ROAD TO HEAVEN
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(Contents)
JESUS, WON'T YOU COME B'M-BY?
DESE BONES GWINE TO RISE AGAIN
TWO WHITE HORSES
WAY OVER IN THE NEW BURYIN' GROUN'
MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN
PHARAOH'S ARMY GOT DROWNDKD
GOOD-BYE BROTHER
GOD'S GOIN' TO SET THIS WORLD ON FIRE
AIN' GO'N' TO STUDY WAR NO MO'
THINGS I USED TO DO
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
STANDIN' ON THE WALLS OF ZION
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
YOU GOT TO CROSS IT FOH YOHSELF
I GOT A LETTER FROM JESUS
ECEKIEL, YOU AND ME
(Music arranged by: Charles Fancell Edson; Hilbert G. Stewart; Alfred 0. Wathall; Leo Soirerby and Hazel Felman
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JESUS, WON'T YOU COME B'M-BY?
One of the lasting creations of the negro of slave days. Arr. C. F. E.
You ride dat horse,
You call him Macadoni;
Jesus, won't you come b'm-by?
You ride him in de mornin'
And you ride him in de evening
Jesus, won't you come b'm-by?
De Lord knows de world's gwine to end up,
Jesus, won't you come b'm-by?
De Lord knows de world's gwine to end up,
Jesus, won't you come b'm-by?
DESE BONES GWINE TO RISE AGAIN
A retold story of the First Man, the First Woman, and the events of their Paradise Lost. It is cornic, paradoxical, mystic, in the manner of some of the tumultuous imagery hurled forth from "God's Trombones" as written by James Weldon Johnson. Two or three generations of white people have cherished this creation of the Dark Brother. I have heard it in cities and on farms, in factories and pitching hay. For assistance in the text we are indebted to Lloyd Lewis, the Free Quaker. The harmonization is by Hilbert G. Stewart, a young colored composer, of Chicago.
DESE BONES GWINE TO RISE AGAIN
I Lord, he thought he'd make a man,
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Made him out of mud and a little bit of sand,
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
Refrain: I know it, 'deed I know it,
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
"Adam, Adam, where art thou?"
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
"Here, Marse Lord, I'se comin' down."
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
3. Thought he'd make a woman too;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Didn't know "xactly what to do.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
4. Took a rib from Adam's side;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Made Miss Eve for to be his bride.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
5. Put 'em in a garden rich an' fair;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Tole Vrn to eat what they found dere.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
6. To one tall tree dey mus' not go;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Dere mus' de fruit forever grow.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
7. Of Miss Eve come a-walkin' roun';
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Spied dat tree all loaded down.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
8 Sarpent he came roun' de trunk.
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
At Miss Eve his eye he wunk.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
9. Firs' she took a little pull;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Den she filled her apron full.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
10. Adam he come prowlin' roun';
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Spied dem peelin's on de groun*.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
11 Den he took a little slice;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Smack his lips an* said 'twas nice.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
12 Lord, he spoke with a mighty voice.
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Shook de heavens to dc joists.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
13. "Adam! Adam! Where ane thou?"
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
"Yes, Marse Lord, I'se a-comin' now."
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
14. "You et my apples, I believe?"
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
"Not me, Lord, but I 'spec 'twas Eve,
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
15 Lord den rose up in his wrath;
Dese bones gwine to rise again;
Tole 'em beat it down de path.
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
16 "Out of my garden you mus' git,"
Dese bones gwine to rise again,
"For you an' me has got to quit,"
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
Refrain: I know it, 'deed I know it,
Dese bones gwine to rise again.
TWO WHITE HORSES
The white horses go in a sort of hoof-beat time; the "rassling" of Zekl with sin is swift and dexterous, as also is his entrance into "heb'n. " It is one of the gayer and more accelerated spirituals, and was heard by Dr. Ernest Horn, head of the College of Education, University of Iowa, when a boy in Missouri. Arr. A. G. W.
TWO WHITE HORSES
Daniel was a man, Daniel was a man,
In de lion's den;
Daniel was a man, Daniel was a man,
In de lion's den;
Daniel was a man, Daniel was a man,
In de lion's den;
De good Lawd proved to be Daniel's frien'.
2. Zek'l was a man, Zek'l was a man,
And he rassled wid sin;
Zek'l was a man, Zek'l was a man,
And he rassled wid sin;
Zek'l was a man, Zek'l was a man,
And he rassled wid sin;
Heb'n gate opened, and he rolled right in.
