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Carry Me, Good Lord
Traditional Spiritual and Gospel Hymn;
ARTIST: Sung by Rufus Spencer; Collected by Alan Lomax on his 1939 recording trip in Merryville, La.
CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: early 1900s; circa 1930s
RECORDING INFO: Carry Me, Good Lord
Alan Lomax on his 1939 recording trip in Merryville, La.
OTHER NAMES: "Carry Me, Lord" "Carry Me, Bury Me"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Lomax 1939 Recording Trip
NOTES: "Carry Me, Good Lord" is a traditional African-American spiritual collected by Alan Lomax on his 1939 recording trip in Merryville, La. The lyrics we're called incomplete but resemble several African-American gospel songs and relate to the "born to die" songs:
Fixin' To Die- Bukka White
I believe I'm fixin' to die,
I'm lookin' far in mind,
I believe I'm fixin' to die.
I know I was born to die,
But I hate to leave my children cryin'.
Old Shape note song with the "Born to die" lyrics:
I'm glad that I was born to die ;
From grief and woe my soul shall fly ;
Bright angels shall convey me home,
Away to the New Jerusalem.
Jubilee Singers:
Oh, who is that a coming?
Don't you grieve after me,
Oh, who is that a coming?
Don't you grieve after me,
Oh, who is that a coming?
Don't you grieve after me,
Lord, I don't want you to grieve after me.
Edward A. Pollard, of Virginia, "Black Diamond" 1857
Oh, carry me away, carry me away, my Lord !
Carry me to the berryin' ground,
The green tree a-bowing.
Sinner, fare you well!
I thank the Lord I want to go,
To leave them all behind.
Oh, carry me away, carry me away, my Lord!
Carry me to the berryin' ground.
Carry Me, Good Lord-- Text incomplete, sung by Rufus Spencer; Lomax- JAL '39 Recording Trip Merryville, La.
Carry me, Good Lord, bury me
Oh, yes, coming the day I arrive
'At's comin' the day I arrive, O Lordy on the day I arrive.
I'm so glad I got my religion in time
In the sound of the trumpet you may look for me
Comin' the day I arrive.
Oh, my mother, my mother,--don't grieve after me
Cause you know--I was born to die
Oh, Lordy, Lordy, I'm so glad I got my religion in time
In the sound of the trumpet you may look for me
Lord, comin 'the day I arrive.
Mother, Mother, don't grieve after me
Cause you know I was born to die
In the sound of the trumpet you may look for me
Comin' the day I arrive.
Oh father, father, don't etc.
Sister, sister, don't etc.
CARRY ME, BURY ME (2nd Transcription) Rufus Spencer (Stevenson?), New Zion Baptist Church, De Ridder, LA
Oh, Lordy, Lordy, I'm goin' to fly a lot
(I'm glad) I got my religion in time,
In the sound of the trumpet you may look for me,
Yes, it's comin' on the day I arrive.
CHORUS: Oh, carry me, good Lord, Oh bury me,
Oh yes, that's comin' the day I arrive,
Oh, carry me, oh, Lordy, bury me,
Yes, that's comin' the day I arrive.
Cho. (repeat)
Mother, mother, please don't grieve for me,
For you know I was born to die.
In the sound of the trumpet, you may look for me,
Well, it's comin' the day I arrive.
Cho.
Oh, father, father please don't grieve for me, etc.
Cho.
Oh, sister, sister, etc.
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