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A Beautiful Life/Beautiful Life/Each Day I'll Do A Golden Deed
Spiritual and Gospel;
ARTIST: Various artists
CATEGORY: Traditional Gospel;
DATE: 1800s-1900s; Lyrics from old spirituals; First recorded in Bob Gibson's "Offbeat Folk Songs," Riverside, RLP12-802, 1956, under the title Bahaman Lullabye. Pete Seeger in 1961.
RECORDING INFO: All My Trials
Snyder, Jerry (arr.) / Golden Guitar Folk Sing Book, Hansen, Fol (1972), p 11
Folk Music Scene, M. Witmark, Sof (1967), p 50
Silverman, Jerry (ed.) / Folksingers Guitar Guide, Advanced, Oak, Sof (1964), p62
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p325
Winds of the People, Sing Out, Sof (1982), p 55
Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof (1959), 2, p 7
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Hootenanny Tonight!, Gold Medal Books, sof (1964), p174
Miller Jr., E. John; & Michael Cromie / Folk Guitar, Quadrangle, Bk (1968), p 66
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p130
Luboff, Norman; and Win Stracke (eds.) / Songs of Man, Prentice-Hall, Bk (1966), p328
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p 9
Abe and Malka. Mandelblatt, Abe & Malka A. / 100 Guitar Accompanyments, Amsco, Sof (1974), p160
Baez, Joan. Joan Baez, Vanguard VRS 9078, CD/ (1960), trk# 5
Baez, Joan. Siegmeister, Elie (arr.) / Joan Baez Song Book, Ryerson Music, Sof (1971/1964), p126
Blarney Folk. Let Those Irish Brown Eyes Smile at Me, Babe, London International SW 99512, LP (1969), trk# B.06
Bugg, June. Hootenanny Folk Festival, Palace 757, LP (1964), trk# A.04
Dick & Dee Dee. Turn Around, Warner W 1538, LP (1964), trk# A.06
Faier, Billy. Travelin' Man, Riverside RLP 12-657, LP (1958), trk# 4 (Bahaman Lullaby)
Gibson, Bob. Offbeat Folksongs, Riverside RLP 12-802, LP (1956), trk# B.02 (Bahaman Lullaby)
Gooding, Cynthia. Faithful Lovers and Other Phenomena, Elektra EKL 107, LP (1956), trk# A.07
Halifax Three. Halifax Three, Epic BN 26038, LP (1963), trk# A.05
Joe & Eddie. Joe & Eddie, GNP Crescendo GNP #75, LP (196?), trk# B.05
Kingston Trio. At Large, Capitol T 1199, LP (1959), trk# A.02 (All My Sorrows)
Krater Brothers. Singin' for Fun, Flight 7, LP (197?), trk# A.02
Lewis, Don. Don Lewis, Flight 7, LP (196?), trk# A.05
Seeger, Pete. American Favorite Ballads. Volume 4. Tunes and Songs, Folkways FA 2323, LP (1963), trk# B.09
Seekers. Seekers, Pickwick SPC-3068, LP (197?), trk# B.02
Sheer, Anita. Anita Sheer, MGM E-4225, LP (196?), trk# B.03
OTHER NAMES: "All My Sorrows", "Bahaman Lulluby"
SOURCES: Folk Index; Ballad Index
NOTES: "All My Trials" is a traditional African-American spiritual reportedly based on a Bahamian lullaby. Bob Gibson, 1956, and Cynthia Gooding, also 1956, seem to have been the first to start the song on its way to popularity; Glenn Yarborough recorded it in 1957, and Harry Belafonte in 1959.
No documentation exists of the song being collected in the Bahamas as reported by Joan Baez below. It certainly has it roots in the southern traditional spiritual as several verses appear in old spirituals.
