Crucifixion- Spiritual

Crucifixion 
Spiritual- J. Rosamond Johnson 1944

Crucifixion/An' He Never Said a Mumberlin’ Word/He Never Said a MumblingWord/Never Said a Mumbling Word/Mumblin' Word

See: An' He Never Said a Mumberlin’ Word
See: He Never Said a Mumbling Word

Traditional Old-Time, Gospel;

ARTIST: from J. Rosamond Johnson 1944 dedicated to Roland Hayes (Fisk Jubilee Singer) from the Book of American Negro Spirituals

Golden Gate Quartet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SE-In7Wf80

SHEET MUSIC: http://books.google.com/books?id=UrI8HE9DQWIC&pg=
PA33&dq=%22surely+he+died+on+calvary%22&output=html&cd=3


CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel 

DATE: 1800s; 1944

RECORDING INFO:
And He Never Said a Mumbling Word

Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands By Lydia Parrish, Art Rosenbaum, Olin Downes "An' He Never Said a Mumbling Word"

Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p587 (Never Said a Mumbling Word)
Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p238 [1938ca]
Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Folk Song USA, Signet, Sof (1966/1947), #102 (Never Said a Mumbling Word)
Work, John W. / American Negro Songs and Spirituals, Dover, Bk (1998/1940), p103
Shelton, Robert (ed.) / Josh White Song Book, Quadrangle, Sof (1963), p 80
Anderson, Marian. Spirituals, RCA (Victor) LM-2032, LP (1956), trk# A.03a (Cruxifixion)
Camacho, Steve. Folk and Other Songs, Cook 1127, LP (1962), trk# B.02 (Mumblin' Word)
Hinton, Sam. Family Tree of Folk Songs, Decca DL 8418, LP (1956), trk# B.06 (Cruxifixion)
Leadbelly. Lomax, John & Alan Lomax (eds.) / Leadbelly. A Collection of World Famou, Folkways, sof (1959), p21
White, Josh. Josh White Stories, Vol. 1, ABC Paramount ABC 124, LP (196?/1956), trk# 12

NOTE (other titles): Of the many songs titled "Crucifixion" a version from Jubilee Singers from Negro Spirituals - Or, the Songs of the Jubilee Singers circa late 1800s (no date available- cover page missing). This song is usally titled "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" It was recorded by Jubilee Singers on 12-28-1920.

"Crucifixion" was recorded by Arizona Dranes. It is an instrumental piano solo not related to other versions.

"Crucifixion" was recorded by Rev. Gary Davis. It is a vocal/sermon not related to other versions.

OTHER NAMES: "He Never Said a Mumbling Word," "And He Never Said a Mumbling Word" "Never Said a Mumbling Word"

SOURCES: Folk Index; Meade; The Crisis Jun-Jul 1974

NOTES: from J. Rosamond Johnson 1944 dedicated to Roland Hayes (Fisk Jubilee Singer) from the Book of American Negro Spirituals. Versions of the "He Never Said a Mumbling Word"  are to be found in John W . Work, American Negro Songs and Spirituals (New York, 1940), p. 103 (as noted by Dr. Brown ); in R. Emmett Kennedy, Mellows (New York, 1925), pp. 127-8.

A version under this title, "An' He Never Said a Mumbling Word" was collected on the Georgia Sea Islands by Lydia Parrish and published in 1942.

He Never Said a Mumbling Word- Judge Robert W. Winston 
  
A version (Brown Collection) was collected by Judge Robert W. Winston (1860-1944), who lived in Chapel Hill at various times in his life and died there on October 14, 1944. The text is without date or Judge Winston's address at the time he contributed it, but it has the following headnote : "During one of the campaigns to sell war savings stamps [c. 1917-20], I was at a colored church in my county and heard the congregation croon most weirdly the following." Dr. Brown adds: "Heard at Windsor. Bertie County. Cf. the song in Kennedy's Mellon's."

1. Oh, didn't Jesus die?
And he never said a mumbling word.
He never said a word,
He never said a word,
And he never said a mumbling word,
Not a word.

