Can't Hide Sinner- Spiritualaires of Columbia, S.C

Can't Hide Sinner
Spiritual- Heavenly Gospel Singers 1938

Can't Hide Sinner

Traditional Spiritual and Gospel Song;

ARTIST: Heavenly Gospel Singers on Bluebird in 1938 

Nina Simone- Sinnerman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6_BWNzThJY
 
Mattie Moss Clark & The Southwest Michigan State Choir "Oh Sinner You Can't Hide From God" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qsCEW4rhVE

CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;

DATE: 1800s

RECORDING INFO: Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveller

Spiritualaires of Columbia, S.C.   Can't Hide Sinner    VJ   1956 

Tartt Collection. Can't Hide Sinner, You Can't Hide

Parrish, Lydia Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands 1942
 

OTHER NAMES: "Oh Sinner You Can't Hide" 

RELATED TO: "Oh Sinner Man" also "No Hiding Place" and other "Hide A Me" songs

SOURCES: Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands By Lydia Parrish 1942

WFMU http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/13272


NOTES:  "Can't Hide Sinner" is an African-American spiritual adapted by the Spiritualaires of Columbia, S.C. on the VJ label in 1956. Unfortunately the guitar was using a tremelo/reverb effect and ruined the recording. On the Vamp section the lyrics below are sung ad lib by the leader after the group sings: "Oh sinner, where you gonna run to?"

An eraly version titled "Can't Hide Sinner" appears in the 1942 book, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands by Lydia Parrish. The spiritual, closely related to "Oh Sinner Man" or "Sinner Man," has been adapted by white and black groups. Versions differ widely- listen to Nina Simone- Sinnerman on YOUTUBE above for an example of the next two excerpts:

SINNER MAN

Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to all on that day?

Run to the moon, "Moon won't you hide me?"
Run to the sea, "Sea won't you hide me?"
Run to the sun, "Sun won't you hide me all on that day?"
 

Oh Sinner Man- Johnson Girls

Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
All on that day

Run to the rock, rock he was a-meltin' (x3)
All on that day

Run to the sea, sea she was a-boilin'(x3)
All on that day

OH! SINNER MAN- Noble, 1911
Gilbert Clifford Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," Hinds, Noble and Eldredge, Publishers, NYC. P. 97, with score. No notes provided.

Chorus: Oh! sinner, Oh! sinner man...
Oh! sinner, Oh! which way are you going?

1. Oh! come back, sinner, and don't go there,
Which way are you going?
For hell is deep and dark despair,
Oh! which way are you going?

2. Tho' days be dark and nights be long,
Which way are you going?
We'll shout and sing till we get home,
Oh! which way are you going?

3. 'Twas just about the break of day,
Which way are you going?
My sins forgiv'n and soul set free,
Oh! which way are you going?

Can't Hide Sinner-  Spiritualaires of Columbia, S.C.     VJ   1956  

Oh sinner, tell me where you gonna run to on judgment day- oh

CHORUS Oh you can't hide sinner
(Oh you can't hide)
Oh you can't hide sinner
(Oh you can't hide)
Oh you can't hide sinner
(Oh you can't hide)
Oh you can't sinner- you can't hide.

(Rpeat Chorus)

VAMP- Group sings: (Oh sinner)
(where you gonna run to)
(Oh sinner)
(where you gonna run to)

CHORUS 2 Where you goin' sinner?
(Oh you can't hide)
Where you gonna hide?
(Oh you can't hide)
Where you goin' sinner?
(Oh you can't hide)
Oh you can't sinner- you can't hide.

VAMP leader sings (ad lib responses)
Another day's journey
I'm on my way
The rocks cry out
No hiding place
Run to the sea,
The sea can't hide
Run to the sea,
The sea can't hide

CHORUS

VAMP leader sings (ad lib responses)
Oh Lord
I get down on my knees
I call Jesus
Hear my heart
Early one morning
Before the break of day
I asked the lord
To take my sins away


Can't Hide Sinner- Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands By Lydia Parrish 1942

You may run the rock,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the rock cry out,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

You may run the sea,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the sea cry out,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

Oh sinner man,
(Can't Hide)
What you gonna do
(Can't Hide)
In de Judgement day,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide. 
 
You may run the grave,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the grave cry out,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

You may run the church,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the church cry out,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

You may run the mount'n,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the mount'n cry out,
(Can't Hide)
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide. 
 

Can't Hide Sinner, You Can't Hide- Honey in the Rock: The Ruby Pickens Tartt Collection of Religious Folk Songs By Olivia Solomon

When you running,
(Sinner you can't hide)
When you running,
(Sinner you can't hide)
When you running,
(Sinner you can't hide)
Can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

My mother dying,
(Can't Hide)
My mother dying,
(Can't Hide)
My mother dying,
(Can't Hide)
Can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

Why'd you run to de mountain,
(Can't Hide)
Why'd you run to de mountain,
(Can't Hide)
Why'd you run to de mountain,
(Can't Hide)
Can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

Turn your bed around,
(Sinner you can't hide)
Turn your bed around,
(Sinner you can't hide)
Turn your bed around,
(Sinner you can't hide)
Can't hide sinner, you can't hide.

I went to de rock,
(Can't Hide)
For a hiding place
(Can't Hide)
And the rock cry out,
(Can't Hide)
Can't hide sinner, you can't hide.