|
I Am a Pilgrim
Traditional Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel. Widely known USA;
ARTIST: Richard Matteson; Youtube learn to play Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLhiBcZnUsU
TAB for basic solo:
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; Published by Mrs. Mary Stanley Bunce Dana Shindler in 1840 Southern Harp. Shindler's version appears in the The Southern Zion Songster, 1864. (see Version 2 in this collection); 1890 appears in Swedish hymnal; Late 1800's version similar to Travis/Rager from Madison Co., NC. Earliest recording 1917 by Imperial Quartet.
RECORDING INFO: I Am a Pilgrim
Wernick, Peter (ed.) / Bluegrass Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976), p 47a (I'm a Pilgrim)
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p328 (I'm a Pilgrim)
Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof (1959), 3, p11
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Hootenanny Tonight!, Gold Medal Books, sof (1964), p 38
Silverman, Jerry / Folk Guitar - Folk Song, Scarborough Book, Sof (1983/1977), p125
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p173
Bailey, Mike. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1980/01,p15
Baxter, Robert. Baxter's Finger-Picking Record, Baxter BSP/LP 1001, LP (196?), trk# B.08
Calicanto Singers. Days of Gold!, Calicanto, CD (1999), trk# B.20
Country Gentlemen. Country Gentlemen on the Road, Folkways FA 2411, LP (1963), trk# B.03
Hamilton, Frank. Folk Music of the Newport Folk Festival 1959-60. Vol 1, Folkways FA 2431, LP (1961), trk# 11
Iron Mountain String Band (Calif.). Someday We'll Meet Again, Folkways FA 3836, LP (1981), trk# B.05
Kentucky Colonels. Kentucky Colonels, United Artists UAS 29514, LP (1973/1964), trk# B.01
Lieberson, Richard. Pickin' Magazine, Pickin' Magazine, Ser, 1975/10,p20
Mack, Mo. New and Used Tunes, White Rose Media WRM-001, CD (2000), trk# 12
Monroe, Bill. I Saw the Light, Decca DL-78769, LP (1958), trk# 11
Stanley Brothers. Uncloudy Day, County 753, LP (1987), trk# 11
Traum, Happy. American Stranger, Kicking Mule KM 301, LP (1977), trk# A.05
Travis, Merle. Will the Circle Be Unbroken, United Artists UAS 9801, LP (1972), trk# 33
Upper Hamilton Gravediggers. Undertaking Bluegrass, Concord HRL-1657, LP (1964), trk# 3
Watson, Doc. Doc Watson on Stage, Vanguard VSD 9/10, LP (1970), trk# 9
White, Clarence. Traum, Happy (ed.) / Bluegrass Guitar, Oak, Sof (1974), p 63
White, Clarence. Pickin' Magazine, Pickin' Magazine, Ser, 1975/10,p21
Hoban's Polka," "Seneca Square Dance," "Waiting for the Federals," “Old Raccoon,” “Running from the Federals,” “Old Coon Dog,” “Hell among the Yearlin's,” ”Raccoon's Tail,” “Coon Dog,” “Rock Along John to Kansas” “Heel Flies,” “Get Away from the Federals, or Fall of Paris” “Shoot the Turkey Buzzard,” “Higher Up the Monkey Climbs," "Saddle Old Spike,"
RELATED TO: “I Am A Pilgrim (1800s versions),” “Poor Wayfaring Stranger (lyrics)”
OTHER NAMES: "I'm A Pilgrim"
SOURCES: Mudcat forum (Mark Clark; Stewie); Folk Index
NOTES: G Major (Travis/ Rager); E Major (Doc Watson- Capo in 3); D Major (Clarence White); The song was in the repertoire of Riley Puckett. As a boy Carl Story learned the song from Puckett's playing when Story's father took Carl to hear Puckett play in Lenoir, NC. The song was popularized by Merle Travis who recorded the song for King records in 1946. Travis learned the song from Muhlenburg, KY thumb-picker Mose Rager. Rager's brother Lyman learned it from an inmate in the Elkton KY jail. Travis included the song on his important 1947 "Folk-Songs from the Hills" CD for Capitol.
