529. The Gospel Train

529
The Gospel Train

Tlie iron road and horse made a great impression on the minds
of Americans — especially, it would seem, of American Negroes —
in the nineteenth century. The imagery of the "Gospel Train' takes
a variety of forms. See White's note on it in ANFS 64. Our
song has already been reported from North Carolina (FSRA
145-6), and others like it but not the same from Kentucky (JAFL
XLi 560), South Carolina (TNFS 254), Alabama (ANFS' 64), the
lower South (JAFL xl 299), and the Bahamas (JAFL xli 460).

 

No title. Manuscript in tlie hand of Dr. Brown, undated.

1 Select de proper train,
Select de proper train,
Select de proper train
When de bridegroom comes.

2 Git on boa'd de train.
Git on boa'd de train,
Git on boa'd de train
W'hen de bridegroom comes.

3 Gwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh,
Gwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh,
( jwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh
When de bridegroom comes.

 

Gwine to trabbel home to glory,
Gwine to trabbel home to glory,

 

K E L I H I O l' S SONGS 589

 

(Iwiiie to tral)l)cl home to glory
W lien de l)ri(lei>rt)oni comes.

 

*lt Ain't No Harm to Trust in Jesus.' Reported from Durham. Decem-
ber 5, lyiy. MS of Austin L. Elliott. White, who prints this as a
version of "That (iospel Train Is Coming," ANFS 64-5, cites numerous
collections containing the song and says of the following version, "Every
line is found in printed versions of other songs, but the combination is
original." For a good musical setting, see VV. A. Fisher, Sci'cnty Negro
Spirittuils (Boston, 1926), pp. 52-5; and Rodeheaver, Sixt\'-T7>.v South-
cm Spirit mils (Winona Lake, Ind., 1946), No. 42.

1 ( )h, (Icjii't you hear that whistle IjIo'h',
L)h, don't you hear that whistle hlo'n'.
Oh, don't you hear that whistle hlo'n' ?
(let on hoard, get on board.

2 Uh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus,
Oh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus,
Oh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus ;
Get on board, get on board.

3 Jesus is the conductor,
Jesus is the conductor,
Jesus is the conductor ;
Get on board, get on board.

4 Oh ! have you got your ticket ready,
Oh ! have you got your ticket ready,
Oh ! have you got your ticket ready ?
Get on board, get on board.

c

No title. From Misses Hallie and Jean Holeman, Durham, 1922.
Chorus only.

O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
Dere's room fer many a mo'.
------------------

529
The Gospel Train

 

'Git On Boa'd, Little Children.' Sung for the present editor by Dr. I. G.
Greer at his home in Chapel Hill, in 1953. The singer gave this title.


F-468

 


Oh, git on boa'd,-

 

lit - tie chil - dren, — Git on boa'd, lit - tie chil - dren, Oh, git on boa'd,-

lit - tie chil - dren — Dere is room fo' man - y mo'.

For melodic relationship of. ***FSRA 145; **BANS I 126; TNFS 255;
WNS 210-11.

Scale : Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center : a. Structure : aba^c (2,2,2,2) = aa^
(4,4).