay
納里柏萊Nelly Bly
Nelly Bly! Nelly Bly!
Bring de broom along,
We'll sweep the kitchen clean, my dear, And have a little song.
Poke the wood, my lady love, And make the fire burn,
And while I take the banjo down, Just give the mush a turn.
Chorus:
Hi, Nelly! Ho Nelly! Listen, love, to me,
I'll sing for you and play for you A dulcet melody.
Hi, Nelly! Ho Nelly! Listen, love, to me,
I'll sing for you and play for you A dulcet melody.
Nelly Bly! hab a
voice Like de turtle dove,
I hear it in the meadow and I hear it in the grove.
Nelly Bly has a
heart Warm as a cup of tea,
And bigger than the sweet potatoes Down in Tennessee.
Chorus:
Hi, Nelly! Ho Nelly!
Listen, love, to me,
I'll sing for you and play for you
A dulcet melody.
Hi, Nelly! Ho Nelly!
Listen, love, to me,
I'll sing for you and play for you
A dulcet melody.
馬沙永眠黃泉下
Massa’s in de Cold
Ground
Round de meadows am
a ringing,
De darkey's mournful song,
While de mocking bird am singing,
Happy as de day am long.
Where de ivy am a-creeping,
O'er de grassy mound,
Dare old Massa am a-sleeping,
Sleeping in de cold, cold ground.
Chorus:
Down in de corn field,
Hear dat mournful sound,
All de darkey's am a-weeping,
Massa's in de cold, cold ground.
Massa make de
darkeys love him,
Cayse he was so kind,
Now dey sadly weep above him,
Mourning cayse he leave dem behind.
I cannot work before tomorrow,
Cayse de tear drops flow,
I try to drive away my sorrow,
Pickin' on de old banjo.
All de darkey's am a-weeping,
Massa's in de cold, cold ground
Gentle Annie
Thou wilt come no more,
gentle Annie,
Like a flow'r thy spirit did depart;
Thou art gone, alas! like the many
That have bloomed in the summer of my heart.
Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?
We have roamed and loved
mid the bowers,
When thy downy cheeks were in their bloom;
Now I stand alone mid the flowers
While they mingle their perfumes o'er thy tomb.
Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?
Ah! the hours grow sad
while I ponder
Near the silent spot where thou art laid,
And my heart bows down when I wander
By the streams and the meadows where we stray'd.
Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?
Hard Times Come Again No
More
Let us pause in life's
pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and
beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.
Tis the song, the sigh
of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
There's a pale drooping
maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
Tis a sigh that is
wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
