G. White Spirituals
70. The Convert 161
71. The Gospel Ship 163
72. Canaan *
73. We're Traveling Home *
74. The White Pilgrim *
G. White Spirituals
From the time of the Reverend Charles Grandison Finney's
preaching in the 1820s, and perhaps earlier, upper New York
State knew a succession of religious revivals for which were
needed easily memorized "spiritual songs" that could be learned
without the aid of books. Thanks to the late Professor George
Pullen Jackson of Vanderbilt University and to Mrs. Annabel
Morris Buchanan of Virginia and Kentucky, we have recovered
and are now singing again such beautiful spirituals as the one
that the Stevens family called "Canaan." (For a comparison of
the texts and also for a tune, see Mrs. Buchanan's Folk Hymns
of America, p. 64.) Such songs are often characterized by much
repetition; sometimes they have what Jackson called wandering
or "errant" couplets that could be transferred from one spiritual
to another among whites or colored people; for example, a
American Songs and Ballads 161
number of the Negro spirituals best known today seem to have
inherited a couplet found in "Canaan":
If you get there before I do,
Look out for me, I am coming too.
Instead of "Look out for me" our Negro spirituals usually say,
"Tell all my friends."
Fortunately the Stevens scribe gave the dates when two songs
were written down: "We're Traveling Home," 1841, and "The
Gospel Ship," 1843. The first is a song of comfort, while the
second emphasizes the terrors of Judgment that concerned
Puritans of earlier times.
"The White Pilgrim," a sort of sacred ballad, tells about an
evangelist who wore a white robe and who "met a contageon."
It would be interesting to know more about this worthy than
scholars have been able to record. Did he preach upstate? Indeed,
although something is now known about white spirituals in New
England and the South, we are much in need of a reliable article
about them in New York, where evangelistic religion in the first
half of the nineteenth century may well have produced notable
songs. If anyone makes a special study of early hymnals pub-
lished in the state, the texts of their "spiritual songs" will
probably be found at the back of the books, without music.
Unfortunately, St. Paul (Eph. 5:19), when he recommended the
singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, did not define
his terms and seemed to place "spiritual songs" as an inferior
type — as hymnals did in the time of the manuscript. We can
make a generalization and say that Americans sang psalms in the
seventeenth century, many hymns in the eighteenth, and the
lowly but sometimes beautiful spiritual songs in the first half
of the nineteenth.
70. The Cojivert
"A-Begging We Will Go," a seventeenth-century English secular
song, was probably the original for this song from the Douglass
manuscript, as it was, according to Jackson (1), for early songs on
bowling, fishing, hawking, and hunting as well as for "Beggar" or
1 62 A Pioneer Songster
"To Begging I Will Go," which he reprints with melody from
Walker's Southern Harmony. The chorus of the latter corresponds
to that of Douglass stanzas 4-8, but the verses are not the same, those
in Southern Harmony being the farewell of a China-bound mission-
ary. Jackson (/) also reprints "Lost City; or, To Glory I Will Go"
from James's Original Sacred Harp, the chorus for which corre-
sponds to that for Douglass stanzas 1, 2, 3, and 9. Again the verses
are different.
The Convert
1 . When I set out for glory
I left the world behind
Determined for a city
That's out of sight to find.
And to glory I will go
And to glory I will go I'll go I'll go
And to glory I will go
2. I left my worldly honour
I left my worldly fame
I left my young companions
And with them my good name
And to glory I will go &c
3. Some said I'd better tarry
They thought I was to young
For to prepare for dying
But this was all my theme
And to glory I will go &c
4. Come all my loveing brethren
And listen to my cry
All you that are backsliders
Must shorty beg or die
And to begging I will go
And to begging I will go I'll go I'll go
5. The Lord he loves the beggar
Who truly begs indeed
He always will relieve him
Whene'er he stands in need
And to begging I will go &c
American Songs and Ballads 163
6. I do not beg for riches
Nor to be dressed fine
The garment that he'll give me
The sun it will outshine
And to begging I will go &c
7. I am not ashamed to beg
While here on earth I stay
I am not ashame'd to watch
And I'm not asham'd to pray
And to begging I will go &c
8. the richest man i ever saw
Was one that be^g'd the most
Bo
His soul was fill'd with Jesus
And with the holy ghost
And to begging I will go &c
9. And now we are encouraged
Come let us travel on
Until we join the angels
And sing the holy song
And to glory we'll all go
And to glory we'll all go we'll go we'll go
And to glory we'll all go
7/. The Gospel Ship
Stanzas 3 and 8 are good examples of the cumulative stanza popu-
lar in spirituals of the early nineteenth century. "There Will Be
Mourning or Judgment Scenes," for which Jackson (1) gives both
text and tune, uses the "mourning" chorus of Douglass stanzas 7, 8,
and 9. Such choruses were often sung with different songs, variants
of the "glory" refrain also being common.
