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By And By/Bye and Bye/Way By and By
Traditional Old-Time Gospel;
ARTIST: from Annie Holmes, Murells Inlet, SC. John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip.
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1800s;
RECORDING INFO: By and By/Bye and Bye
Work, John W. / American Negro Songs and Spirituals, Dover, Bk (1998/1940), p 63 (Bye and Bye)
Givens, Fanny. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p173 [1941]
By and By - Cory, Alicia May Alicia May. Skinnydipping in the Flowers, Golden Anchor GA 7777, LP (1976), trk# B.03
Dett, R. N., 1927, "Religious Folk Songs of the Negro," transcribed from the singing of the Hampton students, with music, p. 124-125.
By and By - Gibson, Bob/Camp, H.
Janie Hunter sang this song, clapping her hands, in the video Alan Lomax's American Patchwork: Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old (VEST13080; formerly PBS Home Video).
Gibson, Bob. Yes I See, Elektra EKL 197, LP (1960), trk# B.05
Way Bye and Bye- "Way Bye and Bye" was recorded in 1954 by the Silvertone Singers of Cincinnati, reissued on V.A., The Best of Excello Gospel: The Golden Era of the 1950s (Ace CDCHD 687).
OTHER NAMES: "Way By and By" "We're gonna Have A Good Time Bye and Bye"
SOURCES: Folk Index; Ballad Index;
Dett, R. N., 1927, "Religious Folk Songs of the Negro," transcribed from the singing of the Hampton students, with music, p. 124-125.
NOTES ODUM 1909: Howard W. Odum, "Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern. Negroes " (American Journal of Psychology and Education, vol. iii, pp. 307, 364) 1909.
The American journal of religious psychology and education, Volume 3
One who has heard the song "Bye and bye we'll go and see them", rendered in an effective way must recognize its power and beauty. It is pre-eminently a song for the emotions, and suggests scenes of the past and of the future ; it brings back memories that have been forgotten and forms emotions and conceptions that have not before existed. To the negro it is all this—in so far as he is able to grasp the better emotions—but it is mostly a medium through which he can sing his rhythmic feeling off. And with the additional interpretations and additions both in words and in expression, it is scarcely surpassed by any of his spirituals. The simplest form is exactly the same as that of the regular song: "Bye and bye, we'll go and see them", From this the negroes vary to " Bye and bye I'm a goin' to see him, them, her ". To this chorus they nearly always add in alternate lines " Well it's ", " Well", "An' " and such expressions, thus:
Bye an' bye I'm goin' to see them,
Bye an' bye I 'm goin' to see them,
Well, it 's bye an' bye I 'm goin' to see them,
On de oder shore.
These expressions inserted or omitted at pleasure, serve to give an additional rhythm to the song that seems otherwise to be lacking. The verses of the song, like many others, are practically unlimited. Each is repeated three or six times as the singers prefer, with the refrain " On the other shore " added at the end of each stanza. The negroes sing not only of a brother, sister, father, mother, auntie, preacher and friends, but they also sing of Paul and Silas and Daniel and Moses; they are at liberty to use any name that comes to mind. And they manifest as much feeling and emotion about meeting Moses or Noah or Abraham as they do about a dear old mother. Not only will they meet these loved ones but there will be scenes " over yonder."
I'm got a brother over yonder—on the other shore.
I'm goin' to meet my brother over yonder.
Tryin' time will soon be over, on the other shore.
Well, it's mournin' time will soon be over, on the other shore.
Cryin' time will soon be over.
Prayin' time will soon be over, etc.
Shoutin* time will soon be over, etc.
If necessary they then turn to the sinner and sing: " Sinnin' time, gambling time, etc., will soon be over." The old plantation song, instead of saying, "Brother Daniel over yonder," had it, "Wonder where is good ole Daniel? Bye an' bye we'll go an' meet him, 'Way over in de promise Ian'. Wonder where's dem Hebrew children? Wonder where's doubtin* Thomas? Wonder where is sinkin' Peter?" This form is apparently not sung to-day.
NOTES: This version of "By And By" is a traditional African-American spiritual collected from Annie Holmes, Murells Inlet, SC by John and Ruby Lomax on their 1939 Southern States Recording Trip.
This is from the group of "Bye and Bye" songs are usually titled "Way By and By" or "We're Gonna Have A Good Time Bye and Bye." Verses appear similarly:
Way bye and bye, way bye and bye,
We gonna have a good time, way bye and bye.
BY AND BY- from Annie Holmes, Murells Inlet, SC. John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip.
Listen: http://memory.loc.gov/afc/afcss39/272/2721a1.mp3
Oh, bye an' bye, oh, bye an' bye,
We gwine have a good time, bye an' bye.
Oh, bye an' bye, oh, bye an' bye,
We gwine have a good time, a good time bye an' bye.
When I get up in de heaben,
All my work is done,
Arguin' with de Father, chattin' with de Son,
We gwine have a good time, a good time bye an' bye.
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