[The_Sword_of_Groo]

He's only giving you half the story. The song was written from the perspective of a black man who longed to be "in the land of cotton" (Read: God's Country) It was performed in blackface in New York. It's debut was at a show billed as a "Grand Ethiopian Concert". After Louisiana seceded in 1861, it was played onstage at a dance hall in New Orleans and the crowd erupted, reportedly demanding up to 7 encores (accounts vary). It was played at Jefferson Davis' inauguration on 22Feb1862 and was adopted as the de facto national anthem. Ultimately it became a marching song for Confederate troops, although soldiers on both sides often sung it and inserted their own lyrics to the song as a rallying cry. "Away down south in the land of traitors" or "To arms, to arms in Dixie" are examples.

There is an unpublished first verse to the song that was omitted out of fear it would offend religious folks.
"Dis worl' was made in jiss six days, An' finished up in various ways; Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land! Dey den made Dixie trim and nice, But Adam called it "paradise," Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land!"

Abraham Lincoln loved the song. Teddy Roosevelt supposedly suggested it as a replacement for the national anthem.

"And now you know the rest of the story" - P. Harvey

[beckysueb]

Cool. Well we can’t sing it anymore. Its too “racist”. I’d like to know how a song written by a black man can be racist. But we still have “Rocky Top” for now (rolling eyes) till that becomes too whatever. Southern, maybe?

[rockrr]

Thanks for the background info. that’s interesting!