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A Sad Parting/Sad Parting
See related: A Poor Sinner/Poor Sinner
See: Wicked Girl/Wicked Polly; Young People Who Delight In Sin
Traditional Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel
ARTIST: Brown Collection of NC Folklore 'A Sad Parting.' From Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery county, 1930.
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: 1800s
RECORDING INFO: Listen to the related accapala "Young People Who Delight in Sin (Brett Ratliff)" on Cold Icy Mountain.
Related To: "Young People Who Delight in Sin (Ratliff)" "Advice to Sinners" 'Wicked Girl
OTHER NAMES: "Sad Parting"
SOURCES: Brown Collection; Ratiff;
NOTES: See also "A Poor Sinner" found in the Brown Collection of NC Foklore, resembles in theme, tone, and style 'The Wicked Girl' (AKA Wicked Polly) also in Brown. The text and style are very similar to "Young People Who Delight in Sin" by Brett Ratliff on his Cold Icy mountain CD. It part of the "Advice to Sinners" songs from the early 1800s.
Belden BSM 460-4 gives an account of the history of this ballad, indicating its American (possibly New England) origin; cites printed and traditional appearances (including, among the former. The Original Sacred Harp, and among the latter, versions from
Jamaica, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Indiana, and Iowa) ; and prints four Missouri texts. See Hudson JAFL XXXIX 175 ff. for a counterpart from Mississippi. Add Chappell FSRA 194, Eddy BSO 305-6, Brewster BSI 303, Randolph OFS IV 16-20, and Davis FSV 298.
Of the following North Carolina texts, A has considerable antiquity as judged by American folk-song tradition. In order and content of stanzas and in rhymes it is close to the Missouri A text, but lacks a stanza corresponding to the last stanza of that text.
The related A version is 'Young People Hark.' From the Adams manuscript book (western North Carolina, 1824-5), owned by W. Amos Abrams and copied by
him for the Frank C. Brown Collection in 1944. Professor Abrams notes that he has several variants and that the song is known as 'Wicked Polly,' 'The Dying Girl Unprepared to Meet Her God,' 'The Downward Road Is Crowded.' etc. The manuscript spellings, lines, and stanzas have been followed.
B. 'A Sad Parting.' From Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery county, 1930. This is close to Brewster's BSI 303 text, from Indiana, having one more stanza (the last) than that.
1. Young people who delight in sin,
I'll tell you what has lately been;
A lady who was young and fair,
She died in sin and dark despair.
2 She'd go to frolics, dance, and play,
In spite of all her friends could say.
'I'll turn to God when I get old.
And then He will receive my soul.'
3 On Sunday she was taken ill;
Her stubborn heart began to fill.
'Alas! Alas! My days are spent —
Too late, too late now to repent.'
4 She called her mother to her bed;
Her eyes were rolling in her head.
'Oh, earthly mother, farewell;
Your wicked daughter screams in hell.'
5. She called her father to her bed,
Her eyes still rolling in her head.
'Oh, earthly father, farewell;
My soul is lost and doomed in hell.'
6. She gnawed her tongue before she died.
She wrung her hands, she screamed, she cried
"Oh, must I burn forever more.
Ten thousand years rolls o'er and o'er?
7 "Young people all. with one accord
Take warning by my dying word.
You may escape these Hellish flames
While I am doomed to Endless Pain."
Dorothy Scarborough, SCSM "She says that a Mrs. J. G. Stikeleather of Asheville "sang a fragment of song with a Kentucky scene" and prints a text with stanzas corresponding to the first and last of the following.
'A Poor Sinner.' From Miss Monnie McDonald, Lillington, Harnett county. Not dated. "From her grandmother, as sung at a camp meeting at Cool Springs Methodist Church, near Lillington, NC, during the Civil War." A line seems to have been lost from the third stanza.
1. Hark, sinner, hark, while I relate
What happened in Kentucky State.
A poor young woman lately died;
She dropped from all her wealth and pride.
2 She once professed the Lord to know
And did with saints to meeting go,
But the young sinner drew her on
And brought her soul to laugh and scorn.
3 She called her father ; thus she said :
'Oh, father, mother, fare you well !
Oh, brother, sister, fare you well !'
4 'Oh, loving Betsy, fare you well !
I'm afraid your soul has gone to hell.'
She closed her eyes ; her nails turned blue ;
And she bade this world adieu.
64 Advice to Sinners
With music. From Miss Fannie Grogan, Silverstone, Watauga county. Words and air by Miss Grogan as "written April 16, 1916, for Lawton Grogan."
1. Oh, Sinner, you'd better take heed to the Saviour's word today.
You will follow the Christian round and still you will not pray.
God in his angry frown, some day will cut you down.
For your body has to lie in the ground.
Chorus: Your body has to lie in the ground.
You will follow the Christian round.
And you'll try to pull him down;
But your body has to lie in the ground.
2 You join the church, poor Sinner, with sin pollute God's land.
You never will be able before your God to stand.
You will travel on your ways.
And you'll sin away your days ;
For your body has to lie in the ground.
3. Oh, Death will soon receive you; your breath you'll cease to draw.
When followed by the dragon it is then too late to war.
Woe and misery you will see
Throughout all eternity;
For your body has to lie in the ground.
4. When Gabriel sounds his trumpet, poor Sinner, you'll be lost.
You'll see the good old Christian come wagging with his cross,
With his garments white and clean.
Crying, 'Lord, I've been redeemed,'
For your body has to lie in the ground.
5. Now turn your back on Satan and give the Lord your heart.
My God sits in His kingdom and always does His part.
Oh, the angels they will shout
When He casts the Devil out,
For your body has to lie in the ground.
6. One minute spent in Glory will satisfy your mind
For all the worldly pleasure that you have left behind.
You will fly around God's throne
With Peter, James, and John,
For your body has to lie in the ground.
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