WAY OVER IN THE NEW BURYIN' GROUN'
This negro spiritual to be heard on the coast of Georgia is from a series of negro spirituals recorded on phonograph cylinders for the extensive collection of R. W. Gordon. The time of it goes a little as though one heard a distinct hammering of curious incessancy. Arr. A. G. W.
Somebody's dying way over yonder,
Somebody's dying way over yonder,
Way over in the new buryin' groun'.
MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN
One of the sublime creations of the negro race in America tinted with shadings of the light that never was on land or sea, "woh," and so on.
mystic, simple, poetic, elusive,
. ."I'm" is "Ahm," "wore" is
Arr. L. S.
MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN
2 Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Gabriel stood and bio wed his horn;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
8 I don't know but I've been told,
I don't know but I've been told,
I don't know but I've been told,
The streets in heaven are paved with gold;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
4 Can't you hear dem horses' feet?
Can't you hear dem horses' feet?
Can't you hear dem horses' feet
Slippin' and slidin* on de golden street?
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
5 My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
An* de mornin' star was a witness too;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
6 I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
All don't see me go'n to hear me sing:
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
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PHARAOH'S ARMY GOT DROWNDED
Arr. L. S.
PHARAOH'S ARMY GOT DROWNDED
1. If I could I surely would
Stan' on de rock where Moses stood.
Pharaoh's array got drownded,
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
Pharaoh's army got drownded.
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
Some o' these nights about twelve o'clock
Dis ol' worl' gwine to reel an' rock.
Pharaoh's army got drownded,
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
O Mary, don' you weop, don' you mo'n.
Pharaoh's army got drownded,
O Mary, don' you weep, don' you mo'n.
GOOD-BYE, BROTHER
2 We part in de body, but we meet in de spirit,
If I don't see you more;
We'll meet in de heaben, in de blessed kingdom,
If I don't see you more.
8 So good-bye brother, good-bye sister,
If I don't see you more;
Now God bless you, now God bless you,
If I don't see you more.
GOD'S GOIN' TO SET THIS WORLD ON FIRE
The I. W. W. (Industrial Workers of the World) nailed the word "Solidarity" high and issued a call for "One Big Union." It shouted, "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. You have a world to win." Those with red cards of membership were " wobblies." They belonged in "jungles," camps and hobo hangouts near railroads. They were outlaws, gypsies, vags. Several times they wrecked jails, tore the doors off hinges, twisted the bars, spoiled the plumbing, and defied all law and government. While in jail they often made the walls ring with a negro spiritual given here. Their favorite verse was "God's Goin' to Set This World on Fire." It suggests Fire wrecking the world as the I. W. W.'s wrecked jails . . . The text B below is from Arthur Billings Hunt of Brooklyn, New York, who heard it from a group of negroes in a Virginia farm house five years ago. Arr. L. S.
GOD'S GOW TO SET THIS WORLD ON FIRE
A.
1 God's goin' to set this world on fire,
God's goin' to set this world on fire,
One o' these days!
God's goin' to set this world on fire,
One o" these days!
2. I'm goin' to walk an' talk with Jesus,
I'm goin' to walk an' talk with Jesus,
One o' these days!
I'm goin' to walk an' talk with Jesus,
One o' these days!
3 I'm goin' to climb up Jacob's ladder,
I'm goin' to climb up Jacob's ladder,
One o' these days!
I'm goin' to climb up Jacob's ladder,
One o' these days!
4 All you sinners gonna turn up missing,
All you sinners gonna turn up missing,
One o' these days!
All you sinners gonna turn up missing,
One o' these days!
B.
1. God don't want no coward soldiers,
God don't want no coward soldiers,
Some o' these days.
He wants valiant hearted soldiers
Some o' these days.
2 We are clirnbin' Jacob's ladder,
We are climbin' Jacob's ladder,
Some o' these days.
Every round goes higher and higher,
Some o' these days.
AIN' GO'N' TO STUDY WAR NO MO'
Among spirituals used by negroes as work songs this is to be mentioned. "They sing it by the hour," students at the University of Alabama told me, referring to "Ain' Go'n' to Study War No Mo'. " As they go on, hour by hour, they bring in lines from many other spirituals. The tempo is vital, never actually monotonous, never ecstatic, yet steady in its onflow, sure of its pulses. It is a work song-spiritual. War is pronounced "wah" or "waw" as if to rhyme with "saw." Horse is "hawse." And so on with negro economy of vocables in speech and song. Arr. L. S.
ADT GO'N' TO STUDY WAR NO MO*
1 I'm go'n' to lay down my sword and shield, I'm go'n' to lay down my sword and shield,
Down by dc ribber-side, down by de ribber-side, I'm go'n' to lay down my sword and shield.
