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Children Go Where I Send Thee
Tradtional Spiritual
ARTIST: Jean Ritchie
YOUTUBE: Tennessee Ernie Ford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwqWcn2gbTM
Crimson River Quartet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ytiMpcYgk
SHEET MUSIC:
DATE: 1800s; Shearin and Combs, "Syllabus of Kentucky Folk-Songs," 1911, p. 34
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Children Go Where I Send Thee
Rt - Twelve Apostles
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p208
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1964/1981), p152 (Little Bitty Baby)
Allen-Brooks, Janice. Christmas Revels. Wassail! Wassail!, Revels RC 1082, LP (1982), trk# A.10
Cohen, Andy. Shuffle Rag, June Appal JA 027, LP (1979), trk# B.04
Darling, Erik. Darling, Erik / Train Time, Vanguard VRS 9131, LP (1963c), trk# B.07 (Children Go)
Glazer, Tom. Tom Glazer Concert with and for Children, Washington WC 301, LP (195?), trk# B.04 (Little Bitty Baby)
Harris, Kim and Reggie; Group. Music and the Underground Railroad, Ascension KRH-002, LP (1984), trk# B.04b
Joe & Eddie. There's a Meetin' Here Tonite, GNP Crescendo T 90034, LP (1963), trk# A.06
Kingston Trio. Last Month of the Year, Capitol T 1445, LP (1960), trk# A.06 (Go Where I Send Thee)
Langstaff, John. Songs for Singing Children, Revels 8586, CD (1996), trk# 13 [1968]
Pace, Kelly; and Quartet. Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p482/#254 [1942] (Holy Babe)
Ritchie, Jean. Kentucky Christmas, Old and New, Greenhays GR 717, LP (1987), trk# 9 (Little Bitty Baby)
Ritchie, Jean. Best of Jean Ritchie, Prestige International 13003, LP (196?), trk# 14
Ritchie, Jean. Ritchie, Jean / Singing Family of the Cumberlands, Oak, sof (1955), p163
Ritchie, Jean. Carols of All Seasons, Tradition TLP 1031, CD (1959), trk# 4
Stanley, Ralph. Let Me Rest on a Peaceful Mountain (Hills of Home), Rebel SLP 1544, LP (1975), trk# A.05
Stanley, Ralph. Masters of the Banjo, Arhoolie CD 421, CD (1994), trk# 25 [1993/11/07]
Tarriers. Tarriers at the "Bitter End", Decca DL 4342, LP (1963), trk# B.05
Travelers 3. New Sounds, Capitol T 2207, LP (196?), trk# A.06
Weavers. Weavers at Carnegie Hall, Vanguard VRS 9010, LP (1955), trk# B.09 (Go Where I Send Thee)
"Children, I'm Goin' Way" - Silver Star Singers (rec. 1943)
"Holy Babe" - Davies Hill School Chorus (rec. 1943)
"Holy Baby, The" - Jubilee Quartet (rec. 5/20/1939)
"Holy Babe" (sung by Kelley Pace, Aaron Brown, Joe Green, Matthew Johnson, Paul Hayes) is on Various Artists: Negro Religious Songs and Services (Rounder).
OTHER NAMES: "Children, I'm Goin' Way;" "Holy Babe;"
RELATED TO: "Twelve Apostles;" "The Ten Commandments;"
SOURCES: Folk index; Mudcat; Wiki; Shearin and Combs, "Syllabus of Kentucky Folk-Songs," 1911, p. 34
NOTES: "Children Go Where I Send Thee" is a spiritual collected in the United States.
The standard version was found by Jean Ritchie at a black school in Kentucky and was published in "Hymns and Carols of Christmas." Another collection of the song was made in 1911 by Shearin and Combs, "Syllabus of Kentucky Folk-Songs," 1911, p. 34.
A version was collected by Cecil Sharp, which he called "The Ten Commandments," although it has the full twelve verses ("One Hundred English Folksongs," ed. Cecil I. Sharp, 1916, Oliver Ditson and Dover reprint 1976).
one-e-ry: One and one is all alone...
