Old Uncle Ned

"Old Uncle Ned", sometimes given as "Uncle Ned", is a song with music and lyrics by American songwriter Stephen Foster. It is part of a group of songs created by Foster which served as a foundation for the "quintessentially American" sound of the U.S.'s popular music. Created in 1845, it was first published in 1848. Written during the age of slavery in the United States, the song tells of a master's love for his dying loyal slave. While a best-selling song, Foster made little money off of this work because of the many unauthorized pirated publications of the tune circulating in the marketplace both in America and in England. The popularity of the song was in part due to the Christy's Minstrels show which performed the work across America and in Europe in the 19th century. It became a standard of the blackface minstrel show.

While "Old Uncle Ned" was one of Foster's most frequently performed songs during his lifetime, it did not have enduring popularity. Its problematic lyrics led to alterations of its text in order to maintain it in the performance canon in the early to mid 20th century, but after this it has been rarely performed or recorded. 21st century writers on the song indicate that current audiences would perceive its lyrics as racist and offensive. However, scholars of 19th century American music note that the tune was unusual at the time for its sympathetic portrayal of a slave in comparison to other songs in the minstrel show canon of the period. This has led some writers to argue that it was an anti-slavery tune when viewed in context to the culture it was written in.