I ain' go'n' to study war no mo', I ain' go'n' to study war no mo',
I ain' go'n' to study war no mo', I ain' go'n' to study war no mo'.
2 I'm go'n' to ride on a milk-white horse, I'm go'n' to ride on a milk-white horse,
Down by de ribber-side, down by de ribber-side, I'm go'n' to ride on a milk-white horse.
I ain' go'n' to study war no mo', I ain' go'n' to study war no mo',
I ain' go'n' to study war no mo', I ain' go'n' to study war no mo'.
3. I'm go'n' to wear a starry crown, I'm go'n' to wear a starry crown,
Down by de ribber-side, down by de ribber-side, I'm go'n' to wear a starry crown.
4 I'm go'n' to wear a snow-white robe, I'm go'n' to wear a snow-white robe,
Down by de ribber-side, down by de ribber-side, I'm go'n' to wear a snow-white robe.
5 I'm go'n' to ride with my King Jesus, I'm go'n' to ride with my King Jesus,
Down by de ribber-side, down by de ribber-side, I'm go'n' to ride with my King Jesus.
THINGS I USED TO DO
Texas camp meetings have heard these testimonies of an old way of life abandoned and a new one adopted.
Chickens I used to steal, I don't steal no mo', (3 times)
There's been a great change since I been bohn.
3 Whisky I used to drink, I don't drink no mo', (3 time*)
There's been a great change since I been bohn.
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
This spiritual comes from negroes of Fort Worth, Texas, through the medium of Jake Zeitlin, a poet who used to send me each year a horned toad from the Great Staked Plains. The list of v occupations named in these verses can be extended according to desire or whim. Arr. A. G. W.
In my Fa - ther's house;
O there's peace, peace, ev - 'ry - where!
2 There ain' no crapshooters there In my Father's house. (3 times]
O there's peace, peace, everywhere !
3 There ain* no cardplayers there In my Father's house. (3 times)
O there's peace, peace, ev'ry where!
STANDIN' ON THE WALLS OF ZION
The barber shop harmonizers of midwest towns used to make up their own melodies and then
mix in the words. In Galcsburg, boys from the Q. railroad shops, from Colton's foundry and the
Purington brickyards, would meet in front of Brown's hotel or the Union hotel, practice with their
voices as they strolled off Main Street, and then make the rounds of the ice-cream "sociables" held
by various churches on a summer evening. Some boys would find the girls they were looking for.
Others stayed with the bunch and sang. One of the favorite pieces, about the time of the Chicago
anarchist case, was this white man's spiritual.
Arr. L. S.
i
Then it's a hoo - raw, and a hoo - raw, Thru the
mer - ry green fields,hoo - raw!
.
-*
{,&--:
' 3? \1Sfr
Stand-in' on thcwiills of Zi - on, Zi -on, S'c my ship come sail - in', sail - in',
Stand-in' on the walls of Zi - on, See my ship come sail - in' home. . . .
@?i^=
i
Then it's a hooraw, and a hooraw,
Thru the merry green fields, hooraw!
Standin* on the walls of Zion, Zion,
See my ship come sailin', sailin',
Standin' on the walls of Zion,
See my ship come sailin' home.
484
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
The high and prolonged declaration of a heart wanting to be home, having been away so long*
yet it has a sea health. Wilbert Snow, the Maine poet who sailed before the mast when young and
husky, knew this as a windlass song. ... Air and accompaniment run without strict regard to
rhythm. ... as a meditation. . . . and of varied pulses.
With deliberation
Arr. H. P.
3fc=*
A hun-dred years is a vc-rylong time, Oh,
yes! oh,
P
(con Sri tempre)
hun-dred years is a ve - ry long time, A hun-dred years a - go.
1 A hundred years is a very long time,
Oh, yes, oh.
A hundred years is a very long time,
A hundred years ago.
A hundred years have passed and gone,
Oh, yes, oh.
A hundred years have passed and gone,
A hundred years ago.
3 A hundred years will come once more,
Oh, yes, oh.
A hundred years will come once more,
A hundred years ago.
YOU GOT TO CROSS IT FOH YOHSELF
This spiritual from the negroes of Texas, is a contemplation, a prayer, and an outcry.
AIT. A. G. W.
Tempo rubaln
You got to cross that Riv-er Jor - dan, You got to cross it .
*b " ^
foh yoh -self;
m/^ Cotta voce
JM 5
E
p
/is
3.
irr4?L_tir
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::f* . ij . *-&
^::^-.-_^.-^
O there cuin't no-hod-y cross it foh you; You got to cross it.... foh yoh-self,
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ES
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Cain't yoh bro-thah cross it foh you, You got to cross it foh yoh - self.
rr\
i
1 You got to cross that River Jordan,
You got to cross it foh yohself ;
O there cain't nobody cross it foh you;
You got to cross it foh yohself,
Cain't yoh brothah cross it foh you,
You got to cross it foh yohself.
