Count Out The Angels- Mitchell's Christian Singers

Count Out The Angels

Spiritual- Mitchell's Christian Singers 1936

Count Out The Angels/Angel Band, The/Little Angels

Traditional Old-Time Gospel;

ARTIST: Mitchell's Christian Singers 1936
 

CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;

DATE: 1800s;

RECORDING INFO: 
 Count Out The Angels/Angel Band

Mitchell's Christian Singers 1936

OTHER NAMES: "Little Angels" "Count Out The Angels"

SOURCES: Howard Odum and appears in his 1925 book, "The Negro and his Songs."

NOTES: "Count Out The Angels" from Mitchel's Christian Singers circa 1936, is a version of "Angel Band" which was collected by Howard Odum and appears in his 1925 book, "The Negro and his Songs." It's an African-American spiritual version of the folk song, "Ten Little Indians," and according to Odum was a popular children's song that would typically count up to a hundred angels.


Angel Band, The-Howard Odum, Negro and His Songs- 1925

Dere's one little, two little, three little angels,
Dere's four little, five little, six lttle angels,
Dere's seven little, eight little, nine littel angels, 
Dere's ten little angels in de band

Dere's leben little, twelve little, thirteen little angels,
Dere's fourteen little, fifteen little, sixteen little angels,
Dere's seventeen little, eighteen little, nineteen little angels,
Dere's twenty little angels in de band

[Go up to one hundred]

Another early version with a chorus was collected by EC Perrow (1908) and appears The Journal of American folk-lore, Volumes 25-26 By American Folklore Society

   23. THE LITTLE ANGELS (From Alabama; negroes; MS. of W. O. Scroggs; 1908)

Dere's one, dere's two, dere's three, little angels,
Dere's four, dere's five, dere's six, little angels,
Dere's seven, dere's eight, dere's nine, little angels,  
Dere's ten little angels in de band.

Chorus: I'se gwine Sunday mornin', (thrice)  
Sunday mornin' fair.

Dere's 'leben, dere's twelve, thirteen, little angels,
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, little angels,
Sebenteen, eighteen, nineteen, little angels,
Dere's twenty little angels in de band.

Count Out The Angels- Mitchell's Christian Singers 1936

CHORUS: I've got a good mind Lord to
Count out them angels
Got a good mind Lord to
Count out them angels
Got a good mind Lord to
Count out them angels- (to see)
How many angel in the band?

Repeat CHORUS:

There is one little, two little, three little angels,
There's four little, five little, six little angels,
There's seven little, eight little, nine little angels,
(Lord) There is ten little angels in the band

CHORUS: 2X

There's 'leven little, twelve little, thirteen little angels,
There's fourteen little, fifteen little, sixteen little angels,
There's seventeen little, eighteen little, nineteen little angels,
(Lord) There is twenty little angels in the band

CHORUS: 2X