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Death in the Morning/Conversation With Death/Oh Death/Cold Icy Hand/Death Is Going Cold Icy Hands On Me
Traditional Folk Song about Death
ARTIST: Reverend Anderson Johnson; Babylon's Falling CD
LISTEN: Death in the Morning http://search.aol.com/aol/search?s_it=topsearchbox.search&q=%22now+oh+Death+in+the+morning%22+
SHEET MUSIC Spiritual- Cold Icy Hand: http://books.google.com/books?id=ArEVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA448&dq=measure.+the+surprise+of+
the+shock&cd=9#v=onepage&q=measure.%20the%20surprise%20of%20the%20shock&f=false
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWTEwlygpkM
This is called 'Conversation with Death' or 'Oh Death Oh Death', from Songcatcher, an old folk song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyxE4rDEb6M&feature=related
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
DATE: "Death and the Lady" late 1600s;
RECORDING INFO: Death in the Morning
Marion Anderson. O Death (Death in the Morning)
Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers (Oh Death)
Reverend Anderson Johnson (Death in the Morning) Babylon's Falling CD
RECORDING INFO: Conversation With Death [Me III-C 77]
Rt - Oh, Death
Chandler, Lloyd. High Atmosphere, Rounder 0028, LP (1974), trk# 17 [1965/11]
Chandler, Lloyd. Old Time Music. The Essential Collection, Rounder 1166, CD (2002), trk# 28 [1965/11]
Freeman, Arlie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume IV, Religous Songs and Others, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 98/#663 [1941/12/10]
Hesperus. Crossing Over, Greenhays GR 718, LP (1988), trk# 11a
Moody, Clyde. Moody's Blues, Old Homestead 90013, LP (197?), trk# B.07
Wallin, Berzilla. Smithsonian Folkways -Conversation with Death (Oh Death) 5:07
RECORDING INFO: Cold Icy Hand/Death Is Going Cold Icy Hands On Me
William E. Barton, "Old Plantation Hymns"
Johnson and Johnson, the Book of American Negro Spirituals, book 2, p. 93
OTHER NAMES: "Death Is Going Cold Icy Hands On Me" "Conversation With Death"
RELATED TO: "Oh Death" songs; "Death and the Lady"
SOURCES: Folk Index; Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, 1946-50, rep. 1980, Vol. 4, pp. 98-99. William E. Barton, "Old Plantation Hymns"
NOTES: "Death in the Morning" by Reverend Anderson Johnson is included on the popular Babylon's Falling CD. It's a version of teh large family of songs titled "Conversation with Death" or "Oh Death." I know of two other versions of this variant:
O Death (Death in the Morning) Marion Anderson
Oh Death- Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers
Chorus: Oh Death, now oh Death in the morning
Oh Death, Death spare me over for another year
He cried Oh Death (hear him singing) O Death in the morning
O Death (please now) spare me over another year.
Reverend Anderson Johnson's song seems to be based on Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers version, with an added intro and some changes in lyrics. Let's looks at some of the other related songs.
"Conversation with Death" or "Oh Death" received publicity when it was included as a track titled "Oh death" (Ralph Stanley) is the hit 2000 movie "O Brother Where Art Thou." This version titled, "Conversation with Death" was sung by Arlie Freeman, Arkansas, 1941, who learned it from singers near his home. His wife sang it at "Holy Roller" meetings. Randolph says "A recent "Holy Roller' song, doubtless found in some of the printed songbooks." [Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, 1946-50, rep. 1980, Vol. 4, pp. 98-99.]
ORIGINS: A similar dialogue with Death turns up in the traditional English song "Death and the Lady", of 16th century in origin. "Death and the Lady" was published by J. Deacon (as "The Great Messenger of Mortality, or a Dialogue betwixt Death and a Lady") sometime between 1683 and 1700. An earlier version is the second half of "Beauties Warning=piece", 1681-2. Other examples include:
Death's Uncontrollable Summons; or, The Mortality of Mankind. Being a Dialogue between Death and a Young-Man, was published by P. Brooksby after 1684.
"A pleasant song made by a Souldier" (to "Callino) c 1583, is known, but "Deathes merry answere to the songe of the soldier", entered in the Stationers' Register on July 29, 1583 is lost.
"Conversation With Death" is also included [see youtube clip above] in the movie Songcatcher, a 2000 drama film, directed by Maggie Greenwald. It is about a musicologist researching and collecting Appalachian folk music in the mountains of western North Carolina. Although Songcatcher is a fictional film, it is loosely based on the work of Olive Dame Campbell, founder of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. The soundtrack includes an excellent version by Hazel Dickens; "Conversation With Death."
Sarah Ogan Gunning recorded a version on her 1965 Folk Legacy album, "A Girl of
Constant Sorrow," the sleeve notes (UK release on Topic Records) say:
"Oh Death" is found in white and Negro tradition from Texas to the Georgia Sea Islands and is available today in widely contrasting settings: unaccompanied vocal solo, hillbilly duet (with guitars), bluegrass band. This stark conversational piece has attracted a number of short stylized explanations which place the song on the lips of a dying slave beaten by a cruel plantation mistress, or on the lips of a Kentucky
hill-preacher stricken by the Lord for ignoring His call. Sarah adds an excellent narrative of herown: Elizabeth, her mother, used to sing this sad song while gathering herbs in
the woods. Oneday she wandered near a concealed underground still. The moonshiners took AuntLizzie to be a ghost and in terrible fright abandoned the still (but only temporarily).
