560 City Of Refuge
[Other names for this spiritual are "You Better Run (To The City Of Refuge)," "Run To The City Of Refuge" "You Better Run," "Run, Run, Run" (Chad Mitchell Trio). The song chorus is related to and probably originated from the old slave song, "Run *Jimmy Run" or "Pateroller Song."
The Brown collection has just a fragment (incomplete version) as does Dorothy Scarborough. The first version in print appears to be from The Religious Development of the Negro in Virginia: A Dissertation by Joseph Brummell Earnest (Norfolk, Va.: University of Virginia, 1914), which begins:
1. The decree was signed by Darius, and then,
Daniel was cast in the lion's den;
God sent an angel on his accord,
He came and locked the lion's jaw.
CHORUS. I am going to run, I am going to run,
I am going to run to the City of Refuge,
I am going to run.]
560 City Of Refuge
White, in ANFS 90, prints a quite different version of this song, with notes. Stanza 3 of his text and the chorus of a song in Scarborough TNFS 256-7 allude to Paul and Silas in jail. White's version, too, has the refrain "He had to run." From an anonymous contributor; without date or address.
There is coming a time and it won't be long,
You will attend to your business and let mine alone.
The time is coming, is coming very soon,
For the graveyard land is all in bloom.
You better run.
Old Paul he prayed and he did prevail.
They caught him in Jerusalem and put him in jail.
He stood his trial in the name of the Lord,
Because he had a building not made with hands.
But he had to run.
*Go on, I'll forgive you for what....
*the above fragment is all that was available of verse 3