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When I Die/Old Aunt Betsy
Old-Time Folk Hymn and Breakdown. Arranged by Ashe County, North Carolina, fiddler Frank Blevins.
ARTIST: Grissom, Mary Allen, 1930 (1969), The Negro Sings a New Heaven, pp. 4-5, with sheet music. A very interesting version, with much repetition suggestive of an older song.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1927 Frank Blevins and His Tar Heel Rattlers
RECORDING INFO: “I’m Gwine to Heaven When I die” Jenkins Family 1928; "Frank Blevins & His Tar Heel Rattlers" Columbia 15210 - D Issued: December 1927
RELATED TO: ‘Til I Die
OTHER NAMES: “When I Die” Meade; “I Want To Go To Heaven”
SOURCES: Meade; Kuntz, A Fiddler’s Companion; Mudcat Forum
NOTES: From Kuntz: Frank Blevins and His Tar Heel Rattlers was a name made up on the spot at the 1927 Columbia recording session in Atlanta (where they recorded the tune) for the band consisting of 16-year-old fiddler Frank Blevins, his older brother and guitarist Ed Blevins and banjo player Fred Miller. The band’s playing was inspired by a few shots of corn liquor from a convenient jug. Fred Miller told Marshall Wyatt (as told in the liner notes to “Music from the Lost Provinces”) a story of the band’s waiting for the release of the recording, in the meantime travelling about the coal camps playing.
They pulled into Beckley, West Virginia, one day and went into the local record store to ask about new releases, in anticipation that theirs would finally be out. The proprietress told them she anticipated some coming in that day on the train, and the boys made themselves at home in the store and waited. When she returned “Old Aunt Betsy” was the first one she put on and remarked that the fellow on the record sure could fiddle. “Oh, he ain’t so hot,” said Frank, and offered that, had he his fiddle he could do better. The storeowner had string band instruments in the back, which the woman brought out, and the boys went to it. ‘How on earth did you learn that,’ the astonished lady demanded, pointing out it had just come out. Frank: “Lady, I didn’t learn it, I made it!” A similar story is told of the Scots fiddler Niel Gow. Old Hat Enterprises CD, “Music from the Lost Provinces” (1997).
The song is listed by Meade as “When I Die” and African-American versions have been collected. There is a different song sometimes titled “When I Die” collected by Perrow in 1909 and is similar to Cotton’s “Freight Train.” Here is an example of one collected African-American version:
Good Lord, When I Die
I want to go to Heaven when I die.
I want to go to Heaven when I die.
I want to go to Heaven when I die.
Good Lord, when I die.
Refrain: Good Lord, when I die,
Good Lord, when I die,
Good Lord, when I die, shout one,
Good Lord, when I die.
Another African-American version of this song (see Version 2) was collected from Mary Allen Grissom in 1930; about the time of North Carolina fiddler Frank Blevins recorded his version.
Here are the lyrics to When I Die from Mary Allen Grissom:
WHEN I DIE
Mary Allen Grissom, 1930 (1969), The Negro Sings a New Heaven,
pp. 4-5, with sheet music. A very interesting version, with much
repetition suggestive of an older song.
Who's gonna make up muh dyin' bed?
Who's a gonna make up muh dyin' bed?
Whos a gonna make up my dyin' bed,
When I die, when I die?
Jesus gonna make up my dyin' bed, (3 times)
When I die.
Who's goin' down in duh grave wid me?
Who's a goin' down in duh grave wid me?
Who's a goin' down in duh grave wid me,
When I die, when I die?
Jesus goin' down in duh grave wid me (3 times)
When I die.
Who's gonna sing that las' song?
Who's a gonna sing that last song?
Who's a gonna sing that last song,
When I die, when I die?
Jesus gonna sing that las' song (3 times)
When I die.
Who's gonna pray that las' prayer?
Who's a gonna pray that las' prayer?
Who's a gonna pray that las' prayer,
When I die, when I die?
Jesus gonna pray that las' prayer, (3 times)
When I die.
Who's gonna take muh soul to Heaben?
Who's a gonna take my soul to Heaben?
Who's a gonna take muh soul to heaben,
When I die, when I die.
Jesus gonna take muh soul to Heaben (3 times)
When I die.
I'm gonna treat ev'ry body right,
I'm a gonna treat ev'ry body right;
I'm a gonna treat ev'ry body right,
Tel I die, tel I die.
I'm gonna treat ev'ry body right,
I'm a gonna treat ev'ry body right;
I'm a gonna treat ev'ry body right,
Tel I die.
I'm gonna stay on the battlefield,
I'm a gonnastay on the battlefield;
I'm a gonna stay on the battlefield,
Tel I die, tel I die.
I'm gonna stay on the battlefield,
I'm a gonna stay on the battlefield;
I'm a gonna stay on the battlefield,
Tel I die.
I'm gonna take a soldier's fare,
I'm a gonna take a soldier's fare;
I'm a gonna take a soldier's fare,
Tel I die, tel I die.
I'm gonna take a soldier's fare,
I'm a gonna take a soldier's fare;
I'm a gonna take a soldier's fare,
Tel I die.
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