- Landlady: Mr. Foster, your rent is due again. I need it so badly. Couldn't you? Times is hard.
- Stephen C. Foster: I know. I know just how hard they are.
- Landlady: Why don't you find some work?
- Stephen C. Foster: This is my work.
- Landlady: You and your music. Work, huh! Pickin' out notes on a piano. What good is it all? You only annoy everybody.
- Stephen C. Foster: You and most people may not like it or understand it. But, there's one. A girl. Who likes what I write. As long as it makes her happy, I'm repaid.
- Stephen C. Foster: To make one human heart happy is a great achievement.
- Stephen C. Foster: [singing] The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home, 'Tis summer, the d*****s are gay; The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom, While the birds make music all the day; Weep no more, my lady, Oh weep no more today! We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home, For the old Kentucky home far away.
- Plantation Slave Chorus: [singing] De time is nebber dreary, If de darkey nebber groans; De ladies nebber weary, Wid de rattle ob de bones; Den 'ome again Susanna, By de gaslight ob de moon; We'll tum de old Piano, When de banjo's out ob tune. Ring, ring de banjo! I like dat good old song...
- Plantation Slave Chorus: [singing] Round de meadows am a ringing, De darkeys' mournful song, While de mocking-bird am singing, Happy as de day am long. Down in de cornfield, Hear dat mournful sound: All de darkeys am a weeping, Massa's in de cold, cold...