two-e-ry: lily-white babes
3: Three of them are thrivers
4: Gospel makers
5: Flamboys under the boat
6: Six broad waiters
7: Seven stars in the sky (the Pleiades)
8: Eight commanders
9: Nine that brightly shine
10: Ten Commandments
11: Keys of heaven
12: Twelve apostles
Ballad Index: Children Go Where I Send Thee
DESCRIPTION: Cumulative song: "Children, go where I send thee. How shall I send thee? I'm gonna send thee one by one, One for the little bitty baby...." Add "Two by two, two for Paul and Silas" on up to "Twelve for the Twelve Apostles."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1936 (recording, Dennis Crampton & Robert Summers)
KEYWORDS: Bible religious Jesus cumulative nonballad
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Lomax-FSNA 254, "The Holy Babe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ritchie-SingFam, pp. 163-164, 195, "[Children, Go Where I Send Thee]" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Botkin-SoFolklr, p. 754, "Holy Babe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 383, "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" (1 text)
DT, GOSEND
Roud #133
RECORDINGS:
Alphabetical Four, "Go Where I Send Thee" (Decca 7704, 1940; on AlphabFour01)
Dennis Crampton & Robert Summers, "Go I'll Send Thee" (ARC 6-10-62, 1936)
Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, "Go Where I Send Thee" (Bluebird B-7340, 1937; Victor 20-2134, 1947)
Kelley Pace, Aaron Brown, Joe Green, Matthew Johnson & Paul Hayes, "Holy Babe" (AFS 3803 A2+B, 1942; on LC10)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Green Grow the Rushes-O"
Notes: This could well be an American version of "Green Grow the Rushes-O" (Roud naturally lumps those two and several others). But it's easy to create songs such as this one; in the absence of certainty, I treat them as separate. See also the notes on that song. - RBW
From Wikipedia: "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" is a traditional African-American spiritual song. This song is also known as "The Holy Baby" or "Born in Bethlehem." There are many versions of this song, the lyrics below were collected by Jean Ritchie from a school for black children in Kentucky. The verses give a Biblical meaning to each number. This song has been performed by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nina Simone, Natalie Merchant, as well as by The Weavers, The Kingston Trio, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Burns Sisters, Linda Randall, the National Christian Choir, Eddie and Joe, Johnny Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Audra McDonald, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Southern Rail, Tina Liza Jones, Hall and Oates, REO Speedwagon, The J.B.s,and Kelsea Morton.
CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE- Collected Jean Ritchie
Children, go where I send thee,
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one-by-one
well one was a little bitty baby
wrapped in swaddling clothing
lying in the manger,
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee two-by-two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Three for the three men riding (or: the Hebrew children)
Four for the four that stood at the door (or: were knocking at the door)
Five for the gospel preachers (or: the five that came back alive)
Six for the six that never got fixed (or: picked)
Seven for the seven that never got to Heaven (originally "the seven that all went to Heaven", probably alluding to Luke 20:27-33)
Eight for the eight that waited (or: stood) at the gate
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine (or: the nine that stood in the line)
Ten for the Ten Commandments
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
Other versions
Johnny Cash also recorded this song, and would frequently perform it live with the Carter Family, Carl Perkins, and The Statler Brothers. The lyrics usually used were:
Twelve by twelve that couldn't get help
Eleven by eleven that couldn't get to heaven
Ten by ten that couldn't get in
Nine by nine that dressed so fine
Eight by eight that stood at the gate
Seven by seven that went on to heaven
Six by six that couldn't get fixed
Five by five that couldn't get by
Four by four that stood at the door
And three by the Hebrew children
And two by Paul and Silas
And one by the little bitty baby, who was born, born, born in Bethlehem
Another version:
Twelve for the twelve that went to hell
Eleven for the eleven that couldn't get to heaven
Ten for the ten that couldn't get in
Nine for the nine that dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that went to heaven
Six for the six that couldn't get fixed
Five for the Five ol' virgins
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the three old wise men
Two for Joseph and Mary
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in a manger
Whatcha gonna call that stranger?
We're gonna call him JESUS!
Born, Born, Born in Bethlehem!
REO Speedwagon version from their 2009 Christmas album [1]:
Hey, baby, I’m gonna send them ten by ten
Ten’s for the Ten Commandments
Nine for the nine who dressed so fine
Eight for the eight who stood at the gate
And seven for the seven who never got to Heaven
And six for the six who never got fixed
Five for the Gospel Preachers
Four for the four who stood at the door
Three’s for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
And one for the little bitty baby
He was born, (yeah, yeah), born, he was born in Bethlehem.
(was born in Bethlehem)
Roger McGuinn' s version from his Folk Den:
[E] Children go [A] where I [E] send [A] thee
[E] How [A] shall I [E] send [A] thee?
[E] I'm gonna [A] send thee [E] one by one [A]
[E] One for the [A] Little Bitty [A] Baby
[E] Who was born, [A] born, [E] born in [B7] Bethlehem [E]
Two for Paul and Silas
Three for the Hebrew children
Four for the four who stood at the door (Matthew Mark Luke and John)'
Five for the Gospel preachers (Paul and the four others who joined him on his missionary journeys: Silas, Barnabus, Timothy, and John Mark)
Six for the jars where the wine was mixed (Miracle at the wedding feast at Cana)
Seven for the seven who came from Heaven (Seven-fold Spirit of God)
Eight for the eight who sealed their fate (The eight people who entered Noah's Ark)
Nine for the ninety-nine in line (Those waiting while the Good Shepherd sought His one lost sheep)
Ten for the ten commandments
Eleven for the eleven who went to Heaven (The eleven disciples minus Judas Iscariot)
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
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