Although a closely corresponding version of the Douglass song
has not been found, its theme of judgment followed by salvation or
damnation is a familiar one in spirituals. The manuscript copy was
signed "Julia Stevens, Java, 1843."
The Gospel Ship
1 . The gospel ship is sailing by
The ark of safety now is nigh
164 A Pioneer Songster
O sinners unto Jesus fly
Improve your day of grace
O there'll be glory, glory O hallelugah
O there'll be glory
When we the Lord embrace
2. Come fathers will you go with me
Come mothers will you go with me
Eternity you soon must see
O haste prepare to die
O there'll be glory &c
When saints shall reign on high
3. Come brothers will you go with me
Come sisters will you go with me
Come neighbours will you go with me
And flee from wrath to come
O there'll be glory &c
When all the saints get home
4. The judgement day is rolling on
The glass of life will soon be run
Creation with her fiery doom,
The Lord will soon appear!
O there'll be glory. &c
When saints shall view him near
5. Now hark! the trumpet rends the skies
See slumbering millions wake and rise!
What joy, what terror and suprise!
The last great day is come!
O there'll be glory &c
Around the judgement throne
6. See nations throng his awful bar
Both saints and sinners from afar
All tribes and kindred now appear
And wait to hear their doom
O there'll be glory &c
When christ the Lord shall come
7. Jehovah now the book unseals!
The clearest tight [light?! each heart reveals!
American Songs and Ballads 165
The pointed truth each conscience feels!
The amazing throng divide! mourning
O there'll be mourning mourning mourning
O there'll be mourning
When justice shall decide
8. See parents and their children part!
See husbands and their wifes must part!
See brothers and their sisters part!
To meet again no more
O there'll be mourning &c
The day of mercy's o'er
9. Now all the ungodly must reture,
They're doom'd to dwell in quenchless fire
The gnawing worm will ne'er expire,
Their anguish ne'er will cease;
O there'll be mourning &c
The forfeiture of grace.
10. See heaven displays her pearly gates
That kingdom for the righteous waits
Come blessed children take your seats
Of old prepared for you
O there'll be glory &c
When we mount Zion view
11. See Jesus and his saints unite
And move to realms of endless light
With him his bride shall walk in white
In innocence and love
O there'll be glory &c
And sweetest songs above.
12. Canaan
Buchanan gives three versions of "Bright Canaan," the chorus of
all being the same as that in Douglass. In the first version, only the
first stanza is like that of Douglass; in the second, stanzas 1, 3, 4, and
5 correspond; the five stanzas of the third correspond to the first five
of Douglass. According to Buchanan, the song has been attributed
to the Reverend John Moffett and dated about 1829, but the original
1 66 A Pioneer Songster
is unknown and the number of variants indicates an older source.
Alterations in the Original Sacred Harp version are credited to E. J.
King of Georgia about 1844.
The chorus of Douglass is almost identical with that in "I'm Bound
for the Land of Canaan" or "Sweet Canaan," reprinted in Jackson
( 1 ) from the Original Sacred Harp of James, but only one of the
stanzas (D.2, J. 3) is the same. The other stanzas of Douglass can be
identified as "errant couplets," all but 1 and 8 being listed in Jackson
(3) from Millenial Harp (1843), Revival Melodies (1842), or Olive
Leaf (1878).
"Canaan," as given in Advent, corresponds exactly to the first five
stanzas and the chorus of Douglass.
Canaan
1. Together let us sweetly live I am bound for the land of canaan
Together let us sweetly die I am bound for the land of canaan
O canaan bright canaan I am bound for the land of canaan
O canaan is my happy home I am bound for the land of canaan
2. I[f] you get there before I do
Look out for me I am comeing too &c
3. I have some friends before me gone
And I'm resolved to travel on &c
4. Our songs of praise shall fill the skies
While higher still our joys they rise &c
5. Then come with me beloved friend
The joys of Heaven shall never end &c
6. How happy is the pilgrims lot
How free from every anxous tho't &c
7. Nothing on earth I call my own
A stranger to the world unknown &c
8. I trample on the whole delight
And seek a city out of sight &c
9. There is my house and portion fair
My treasure and my heart are there &c
10. For me my elder bretheren stay
And angels beckon me away &c
American Songs and Ballads 167
75. We're Traveling Home
"Will You Go," two versions of which are printed in Jackson (2),
has many lines like those in Douglass, though neither version is as
long. The first two lines of version A correspond to those of Doug-
lass, and the next three to the last ones of Douglass stanza 3. In ver-
sion B the first two lines again correspond. Jackson (2) stanza
2, the first two lines correspond to the first lines of Douglass stanza
3; the next ones to Douglass stanza 2. Many of the Douglass lines
may also be identified in Jackson (3) as "errant couplets."
Six Douglass stanzas correspond to those in Advent, though with
lines interchanged between stanzas in some cases. Stanza 7 of Doug-
lass is not represented in Advent , and four of the latter's stanzas do
not appear in Douglass.
