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My Florida Home

Words by J. Mortimer Murphy
Music by Mrs. J. M. Murphy
Copyright 1891

 

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Neath the shade of the orange, the palm, oak and lemon,
Within sound of the sea, and sight of its foam,
Where birds sing as sweetly as the seraphs of heaven,
Stands my peaceful and rose-clad dear Florida home.

Every zephyr is laden with richest of fragrance,
From sweet brilliant flowers that deck plain, field and grove,
And clear waters seethe 'neath the play of finny vagrants,
While wild game in profusion the dense forests rove.

Neither turbulent tempest nor harsh chilling winter
Is e'er known in this clime of the palm, lime and vine,
And pure bracing breezes, our lov'd homes as they enter,
Bear the balmy odors of the health-giving pine.

Here the bright hours glide swiftly, 'mid scenes Elysian,
When love and dear bairnies fill the home with pure joy,
And health and contentment make this life a charmed vision,
A bright vision of true bliss without an alloy.

I have roamed o'er many lands and seen their attractions,
From wild, dreary Alaska to classical Rome,
But in none could I find, 'mong their scenic distractions,
A spot with the charms of my dear Florida home.

 

Like the song "In Dear Old Sunny Florida," this piece is a folk song from Florida near the turn of the twentieth century. Most music of this time period was homemade. Folk songs entertained people who did not have access to the conveniences or activities of city life. The lyrics of this song describe many of the pleasures of nature in Florida. These include the plant life, animals, and weather. The independence, clean air, and freedom of country living were among the features that attracted people to Florida.

Credit: QuickTime audio file arranged and performed by Jeff Donovick for the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. Cover scan courtesy of the USF Libraries Digitization Center.