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Roush Family Song

 

This song is sung to the tune of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia."  Words were written by Dwight I. Roush.  This song is sung at all National Roush Reunions and at some separate branch Roush Reunions.

 

This recording below was made by Mary Dofner and played on a "Roush" piano crafted circa 1903-1907 in the Roush brothers piano/organ factory in Clarinda, Iowa.  William and Harvey Roush were Mary's great, great uncles.  This piano was acquired by Mary and Emmett Dofner in August 2002.  It was found by Robert Henke, a Roush cousin on the Page County, IA fair grounds.  It was restored by Laverne Goss and was tuned by Walter Hansen, both from Council Bluffs, IA.  The accompaniment music changes keys three times, once for each verse.

Roush Family Song - Mary Dofner
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HOMELAND OF THE ROUSHES

1.  My heart goes back to Old Virginia.

        The state the Roushes helped to build long years ago;

    There would I roam by the grand Shenandoah

        Our fathers' homeland where rills and rivers flow;

    There's where they labored to build homes of comfort,

        There's where they planted and tilled the fertile soil

    There's where they reared stalwart sons and fair daughters,

        With hearts of glad song and with hands of earnest toil.

 

REFRAIN

    I'm going back to old Virginia.

        I long to see those valleys bloom and wild flow'rs grow.

    I long to hear those red-birds singing sweetly,

        And feel those joy-thrills our fathers once did know.

 

2.  My heart goes back to Pennsylvania,

        There's where the Roushes found the land of promise true;

    Old Susquehanna homeland in her beauty,

        Inspired our fathers with faith and hope anew.

    There's where they labored to clear out the forest,

        There's where they toiled in the fields of golden grain,

    There's where the bob-whites tuned in with the children,

        And made the mountains echo back a sweet refrain.

 

REFRAIN

    I'm going back to Pennsylvania,

        I long to see those children play and home-fires glow

    I long to hear those song-birds warble sweetly,

        And feel those life-thrills our fathers once did know.

 

3.  My heart goes back across the ocean,

        Where once the Rausches rendered honor to a king

    They fought for right and for truth that their children

        Might, in their day, make the songs of freedom ring,

    There's where they labored with courage immortal,

        There's where they molded on manhood strong and brave,

    There's where they builded on solid foundation

        With faith undaunted that could see beyond the grave.

 

REFRAIN

    I'm going back across the ocean,

        I long to see the Rhine-land bloom and vintage grow,

    I long to stand where those crusading Rausches

        Stood for the right in that homeland long ago.

 

                                    DWIGHT I. ROUSH

This song is sung to the tune of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia"

 

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