543
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
A stanza close to the first appears in several versions of 'Sis
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain,' White ANFS 60-3; another,
with more variation, in A. P. Hudson's Specimens of Mississippi
Folk-Lorc (Ann Arbor, 1928), p. 90. Cf., also, 'All Mah Sins
Been Taken Away' in Satis N. Coleman and Adolph Bregman's
Songs of American Folks (New York, 1942), pp. 76-7, and Sand-
burg ASb 474-5, who describes it as "one of the sublime creations
of the Negro race in America."
A. No title. Contributed by Miss Mamie Manslicld, ['"dwler ScIuhiI Dis-
trict, Durliain cduiity, July 2(>. 1922.
1 Mary wDre three links of chain,
Mary wore three links of chain.
Mar\ wore three links of chain;
l'.ver\- link was Jesus's name.
.\11 my sins heen taken away, taken away.
2 Don't yon hear those horses' feet,
Don't you hear those horses' feet,
Don't you hear those horses' feet,
I'rancint,^ down the golden street?
All m\- sins heen taken away, taken away.
3 Jonah made a wheel, and he made it on the ground,
Jtjiiah made a wheel, and he made it on the ground.
Jonah made a wheel, and he made it on the ground ;
The wheel turned over, and the earth turned ar mnd.
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
B
'Mary Wore a Golden Chain.' With music. From Blake 15. Harrison,
Durham, December 5. 1919. "Negro fragment.' The same text as in
White AXFS 63.
------------------------
543
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
'Mary Wore a Golden Chain.' Sung by Blake B. Harrison, Trinity College,
Durham, December 5, 1919. Two different titles are given in the catalogue
for this air : 'Mary Wore Three Links of Chain' and 'Mary Wore a Golden
Chain.' Our tune is identical with that of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and
'Merrily We Roll Along.' For additional texts cf. FSoA 103; FSUSA 376;
ANFS 60-63 and FSF 168-9. Also SNE, 8, No. 4, second stanza.
F-480
Ma - ry wore a gold - en chain, Ma - ry wore a
gold - en chain, Ma - ry wore gold - en chain;
Ev - *ry link in Je - bus' name.
All my sins been tak - en a - wav. tnk - en « - wnv.
For melodic relationship cf. NSNH 18, chorus only, general melodic
line.
Scale: Tetratonic (4). Tonal Center: g. Structure: abacac^ (2,2,2,2,2,2)
=: aa^a^ (4,4,4). The tonal center is the lowest tone.