At the end of the Douglass version is written "Java, Wyoming Co,
Sept. 12, 1 84 1, Julia Stevens."
We're Traveling Home
1 . We're traveling home to heaven above Will you go Will you
go
To sing the saviors dying love Will you go Will you go
Millions have reached that healthful shore
Their cares and trials all are ore
But still theres room fore millions more Will you go Will you
go
2. We're going to walk the plains of light Will you go Will you
go
To where theres no more cares or night Will you go Will you
go
A crown of life we there shall wear
A conquerors palm we there shall bear
And all the joys of heaven we'll share Will you go Will you
go
3. We're going to see the bleeding lamb Will you go Will you
go
In rapturous strains to praise his name Will you go Will you
go
Our sun will there no more go down
Our moon no more will be withdrawn
1 68 A Pioneer Songster
Our days of mourning past and gone Will you go Will you
go
4. The way to heaven is free for all Will you go Will you go
For jew or gentile great or small Will you go Will you go
Make up your mind give God your heart
With every sin and idle thought
And now for glory make a start Will you go Will you go
5. The way to heaven is strait and plain Will you go Will you
go
Repent believe be born again Will you go Will you go
The savior calls aloud for the
Take up thy cross and follow me
And thou shall my salvation see Will you go Will you go
6. O could I hear some sinner say I will go I will go
I'd start this moment clear the way, let me go Let me go
My old companions fare you well
I will not go with you to hell
I mean with Jesus Christ to dwell Will you go Will you go
7. We are going to see our saviors face Will you go Will you
go
And sing redemtion through his grace Will you go Will you
go
My young companions are so kind
They leave the world and all behind
A new Jerusalem to find Will you go Will you go
74. The White Pilgrim
The confusion regarding the authorship of this song has recently
been clarified by D. K. Wilgus in the article, " 'The White Pilgrim':
Song, Legend, and Fact" (Southern Folklore Quarterly, XIV [1950],
177-184). According to this study, John Ellis, a young minister,
wrote the elegiac verses in 1838, three years after the death of Joseph
Thomas, the evangelist who, during the last twenty years of his life,
always appeared dressed in a white robe.
The Douglass version corresponds quite closely to that in Green
Mountain except that Green Mountain's stanza corresponding to the
first in Douglass part 2 is quite different; Green Mountain also omits
stanzas 2 and 8 of Douglass part 2. Part 1 of Douglass corresponds to
American Songs and Ballads 169
"Lone Pilgrim" of Jackson (1), which condenses Douglass stanzas 4
and 5 and adds a final stanza lacking in Douglass. Jackson (1) and
Green Mountain both give melodies. Hudson gives from oral tradi-
tion a variant much like the first part of Douglass. Although there
are several word variations, the only noteworthy ones are in stanza
6, where the word "gone" completes line 2 and the word "scenes"
replaces "sins" in line 3. Ozark has four fragments of versions and
one tune. Brown also presents "The Lone Pilgrim."
The White Pilgrim
1 . I came to the spot where the white pilgrim lay
And pensively stood by his tomb
When in a low whisper I heard something say
How quiet I sleep here alone
2. The tempest may howl and the loud thunder rool
And gathering storms may arise
Yet calm is my feelings at rest is my soul
The tears are all wiped from my eyes
3. The cause of my master propell'd me from home
I bade my companions farewell
I left my dear children who now for me mourn
I far distant regions to dwell
4. I wandered an exile a stranger below
To publish salvation abroad
The Trump of the gospel endeavord to blow
Inviting poor sinners to God
5. But among stragners and far from my home
No kindred nor relation nigh
o
I met a contageon and sank in the tomb
My spirit to mansions on high
6. O tell my Companions and children most dear
To weep not for Joseph though
The same hand that led me through sins dark and drear
Has kindly assisted me home
Part 2
1 . I called at the house of his widow below
B afflictons and sorrow oppressed
170 A Pioneer Songster
And there were her children in mourning arrayed
And sighs were escaping their brest
2. There sat a lone widow dejected and sad
By affliction and sorrow oppressed
And there were her children in mourning arrayed
And sighs were escaping their breast
3 . I spoke to the widow concerning her grief
And asked her the cause of her woe
And why there was nothing could give her relief
Or sooth her afflictions below
4. She looked at her children then lookd upon me
That look I shall never forget
More eloquent far than a seraph could be
It spake of the trials she met
5. The hand of affliction falls heavily now
I am calld with my children to mourn
The friend of my youth lies silent and low
In yonder cold grave yard alone
6. But why should I murmur or to complain
Or think that my portion is hard
Have I met with afflictions tis surely his gain
He has entered the joys of his lord
7. His work is completed and finished below
His last tear is fallen I trust
Has preached his last sermon has met his last foe
He has conquerd and now is at rest
8. Though dead he yet speaketh poor sinners to you
Who have heard him proclaim the glad word
Repent of thy sins for thy days are but few
You'll soon meet at the bar of his God