In his booklet for the Bear Family box set, Rich Kienzle writes: '"I Am A Pilgrim" came from Mose Rager, whose brother heard a black prisoner sing it and taught Mose the lyrics. During the session [13 August 1946], Travis suggested to Gillette [Lee Gillette, producer] they record the gospel standard "This World Is Not My Home". They recorded both "Pilgrim" and "This World Is Not My Home". The latter song didn't make the final cut'. Kienzle makes no suggestion that Travis reworked the piece. Indeed, he says they re-recorded 'That's All' and 'four more traditional folk numbers rounded out the session, including "John Henry" ...' Kienzle comments that the session was 'lighthearted as Merle clowned with Cliffie [Stone] and Gillette between takes'. He seems to suggest that the recording of 'Pilgrim' was spontaneous, rather than something that Travis had re-worked in preparation for the session.
There were numerous recordings under the titles 'I'm A Pilgrim And A Stranger' and 'I'm A Pilgrim' long before before Cliffie Stone said to Merle in August 1946: 'Wanna be a folk singer? We need you to make an album of folk songs'. Here are some:
Under the title 'I'm A Pilgrim'-
Norfolk Jazz and Jubilee Quartet 1924
Paramount Jubilee Singers Early 1920s
Good Will Male Chorus 1927
South Carolina Quartette 1928
Mound City Jubilee Quartette 1935
Golden Gate Quartet 1939
Southern Wonder Quartet 1940
Under the title 'I'm A Pilgrim And A Stranger' : Heavenly Gospel Singers 1936
Elks Quartette - field recording in Virginia late 1930s
According to Wayne Erbsen, I Am A Pilgrim was "recorded by fourteen African-American groups before it was even a gleam in Merle Travis' eyes."
In his notes accompanying the Vestapol video, Legends of Country Guitar, Cary Ginell—talking about Travis’ four-pocket, 78 RPM album Folk Songs from the Hills—says it “…included some of Merle Travis’ best-loved compositions: ‘Sixteen Tons,’ ‘Dark as A Dungeon,’ and ‘I Am A Pilgrim’ in addition to a few trditional tunes Travis had learned in Kentucky.”
The video begins with a film (ca. 1961) of Mose Rager playing I Am A Pilgrim as an instrumental for folklorist D.K. Wilgus. Ginell writes “One illuminating segment leads off our retrospective featuring Rager, in prime form, playing Merle Travis’ ‘I Am A Pilgrim.’”
However, in the video clip itself, Wilgus presses Rager on the origin of “that Pilgrim song” and Rager replies:
"That old song I Am A Pilgrim? We sang that old song around here years ago—seem like to me about thirty years ago. [laughs] It’s just an old brush arbor song. Everybody sang it; Merle Travis ’n’ my two brothers we’d all get together out here—out here on the—out t’ the edge of town an’ just set out there till about twelve o’clock an’ sing old hymns an’ we’d sing I Am A Pilgrim. So as far as I Am A Pilgrim, it’s just an old brush arbor song."
A different fingerstyle version has been popularized by Doc Watson in E major with a capo on third fret and an outstanding flatpick version by Clarence White can be seen on his youtube video (with Soldier's Joy).
John and Ruby Lomax collected a version on their 1939 Southern states recording trip.
The song lyrics have become entwined with versions of Poor Wayfaring Stranger. One early 1862 version is quoted it from an African-American source:
"I am a pilgrim, and a stranger,
I tarry, not a night.
Do not detain me, for I am going,
Where the streamlets are ever flowing."
From "Brief memorials of the Rev. Alphonse Francis Lacroix" By Joseph Mullens 1862.
This popular text can be traced to Mrs. Mary Stanley Bunce Dana Shindler. She first published in 1840 her own collection of poems called the Southern Harp and in 1841 the Northern Harp (which included this hymn below):
I'm a pilgrim, and I'm a stranger;
I can tarry, I can tarry but a night;
Do not detain me, for I am going
To where the fountains are ever flowing.
The above version (for complete lyrics see version 2 in this collection) isn't much different than the version I sing or what Merle Travis learned from Mose Rager. My version is similar to the Travis/Rager version but I picked up an exrtra verse in North Carolina.
I Am A Pilgrim- Richard Matteson
I am a pilgrim and a stranger
Traveling through this wearisome land
I've got a home in that yonder city,
And it's not (Good Lord it's not) not made by hand.
I got a mother, a sister and a brother
Who have gone on this way before
I am determined to go and see them, good Lord
Over on that distant shore.
I'm going down to that river Jordan
Just to cleanse my weary soul
If I could touch but the hem of His garment, good Lord
I do believe it would make me whole
When I am dead and layin' in my coffin,
And all my friends are, gathered 'round.
You can tell them, I'm just sleepin' good Lord,
Sweet peace, my soul has found.
|