Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair

Composer: Stephen Foster
Year Written: 1854

Table of Contents

About “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”

“Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” is one of Stephen Foster’s most familiar parlor songs. First published in 1854, it was written in the sentimental style that defined much of Foster’s work. With its flowing melody and simple verse-chorus form, the song became a staple of 19th-century American music and has continued to be performed for generations.

Below you can watch Jason Paul’s performance of this timeless ballad, recorded as part of his growing catalogue of American standards.

Composer: Stephen Foster
Year: 1854
Genre: Parlor song / American standard

I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair by Stephen Foster – sheet music cover — Jane McDowell Foster Wiley is credited with being the inspiration for Stephen Foster’s song “Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair”, published in 1854

ChordPro Format Chords

{title:Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair}
{subtitle:Stephen Foster}

{c:Verse 1}
[C7]I [F]dream of [Bb]Jeanie with the [F]light brown [F]hair. [Dm]Borne like a [F]vapor [F]on the [G7]summer [C]air. 
[C7]I [F]see her [Bb]tripping where the [F]bright streams [F]play [G7]happy as the [C]dai- [Dm]sies that [Am]dance [G7]on her [C]way. 
[C]Many were the [C]wild notes her [F]merry voice would [F]pour. [Dm]Many were the [F]blithe birds that [Dm]war- [G7]bled them [C7]o'er.
[C7]I [F]dream of [Bb]Jeanie with the [F]light brown [F]hair [F]floating [Dm]like a [F]vapor [G7]on the [F]soft [C7]summer [F]air. 


{c:Verse 2}
[C7]I [F]long for [Bb]Jeanie with the [F]day dawn [F]smile. [Dm]Radiant in  [F]gladness [F]warm with [G7]winning [C]guile. 
[C7]I [F]hear her [Bb]melodies like [F]joys gone [F]by, [G7]signing round my [C]heart [Dm]o'er the [Am]fond [G7]hopes that [C]die. 
[C]Sighing like the [C]night wind and [F]sobbing like the [F]rain. [Dm]Wailing for the [F]lost ones that [Dm]come [G7]not a- [C7]gain.
[C7]I [F]long for [Bb]Jeanie and my [F]heart bows [F]low, [F]never [Dm]more to [F]find her [G7]where the [F]bright [C7]waters [F]flow. 


{c:Verse 3}
[C7]I [F] sigh for [Bb] Jeanie but her [F] light form [F] strayed [Dm] far from the  [F] fond hearts [F] round her [G7] native [C] glade. 
[C7]Her [F] smiles have [Bb] vanished and her [F] sweet songs [F] flown [G7] flitting like the [C] dreams [Dm] that have [Am] cheered [G7] us and [C] gone. 
[C] Now the nodding [C] wild flowers may [F] wither on the [F] shore [Dm] while her gentle [F] fingers will [Dm] cull [G7]them no [C7] more.
[C7]I [F]sighx for [Bb] Jeanie with the [F] light brown [F] hair [F] floating [Dm]like a [F] vapor [G7] on the [F] soft [C7] summer [F] air. 



{tag: 1854}
{tag: Stephen Foster}
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{define: F 0 2 0 1 3}