You got to stand that test of judgment,
You got to stand it foh yohself;
O there cain't nobody stand it foh you;
You got to stand it foh yohself,
Cain't yoh pahson stand it foh you,
You got to stand it foh yohself.
48*
I GOT A LETTER FROM JESUS
This may be heard on Lang Syne Plantation, Fort Motte, South Carolina. It is sometimes
sung by sinners or worldly negroes to persuade church members that they too shall receive salvation
at the Throne of Grace.
Arr. A. G. W.
mf) Modrrato
r j r r
X
I got a let - ter from Je - sus, Ahah,
ahali!
I got a let-ter,
:ja:
i
3ii
-i-
I got a let-ter, I got a let - ter from Je - sus, 'Mm, 'Mrn.
i
I got a letter from Jesus,
Ahah, ahah!
I got a letter, I got a letter,
I got a letter from Jesus,
'Mm, 'Mm.
487
EZEKIEL, YOU AND ME
The author's arrangement of lines and airs from five negro spirituals that have for many years
given musical enjoyment and spiritual sustenance, with harmonization by Alfred G. Wathall.
Arr. A. G. W.
Mafttoto e religioto mf =r
Hh
zstzzat
wheel, Ez - e - k'l saw dc wheel, 'Way up in de mid-die of de air. De
SZLl^E
ap
<*>
3=3^'
big wheel move by faith;
mf> - ( -
DC lit-tle wheel move by de grace of God; A wheel in a
?*
488
E2EKIEL, YOU AND ME
m /
1
wheel, 'Way up in de mid-die of de air.
A wheel in a wheel,
If*
r-
coZ/a
s^t
poco ritardando sff
rftm rtl. zn:
wheel in a wheel, Lz-e-k'l saw de wheel, 'Way up in de raid-die of de air.
j i i ^ I
poco /* tost. m
ot>//a rorc
* Q ^^
=3q
2 Con vio/o
Keep a - inch- in, '_ keep a - inch - in,'
Je - su
sus will come by and
t
Inch by inch, inch by inch
Like a po' inch
jr^-^t-
tf * "p^ -
pororii. n=
piu lento
^^
' 1
489
EZEKIEL, YOU AND ME
poco rU.
3 m/
J.
worm,
Je - sus will come by and by.
It's me,
O
colla voce
tranquillo
BS
Lord;
it's me, it's mo, It's me, Lord; Stand-in* in de need of
m/
P^aa*.
^
P^3
4 _f__
PP
*$=
poro ri<.
^
prayer; It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord; Stand-in' in de need of
E^i * ^ *Uby I [
cre.
^s^;
4 m/ 3/o/to (tt'librrato
.
prayer.
Chill - y wa - ter, chill - y wa - ter, Hal - le - lu - jah to dat
490
BZBKIBL, YOU AND MB
Lamb!
^ *"r~ ~^*
I know dat wa - ter am chill -y and cold, And a Hal-le-
lu - jali to dat Lamb !
moun - tain,
pray - - in', in de val - ley,
1s?-
r
-&
=
mf)
-* -
We're go'n to reap jus' what we sow,.
=r ^ VJ J .
491
EZEKIEL, YOU AND MB
Ho - pin' on de moun - tain,.
ho
pin* in de
val - ley,.
I'm go'n to reap jits' what I sow.
1 Ezck'l saw dc wheel, Ezek'l saw de wheel,
'Way up in de middle of de air.
De big wheel move by faith;
De little wheel move by de grace of God;
A wheel in a wheel,
'Way up in de middle of de air.
A wheel in a wheel, a wheel in a wheel,
Ezek'l saw de wheel,
'Way up in de middle of de air.
2 Keep a-inchin', keep a-5nchin*,
Jesus will come by and by;
Inch by inch, inch by inch,
Like a po* inch worm,
Jesus will come by and by.
3 It's me, O Lord; it's me, it's me,
It's me, Lord;
Standin' in de need of prayer;
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord;
Standin' in de need of prayer.
4 Chilly water, chilly water,
Hallelujah to dat Lamb!
I know dat water am chilly and cold,
And a Hallelujah to dat Lamb!
5 Prayin' on de mountain, prayin' in de valley*
We're go'n to reap jus' what we sow;
Hopin' on de mountain, hopin' in de valley,
I'm go'n to reap jus' what I sow.