Omaha

"Omaha" is the third song in Ernst Bacon's song collection Six Songs.

Photo: Carl Sandburg, 1955, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Digital ID: cph 3c15064

Date: 1942Composer: Ernst BaconText: Carl SandburgSong Collection: Six Songs

Print vitals & song text

Text

Omaha
by Carl Sandburg

Omaha

Red barns and red heiffers spot the green
grass circles around Omaha–the farmers
haul tanks of cream and wagon-loads of cheese.

Shale hogbacks across the river at Council
Bluffs–and shanties hang by an eyelash to
the hill slants back around Omaha.

A span of steel ties up the kin of Iowa and
Nebraska across the yellow, big-hoofed Missouri River.

Omaha, the roughneck, feeds armies,
Eats and swears from a dirty face.
Omaha works to get the world a breakfast.

Sheet Music

Six Songs

Composer(s): Ernst Bacon

Song(s): 1. The Banks of the Yellow Sea
2. Ancient Christmas Carol
3. Omaha
4. No Dew Upon the Grass
5. A Clear Midnight
6. World, Take Good Notice

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