2. He died on Calvary,
And he never said a mumbling word.
He never said a word,
He never said a word,
And he never said a mumbling word,
Not a word.

3 They nailed him to the cross,
And he never said a mumbling word.
He never said a word,
He never said a word,
And he never said a mumbling word,
Not a word.

4. He bowed his head and died,
And he never said a mumbling word.
He never said a word,
He never said a word,
And he never said a mumbling word,
Not a word.

Ballad Index: Never Said a Mumbling Word
DESCRIPTION: "Oh they whupped him up the hill, up the hill... and he never said a mumbalin' word..... They crowned him with a thorny crown.... They nailed him to the cross.... They pierced him in the side.... Then he hung down his head and he died."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1926
KEYWORDS: Bible Jesus religious death
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
BrownIII 578, "He Never Said a Mumbling Word" (1 text)
Lomax-FSUSA 102, "Never Said a Mumblin' Word" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-ABFS, pp. 587-588, "Never Said a Mumbalin' Word" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-SoFolklr, p. 759, "He Never Said a Mumbalin' Word" (1 text, 1 tune)
Courlander-NFM, p. 60, (no title) (1 text)
Roud #10068
RECORDINGS:
Vera Hall Ward & Dock Reed, "Look How They Done My Lord" (on NFMAla5)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When My Lord Went to Pray" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Look How They Done My Lord" (verses)
Notes: According to the Synoptic gospels (Mark 15:5, etc.), Jesus said very little to Pilate (according to Mark 15:2, two words, SU LEGEIS, loosely, "You said [it].") John, however, records an extended conversation. - RBW

Look How They Done My Lord
DESCRIPTION: Describes crucifixion of Jesus; he is whipped up to Calvary, where he "never [says] a mumbling word"; a thorny crown is placed on his brow and squashed down, and the blood comes streaming down. Refrain: "Good Lord I can't hold out no longer"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1953 (recording, Vera Hall Ward & Dock Reed)
KEYWORDS: execution dying Easter Bible religious prisoner Jesus
FOUND IN: US(SE)
Roud #10983
RECORDINGS:
Vera Hall Ward & Dock Reed, "Look How They Done My Lord" (on ReedWard01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "He Never Said a Mumbling Word" (verses)
Notes: Several verses of this song are shared with "He Never Said a Mumbling Word". But the "One day when I was lost" refrain is absent, and the overall feeling is quite different, so I split them. Incidentally, I use the keyword, "Easter" although the song technically describes only the events of Good Friday, letting the single keyword sit in for all of the events. - PJS


An' He Never Said A Mumberlin’ Word from Horace Mann via Roland Hayes (Fisk Jubilee Singer) 1926 [Article on Roland Hayes by Warren Marr in The Crisis Jun-Jul 1974] 
 
Wasn’t it a pity an’ a shame!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word.
Wasn’t it a pity an’ a shame!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word,
Oh not a word, not a word, not a word.

Dey nailed Him to de tree!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word!
Dey nailed Him to de tree!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word!
Oh not a word, not a word, not a word.

Dey pierced Him in de side,
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word!
Dey pierced Him in de side,
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word!
Oh not a word, not a word, not a word.

De blood came a –twink-a-lin’ down!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word,
De blood came a-twink-a-lin’ down!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word,
Oh, not a word, not a word, not a word!

He bowed His head an’ died!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word,
He bowed His head an’ died!
An’ He never said a mumberlin’ word,
Oh, not a word, not a word, not a word!

CRUCIFIXION- J. Rosamond Johnson 1944

They crucified my Lord
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word.
They crucified my Lord
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

They nailed Him to de tree,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word.
They nailed Him to de tree,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

They pierced Him in the side,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
They pierced Him in the side,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

The blood came twinklin’ down,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
The blood came twinklin’ down,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

He bow'd His head an’ died,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
He bow'd His head an’ died,
An’ He never said a mumbalin’ word,
Not a word, not a word, not a word.