Oh! Susanna | SUNOvisionJudgeSong

Dedication: For my two beloved rescue dogs -- who really did come to me from Alabama. I often think of their frightening, 30-hour journeys that they both had to undergo to make it to their new home with me. As only puppies! One was too traumatized to even come out of his transport van -- and couldn't stop trembling amid his terror, after they finally got him into my waiting arms. Glad to report that he is now my happy, happy boy! NOTES ON THIS SONG ARE AT THE VERY BOTTOM --------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, details on how to enter SUNOvision2025: SONG SUBMISSIONS Via SUNOvision Discord server https://discord.gg/dQA3GZaT #song-submission (channel) Also leave a comment that you've entered on the original promo song: https://suno.com/song/f5f5e5e5-45c7-4668-92f8-8da3f438d26b In anticipation of Eurovision this year, @Nepenthepoesia will be hosting Sunovision 2025! Everyone is welcome to participate. This year it’s just for fun and celebration, so let’s use our talents to inspire each other! Rules: 1.) Create one original song with #Sunovision2025 in the title that inspires us and best showcases your work as a Suno artist! Comment on Nepenthe's SUNOvision theme song (@Nepenthe) when it's ready! If you prefer to use a previously-released original song, it should be no older than September 1st, 2024. The song must have lyrics–original, Suno-generated, or a mix of both. You are encouraged to put which country you are representing in the song title or above the song lyrics. 2.) You’re also encouraged to create a song in your native language, but ultimately you choose the preferred language! Feel free to give a short synopsis of your song above the lyrics. An English translation of your lyrics would be appreciated as well but not required. 3.) Your song may not be longer than four minutes and zero seconds long. 4.) Avoid where possible things like vulgarity (swear words, slurs), explicit sexual content, political views, religious views, views on current events or topics that are likely divisive. 5.) Songs must be submitted no later than May 1st at 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time)! ~A Special Note Please share this with anyone you think would enjoy participating! Everyone is invited! A special encouragement to women and members of the LGBTQ+ community to participate in this event!~ Voting & Playlists: 1.) All entries will be included in Sunovision 2025 playlists (volumes of up to 40 songs each at first). They will be found in playlists under this profile: (https://suno.com/@nepenthepoesia) (After the event ends, they will all be combined into one Sunovision 2025 playlist depending on how many entries.) 2.) Initial voting for Top 20 will be a popular vote that will occur between May 2nd and May 9th via Google Form within the Tinkertune Tavern Discord server (https://discord.gg/T8bck2mV). The Google Form will also be available here and on the Discord server from May 2nd to May 9th: (Google Form link incoming!) Please vote for your favorite Sunovision2025 submission! 3.) Top 20 songs will be announced May 10th and will be included on a separate playlist called TOP 20 Sunovision 2025 4.) Voting for Top 10, including winning song, will take place between May 11th and May 12th within the Tinkertune Tavern Discord server. Votes will be determined by jury ranking. Our jury members so far are (Gibeligob, LKN, The Jester, WavyScho and ArthemiSEE)! *Jury members are welcome to create a song but are ineligible to win* Jury profiles → https://suno.com/@the_tavern https://suno.com/@lucky_nobody https://suno.com/@the_jestermc https://suno.com/@wavyscho https://suno.com/@arthemisee https://suno.com/@tensetrombone 5.) Winner will be announced during a Listening Party on May 13th at 6 PM EST in the Tinkertune Tavern Discord server, as well as the publication of the TOP 10 Sunovision 2025 playlist. (Playlist will also include the theme song and jury member songs–approx. 14-17 total songs). ---------------------------------------------------------- OH! SUSANNA I have a dream In the middle of night When ev'rything is still I think I see… Susanna, She's runnin’ down a hill A cake of buck-wheat It fills her mouth Her tears are steam, They crowd her eyes I say, "I'm comin’ from the south, My Susanna, Don't ya cry" Oh! Susanna Oh, don’t ya cry for me I come from Alabama With my banjo on my knee Original song published by Stephen Foster circa 1848 Restoration, arrangement, new melody & additional lyrics Copyright 4-4-2025 by LKN -------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES: “Oh! Susanna” is one of the most popular American songs ever written. Although it was composed in the folk traditon, it actually takes its beat from polka (1,2,1,2…). It was authored by Stephen Foster, who (due to its massive success) then went on to become the first full-time professional songwriter in the United States. (Check out his other masterful works.) Over the years, bits and pieces and even full verses were redacted from this song, until it lost its original intention: the documentation of a harrowing and perilous journey. This also left the song almost cheery and nonsensical: Why in the world does Susanna want to cry? Her lover’s on his way… He’s even gonna play his banjo for her! So I myself never really understood nor appreciated this song — until I stumbled across some of those lost verses, while simply looking for its lyrics… And I was searching for them as I was in a guitar group that wished to perform this. I told them that I thought we had a real chance here — and asked them if we could please put back at least one of those redacted verses? Answer: No. —Do I even need to finish this story? Via this platform, I was finally able to happily restore this song in only one long morning and afternoon: something that I’d been wanting to do, for already five years. While I was at it, I also revised/re-metered its entire lyrics (save the chorus) to give them a new melody. I next decided to change its structure by adding a bridge that I fashioned from a discarded verse/additional lyrics. Then I made another decision to NOT have any banjo on it (the banjo being an obvious choice) and to instead feature banjolele -- yet only as its main rhythm instrument. —Thank you, SUNO! P.S. And my old guitar group? They disbanded. When one of its two leaders moved to Florida. 😎