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Don' Git Weary/Don't Get Weary/Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
NOTE: This is not related to Dett's "Don't Get Weary" of Allen's "Don't Be Weary Traveller"
Traditional Spiritual and Old-time Bluegrass Gospel
ARTIST: From Negro Spirituals From The Far South- A.E. Perkins; Journal of American folklore, Volume 35 by American Folklore Society 1913.
Ernest Phipps Holiness Quartet 1927
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtaNhPqpZGc
SHEET MUSIC:
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
DATE: 1874 Fisk Jubilee Singers; Recorded
RECORDING INFO: Don't Get Weary/Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
Rt - Soon, One Mornin' ; Oil in My Vessel
At - Keep My Lamp Trimmed and Burning
Charles, Roosevelt. Blues, Prayer, Work and Trouble Songs, Vanguard VRS 9136, LP (1964), trk# 16 [1960/11]
Davis, Reverend Gary. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof (1959), 7, p14
Fisk Jubilee Singers. Marsh, J. B. T. / Story of the Jubilee Singers, Houghton Mifflin, Bk (1880), p190/# 71
Flower, Mary. Ragtime Gal, Bluesette BR 300, CD (2003), trk# 5
Johnson, Blind Willie. Complete Blind Willie Johnson, Columbia Legacy C2K 52835, CD (1993), trk# 1.10 [1928/12/05]
McDowell, Fred (Mississippi Fred). Southern Journey. Vol. 3: 61 Highway Mississippi, Rounder 1703, CD (1997), trk# 7 [1959/09/25]
McDowell, Fred (Mississippi Fred). Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), trk# 1.12 [1959/07ca]
Reid, Harvey; and Joyce Andersen. Kindling the Fire, Woodpecker WP 118CD, Cas (2004), trk# 4
Rucker, Sparky (James). Bound to Sing the Blues, Traditional SR-372, LP (1972), trk# B.05
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry / Folk-Style Guitar, Oak, Sof (1973), p126
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry A. (ed.) / Instrumental Techniques of American Folk Guita, Trad. String Instr., fol (1965), p79
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry / Advanced Guitar, Oak, Sof (1975), p 73
Ballad Index: Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
DESCRIPTION: "Keep your lamp trimmed and burning (x3) For this world is almost gone" "Brother, don't you get (a-)worried (x3) For this world is almost gone." "Sister, don't stop prayin'..." "Preacher, don't stop preachin'..."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: Late 1920s (recording, Blind Willie Johnson & Angeline Johnson)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Silber-FSWB, p. 361, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (1 text)
Roud #10433
RECORDINGS:
Blind Willie Johnson & Angeline Johnson, "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning" (Columbia 14425-D, 1929; rec. 1928; on BWJ01, BWJ02)
Fred McDowell, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (on LomaxCD1703)
Notes: A reference to the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, Matt. 25:1-13. - RBW
OTHER NAMES: "Don't You Grieve After Me" "Don't You Weep After Me"
RELATED TO: "Don't You Weep After Me"
SOURCES: Meade; Folk Index; Ballad Index; Negro Spirituals From The Far South- A.E. Perkins Journal of American folklore, Volume 35 By American Folklore Society
NOTES: "Don' Git Weary" or "Don't Get Weary" is a traditional spiritual and old-time/blues/bluegrass gospel song. This version of "Don't Get Weary" is from Negro Spirituals From The Far South- A.E. Perkins; Journal of American folklore, Volume 35 By American Folklore Society in 1913. It is related to "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" and is not related to Dett's "Don't Get Weary" of Allen's "Don't Be Weary Traveller."
There are many related songs, titles and versions:
O Brothers Don't Get Weary- Allen's Slave Songs 1867
O Brother, don't get weary,
O Brother, don't get weary,
O Brother, don't get weary,
We're waiting for the Lord.
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning from the collection, The Story of the Jubilee Singers with Their Songs by J. B. Marsh (1887), as the parent spiritual. There are two parts, the chorus:
Keep your lamps trimmed and a-burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and a-burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and a-burning
For this work’s almost done.
And the stanza:
Brothers, don’t grow weary
Brothers, don’t grow weary
There are two additional sections that are repeats of the chorus. The second time the chorus is repeated, the text is changed. Of the three lines of text, two are borrowed from the spiritual, We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder:
Tis religion makes us happy, (etc.)
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, (etc.)
Every round goes higher and higher, (etc.)
For this work’s almost done.
Keep Your Lamps- From a recent church service
Part 1: Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, [x3]
The time is drawing nigh.
Part 2: Children, don't get weary, [x3]
The time is drawing nigh.
26. DON' GIT WEARY- A.E. Perkins JOAFL 1913
Christians, don't git weary,
Christians, don't git weary,
Christians, don't git weary,
For the work is 'most done.
I have a brother over yonder,
I have a brother over yonder,
I have a brother over yonder,
For the work is 'most done.
Brother, don't git weary,
Brother, don't git weary,
Brother, don't git weary,
For the work is "most done.
Big camp-meetin' over yonder,
Big camp-meetin' over yonder,
Big camp-meetin' over yonder,
For the work is 'most done.
Elder, don't git weary,
Elder, don't git weary,
Elder, don't git weary,
For the work is 'most done.
I have a mother over yonder,
I have a mother over yonder,
I have a mother over yonder,
For the work is 'most done.
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