Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 7

But each name has the same signification in the religious phraseology of the negro song. There are various ways of _repenting_ and of _serving the Lord_ just as there are as many ways of offending and sinning against him.

"Workin' on the Building" appeals to the average negro.

If I wus a sinner man, I tell you what I'd do, I'd lay down all my sinful ways an' work on the building, too.

_I'm workin' on the building fer my Lord, Fer my Lord, fer my Lord, I'm workin' on the building fer my Lord, I'm workin' on the building, too._

If I wus a gamblin' man, I tell you what I'd do, I'd lay down all my gamblin', an' work on the building, too.

If I was a ho-munger, I tell you what I'd do, I'd lay down all my munglin' and work on the building, too.

And so he sings for the _dancer_ and the _drunkard_ and the "_cussin'

man_." So in another song the negro sings of the _sinners_ and _mourners_.

If I wus a mourner jus' like you, 'u-m-u', I'd go to church an' try to come thru', 'um-u'.

When I was a mourner, um-u', jus' lak you, I prayed an' prayed till I come thru, um-u'.

Upon de mountain King Jesus spoke, um-u', Out of his mouth come fier an smoke, um-u'.

Now mourner won't you please come on, um-u', An' join us in that heavenly lan', um-u'.

In the "Downward road is crowded" a mournful picture is given of the sinner who failed to repent. His example is held up for the contemplation of those who are following in his steps.

Young people who delight in sin, I tell you what I lately seen, A po' G.o.dless sinner die, An' he said: "In h.e.l.l I soon'll lie."

_Hark, the downward road is crowded, crowded, crowded, Yes the downward road is crowded with onbelievin' souls._

He call his mother to his bed, An' these is the dyin' words he said, Mother, mother, I long farewell, Your wicked son is d.a.m.ned in h.e.l.l.

He dance an' play hisself away, An' still put off his dyin' day, Until at las' ole death was sent, An' it 'us too late fer him to repent.

They also sing of _mother_ and _sister_ being called to the bedside. The old plantation song of the same name had a similar chorus but the stanzas were quite different.

When I wus a sinner, I loved my distance well, But when I come to fin' myself, I was hangin' over h.e.l.l.

Ole Satan's might busy, He follers me night an' day, An' every where I 'pinted, Dere's something in my way.

The Lord will come to judge the world and _wake up the dead_. It is the supreme ambition of the singer to be ready to meet his Lord when He comes.

Just what form the Lord will take the negro does not say; perhaps it will be in a _cloud_ or _fire_ or He will come as in the days of Moses. "My Lord's comin' again" gives a general conception.

_O my Lord's comin' again, O my Lord's comin' again, (Talk about it:) Yes my Lord's comin' again, It may be las' time, I don't know._

Well he's comin' to judge the worl', Well he's comin' to judge the worl', (_Talk about it_:) Yes my Lord's comin' to judge the worl', It may be las' time, I don't know.

Well you had better put off lyin' shoes, Well you better put off lyin' shoes, (_Talk about it_:) Better put off lyin' shoes, For it may be las' time, I don't know.

And so he sings "Better put off _dancin'_ shoes", "better put off _gamblin'_ shoes". For the sinner's shoes will not be suitable to "walk on the cross". He sings: "G.o.d's goin' to wake up the Dead" and makes a beautiful melody out of the simple repet.i.tion.

_Goin' to wake up the dead, Goin' to wake up the dead, G.o.d goin' to wake up the dead, Who's a sleepin' in the grave, G.o.d is goin' to wake up the dead._ You had better min' my brother how you walk on the cross, _G.o.d's goin' to wake up the dead_; If yo' right foot slip, then yo' soul be los'

_G.o.d goin' wake up the dead_.

Then "you better min' my _sister_, my _brother_, my _mother_, my _preacher_" are sung. The old song contained words similar to the lines just given, with the chorus: "_De young lambs mus' fin' de way_":

My brudder better mind how you walk on de cross, For yo' foot might slip an' yo' soul git lost,

Better mind dat sun, and see how she run, An' mind don't let her catch ye wid yer works undone.

But the sinner sometimes gets confused, it would seem; sometimes he heeds the preacher's warnings, sometimes he scoffs at them. Often he does not hear them. More rarely he inquires into conditions. In the lines which follow the negroes make each a stanza, repeating three times. It perhaps represents the retort of the "_sinner man_."

Some goin' thru' Jordan, some tryin' to go 'round.

The Mef'dis' they say sprinklin', de Baptis say' baptize.

Now Lord the sinner man so hard to believe, Now Lord sinner man want you to show him de way

But the sinner gets little reply to his inquiries. "Time is comin' when sinner mus' die" and there is none so pitiable as the lost sinner.

_Sinner, die, sinner die, Sinner dies wid his head hung down, Sinner die, sinner die, Sinner die in de midnight dew._

_Sinner die, sinner die, Sinner die, with achin' heart, Sinner die, sinner die, Sinner die with weary min'._

Stump'ty up an' stump'ty down, Time is comin' when sinner mus' die, _Hurry home, hurry home_; Time is a comin' sinner mus' die.

Don't you let that sinner change yo' min', Time is comin' sinner mus' die.

_Hurry home, hurry home_; Time is comin' sinner mus' die.

The plantation song of some years ago, sometimes called "O sinner, you better get ready", had the same line refrain, "Time is a comin' dat sinner mus' die." The repet.i.tion of "sinner die", is a new addition. In the old song were lines similar to those quoted:

O sinner man you better pray, For it look a like judgment every day.

I heard a lumb'ring in de sky, Dat make a me tink my time was nigh.

I heard of my Jesus a many one say, Could 'move poor sinner's sins away.

Yes, I'd rather pray myself away, Dan to lie in h.e.l.l an' burn a one day.

I think I heard my mother say-- 'Twas a pretty thing to serve the Lord.

O when I git to heaven I'll be able fer to tell, O how I shun dat dismal h.e.l.l.

In addition to the line-refrain which was sung after each line of the song, an additional chorus followed at intervals; this chorus had "ready my Lord" where the new one has a short line, "Hurry home".

_Oh, sinner, you'd better get ready, ready my Lord, Oh, sinner, you'd better get ready._

An interesting type of song is that in which an imaginary conversation is carried on between two parties. If the song is correctly rendered the leader or one part of the chorus sing the first part or take the words of one of the speakers, while the other chorus take up the other speaker's words. Both then join in the grand refrain, which in the following song is "Lord, I'm on my way".

Sinner, what you goin' to do _When de devil git you?_ What you goin' do _When de devil git you?_ What you goin' do _When de devil git you?_ _Lord, I'm on my way._

I'm goin' run to the rocks.

_Well, they can't hide you._ Goin' run to the rocks-- _They can't hide you_; Run to the rocks, _Well, they can't hide you, Lord, I'm on my way_.

_I'm goin'_ to run to the water; _An' water goin' to cry "fire"_, Goin' to run to the water, _An' water cry "fire"_, Run to the water, _An' water cry "fire"_, _Lord, I'm on my way._