586
I Do Wonder Is My Mother on That Train
'Sinner, You Better Take Heed.' With music. From an anonymous,
undated MS. Dr. White notes: "Taken down in pencil by F.C.B., evi-
dently from dictation. May have come from Shorty Love [Will Love,
janitor at Trinity College and Duke University]. It resembles other
MSS that do. See my note on Gospel Train in American Ncijro Folk
Songs, p. 64." Cf. 'The Gospel Train' and 'Little Black Train' ( witli
notes) in this collection.
I do woikUt is inv niotluT on thai train.
1 do woiukr is n\\ ukiIIut on that train.
Train is uh-coniin' roun' dc cnrvc,
An' she's strainin' t"\cr' ncrxc.
I d(» wonder is niv mother on that tr.ain.
Well, sinner, you hetter take heed;
Jes' listen to what I say:
You walk with the Christian rou-n".
But still you will not pray.
God with his an-ger-y frown
Some day will call you down.
I wonder is my mother on that train.
W hen the train rolls u]) to the station
All the saints will hegin to shout.
Christ the * * * * Conductor.
All ahoard for the Gospel Train.
You hetter be at the station
\\ ith your ticket in your hand.
1 do wonder is my mother on that train.
The day of the Resurrection
Poor sinner will be lost.
You see the good old Christian
Come a-wogging [walking?] roun' uh duh Cross,
Crying. 'Lord. 1 been uh redeemed.
With a garment white and clean.'
I do wonder is my mother on that train.
Just one moment in glory
Will satisfy my mind,
Sitting down with Jesus.
Eating honey and drinking wine.
We'll march around uh the throne
With Peter, James, and John.
I do wonder is my mother on that train ?
Let the uKjther take the daughter
And the father take the son,
Take them to the Sabbath school
And point them to the Lord.
That's the way good Christians do
To gain the heavenly Ian'.
1 do wonder is mv mother on that train.
------------------------
586
I Do Wonder Is My Mother on That Train
'Sinner, You Better Take Heed.' Anonymous ms score. No date or place
given. See III 632, No. 586. The chorus of this song seems to put the
latter in a class by itself : a song in a minor mode. The stanza, however,
is in the tonic major, although it returns at the final cadence to the tonic
minor in which the chorus began. The change between chorus and stanza
with its frequent chromatic aherations would indicate some more recent in-
fluence.
F-5I2
Chorus
I do won - der is my moth - er on that
train, I do won - der my moth - er on that train. —
Train is com - ing 'roun' de curve, An' she's strain-in' ev - er'-
nerve. I do won-der is my moth-er on that train.
Well, sinner, you bet - ter take heed;
Jes' lis - en to what I-
say: You walk with the Chris-tians a -
round, But still you will not pray. — God with his an-ge - ry
frown Some day will call you — down.
do won - der is my moth - er on that train.
Scale: Heptachordal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: abcac^b^c-a^ (3.4.4.
3.5.5.4.4) ; d and particularly b^ are considerably modified and internally in-
cremented. Over-all form: abb^b^ (7,7,10,8). The endings of b and b^ are
related to the beginning of a, the ending of b^ is related to that of a. The
tonal center is the lowest tone.