Away Down South In Heaven

Lyric: Bud Green
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1927
Original publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.

Verse 1:

Ever since I was a little kid so high,
Heaven seemed so far away up in the sky;
Little did I think that it was here on earth,
In the very land that gave me birth:

Chorus 1:

Oh, the sun shines bright 
On the fields of white
And the birds make music all day,
I mean away down south in heaven, heaven.
Where the grass is tall,
And your cares are small
As a lane of roses you stray,
I mean away down south in heaven, my heaven.
Where the fireflies
Lighten up the skies
When the ev'ning is born;
And the whippoorwills
From the distant hills
Wake you up ev'ry morn;
Where they say, "Hello,"
And they mean, "Hello,"
And you get that longing to stay,
I mean away down south in heaven, my home.

Patter (not in MIDI):

My heart is sighing for the simple things,
I'd feel just like an angel without wings
If I could hear the angel's voice that sings:
Rock-a-bye-bye,
Hush-a-bye-bye;
For years and years I prayed for pearly gates,
But now I know it's where my Mammy waits;
I mean away down south, way down south;

[Back to last 16 bars of Chorus; not in MIDI]

Chorus 2:

Oh, the sun shines bright 
On the fields of white
And the birds make music all day,
I mean away down south in heaven, heaven.
Where the grass is tall,
And your cares are small
As a lane of roses you stray,
I mean away down south in heaven, my heaven.
Where the fireflies
Lighten up the skies
When the ev'ning is born;
And the whippoorwills
From the distant hills
Wake you up ev'ry morn;
Where they say, "Hello,"
And they mean, "Hello,"
And you get that longing to stay,
I mean away down south in heaven.

Verse 2:

All the world is sad and dreary where I roam,
And my lonely heart is weary far from home;
There could never be a place that's half as nice
As the land I call my paradise:

[Choruses]