Friday 4 September 2009
Tune of the Day: Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
Traditional American song by Stephen C. Foster
This famous musical poem was written by songwriter Stephen Foster with his wife, Jane McDowall, in mind. The song was originally written as “Jennie With The Light Brown Hair”, but by the time it was officially published in 1854 the name had changed to “Jeanie” with only one “n”.
Several Looney Tunes cartoons make reference to the song, often with a punning reference to “genie” and “hare”. The first line of the song also inspired the name of the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie... although the title character in that show had blond hair.