A Song and A Prance: The Story of the Official Song of the Kentucky Derby
MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME
Music and Lyrics by Stephen FosterThe sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
Tis summer, the 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 floorAll 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 the old Kentucky home, far away.
Along with the mint juleps and mile-high hats, the Kentucky Derby is also known for a more musical tradition. Each year, the University of Louisville marching band performs the song “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses are marched onto the track, to kick-off the start of the race and pay tribute to the state’s great history. The song was originally composed in the mid-19th century by Stephen Collins Foster, also known as the “Father of American Music.” In his time, Foster is also credited with penning such old time classics as “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races,” but no other work has become so tightly associated with an exalted American pastime as this song is.
For the Louisville band, the performing of “My Old Kentucky Home” is not just a recent occurrence, as Dr. Greg Byrne, associate director of bands at the University of Louisville, explains.
“We have been playing the song each year at the Derby since 1936.” Before that, the practice of playing the song at the Kentucky Derby is rumored to have started only about 15 years prior, so the band’s role is as deeply entrenched in the Derby as is the song itself.
But unlike a football game or other sporting event, the playing of the song is not accompanied by choreographed moves or marching. As Dr. Byrne goes on to say, “The song is really seen as reverent in this state. Typically it is played in a standstill position and played as a chorale.” However, that is not to say that the ditty has been entirely absent from other band repertoires. He adds, “There are marching band arrangements of this song available that can be used in parade settings and even halftime show settings.” Often times, the playing of the song at the end of sporting events is performed in conjunction with the school’s alma mater.
Of course, nothing else can really compare to the main event performance, and the swell of cheering that inevitably follows. The almost sacred ballad is, to Kentuckians and their compatriots, grouped in importance with such tunes as “America the Beautiful” and even the National Anthem, although a 1970 version of “My Old Kentucky Home” by singer-songwriter Randy Newman paints a less than complimentary picture of the state.
Turpentine and dandelion wine
I’ve turned the corner and I’m doin’ fine
Shootin’ at the birds on the telephone line
Pickin’ em off with this gun of mine
Parodies aside, preparing for this yearly performance is no laughing matter. It takes a strong work ethic and discipline.
“We actually put a lot of time into rehearsing the song and how we are going to stand for the performance,” says Byrne. “We always work on beauty of tone with all our music; however, just as with the National Anthem, we know that people will sing along. Therefore, we spend quite a bit of time capturing the spirit of the song as well, making sure the voicing structure is apparent.”
Attaining a comfortable level of perfection is necessary when preparing to play at such a highly publicized and televised event. But no amount of nerves can shake the music veterans who know this song as well as the back of their trumpets. And speaking of trumpets, one famous horn blower in particular stopped by one year to join the band in the playing of “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Dr. Byrne relates the tale:
“During the Derby, Louisville really rolls out the red carpet for celebrities and royalty from around the globe. One year, renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis joined us to play. Before we performed, Wynton and his band held a jam session for members of the marching band, which was really special and unexpected. When it came time for us to play ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ on international television, the TV stations revealed a pedestal for Wynton to stand on, [but] Wynton declined the offer and said that he would stand with his fellow band members in the trumpet section. What was even cooler than that was that he chose to stand with the students, playing the third trumpet part, and that’s the part he played during the performance.”
What’s clear overall is that the Derby’s official song is one piece of nostalgia that brings people together year after year, whether you’re a freshman flautist, a horse aficionado, or just a casual onlooker. “My Old Kentucky Home” has proven its merit as a piece of work that has withstood throughout time as a testament, not only to the race itself, but to the pride and optimism of American culture as a whole. Even in dark times of political turmoil or economic unrest, as Foster once wrote, “The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,” and there’s no sunset in sight for this venerated and popular tradition.
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