Primitive religious sects (Pentecostal), with a membership drawn largely from lower-income groups, frequently compose their own songs, as stark as the economic life of the congregation. One song creates a realistic and gruesome picture of Death:
Oh, Death, please let me see,
If Christ has turned his back on me.
When you were called and asked to bow,
You would not heed, 'You're too late now.'
I'll fix your feet so you can't walk;
I'll lock your jaws so you can't talk,
I'll dose your eyes so you can't see,
This very hour come and go with me.
"Cold Icy Hand" or "Death Is Going Cold Icy Hands On Me" is a traditional spiritual collected from William E. Barton in his 1898 article "Old Plantation Hymns."
Notes by Barton: Cold Icy Hand
No classification of *African-American hymns is entirely satisfactory; but a very large class is made up of a refrain to which is sung a series of verses in variable order, often having no special relation to the refrain. Many of them are used with scores of different songs, and never twice in the same order. Some present a slight variation in the refrain, but have a uniform response. Of these I have a large number. One very rare one, and one that I count among the best, is "Cold Icy Hand." The burden of the song is the response, "Death goner lay his cold icy hand on me." An indescribable effect is given to the "cold icy hand" by a syncopation. The word "cold" has the accent on the down beat, and the first syllable of 'icy" takes a half-note in hte middle of the measure. The surprise of the shock which this gives to the nerves, together with the weird tune, which prepares fro any uncanny effect, is not unlike the touch of a cold hand.
DEATH IS GOING TO LAY HIS COLD ICY HANDS ON ME- Park New Choir from Johnson and Johnson, the Book of American Negro Spirituals, book 2, p. 93.
Death is going to lay his cold icy hands on me
Lord! on me
Death is going to lay his cold icy hands on me
One morning I was walking along
I heard a voice and saw no man
Said go in peace and sin no more
Your sins forgiven and your soul set free
One of these mornings I won't be long
You'll look for me and I'll be gone
Yes one of these mornings about twelve o'clock
This old world is going to reel and rock
DEATH'S GWINE-TER LAY HIS COLD ICY HANDS ON ME- Johnson and Johnson, the Book of American Negro Spirituals, book 2, p. 93. In the same volume, p. 96-99, is another quite different version with different music ("Rare version") which is from William E. Barton, "Old Plantation Hymns"
O, sinner, sinner, you better pray,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
Or yo' soul will get lost at de judgement day,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.
Some o' dese mornin's bright an' fair,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
I'll take-a my wings an' cleve de air,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.
Cryin', O, lord! Cryin' O my Lord, Cryin' O, Lord!
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.
Yes, I'm so glad I've been redeemed,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
I'm ready fo' to cross ol' Jordan's stream,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.
Cryin', O, Lord! Cryin' O my Lord! Cryin' O Lord!
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me, on me.
COLD, ICY HAND- William E. Barton, "Old Plantation Hymns" (New England Magazine, December 1898, reprinted in Bernard Katz, The Social Implications of Early Negro Music in The United States, Arno/The New York Times, 1969, p. 81; with substantially the same music
1. O sinner! Sinner! you better pray!
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!
Or your soul be lost at de jedgment day!
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!
REFRAIN: Cryin', O Lord! Cryin' O my Lord! Cryin', O Lord,
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!
2. O, sinner, you be careful how you walk on de cross,--
Or your foot may slip an' you' soul be los'.
CONVERSATION WITH DEATH- online version (no source given)
1. Well, what is this that I can't see
It's your icy hands, take 'em off of me.
Oh, yes, I've come to get your soul
And leave your body. Leave it cold.
CHORUS: Oh, death please give me time
To lift my heart and change my mind.
Your heart is fixed, your mind is bound,
I have the shackles to drag you down.
2. I'll fix your hips so you can't walk
I'll fix your mouth so you can't talk.
I'll close your eyes so you can't see
This very hour come go with me.
CHORUS:
Oh Death- Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers
Chorus: Oh Death, now oh Death in the morning
Oh Death, Death spare me over for another year
He cried Oh Death (hear him singing) O Death in the morning
O Death (please now) spare me over another year.
Yeah, Death walked up to the sinner's door
Said Oh now sinner you got to go,
The sinner looked around and began to cry,
Said Oh no Death I'm not ready to die,
Oh Death walked up to the sinner's gate
Said I believe you have waited now a little too late
Your fever now is one hundred and two,
There a narrow chance you'll ever pull through.
He said I got feets and I can't walk,
I got a tongue mother and I can't talk,
I got eyes and I can't see,
Nothing but Death has got the shackles on me.
Said now I'm gonna fix your feet so you can't walk
Fix your tongue so you cannot talk
Close your eyes and you canont see,
You got to come now an' go with me.
Well Death consider my age,
And do not take me in this stage.
All my wealth is at your command,
If you just move your cold icy hand.
Oh what is this I see?
Cold icy hand all over me.
Say I am Death no one can excell,
I open the doors of Heaven and Hell.
Death in the Morning - Reverend Anderson Johnson [excerpt]
[sung/spoken] Well it makes people worried man or woman all,
When death descends on you my friend
You'll think of the dear mother of yours,
When you arrive to to mother's door,
And dhe won't pass you by,
She'll do all the good she can
VERSE: Well the doctor pulls up to your gate
Believe my child you have waited a little too late
Your fever now is one hundred and two,
There a narrow chance you'll ever pull through.
CHORUS: Please Death, please oh Death in the morning,
Please Death, (Death) spare my life, just another year.
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