Other recordings include Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, The Seekers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Stevens and Cerys Matthews, Harry Belafonte, Anita Carter, Dick & Dee Dee, Highwaymen, Impressions, Nana Mouskouri, Paul & Margie (Golden Bough), Peter & Gordon, Peter Paul & Mary (In the Wind), Ray Stevens, Seekers, and Kelly Family. There's also a recording by Mickey Newbury (part of his "American Trilogy," along with "Dixie" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" - also recorded by Elvis Presley).
Here's a quote from the Joan Baez Songbook (1964, edited by Maynard Solomon):
This spiritual-lullaby probably originated in the antebellum South, from where it was transported to the West Indies. It appears to have died out in this country, only to be discovered in the Bahamas. From there it was reintroduced to us, eventually becoming one of the standards of the popular folk song movement.
Verses come from other spirituals:
Frank C Brown Collection of NC Folklore
Hush, little baby, and don't you cry;
Yo' mudder an' fadder is bo'n to die!
Jesus done taken my driftin' han'
Good Lord, Lord, Lord!
Oh my Jesus done taken my driftin' han'
Good Lord, Lord, Lord!
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Ef salvation was a thing money could buy,
Den de rich would live and de po' would die.
Ballad Index: All My Trials
DESCRIPTION: "If religion were a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die. All my trials, Lord, soon be over. Too late, my brothers, too late but never mind." The weary singer looks forward to victory after death
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1961 (recording, Pete Seeger)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
BrownIII 644, "Tree in Paradise" (3 short texts; the "A" version combines "Few Days" with a "Tree in Paradise" text; "B" is too short to classify easily; "C" seems to be mostly "All My Trials"; there may also be influence from "Is Your Lamps Gone Out" or the like)
Silber-FSWB, p. 359, "All My Trials" (1 text)
DT, ALLTRIAL*
Roud #11938
RECORDINGS:
Rev. Lewis Jackson & Charlotte Rucell, "Tallest Tree in Paradise" (on MuSouth07)
Pete Seeger, "All My Trials" (on PeteSeeger31)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Little David, Play on Your Harp" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (lyrics)
cf. "Noah's Ark" (lyrics)
cf. "Zek'l Weep" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel (Paul and Silas)" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Is Your Lamps Gone Out?" (lyrics)
cf. "Tell All the World, John" (lyrics)
cf. "Wild Rover No More" (floating lyrics)
Notes: The Jackson/Rucell recording, from 1954, is classified here in near-desperation; it consists primarily of the single floating verse "The tallest tree in Paradise/The Christians call it the Tree of Life" (also found in "Is Your Lamps Gone Out?"), plus the chorus "Hey brother with a hey/Hey, sister with a hey-ey-ey/Jes' take a little bottle and let's go home/Yes, my Lord." - PJS
ALL MY TRIALS- Peter Paul and Mary
Yarrow/Stookey/Okun- Pepamar Music Inc. ASCAP
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
I had a little book was given to me,
And every page spelled Liberty.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
If religion were a thing that money could buy,
The rich would live and the poor would die.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
There is a tree in Paradise
The Pilgrims call it "The Tree Of Life"
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
All My Trials
Hush little baby don't you cry
You know your Daddy's bound to die
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
The river of Jordan is muddy and cold
Well it chills the body but not the soul
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
I've got a little book with pages three
And every page spells liberty
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
Too late my brothers
Too late but never mind
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
If religion were a thing that money could buy
You know the rich would live and the poor would die
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
There grows a tree in paradise
and the pilgrims call it the tree of life
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
Too late my brothers
Too late but never mind
All my trials, Lord soon be over.
All My Trials- online hymal
1. If religion was a thing
That money could buy,
The rich would live
And the poor would die.
Refrain: All my trials, Lord,
Will soon be over.
Too late my brothers,
Too late but never mind,
All my trials, Lord,
Will soon be over.
2. Go to sleep, my little baby,
And don't you cry,
Your daddy was born
Just to live and die.
Refrain:
3. Oh I have a little book
That sets me free,
My bible, it spells
"Liberty".
Refrain:
4. Yes, a man was born
To suffer agony,
His will to live
Spells "Victory".
Refrain:
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