Trying to figure out the lyrics to John The Baptist by Rev Moses Mason (Paramount 12702A) from 1928. Anyone have any ideas? I's a real tricky one. This is what I have so far... John The Baptist. John done saw that number, in the air(1) John done saw that number, in the air Inculcating John The Baptist, Preaching in the wilderness All the children came from east Came from the east, For the kingdom of heaven Speaking of........... .................... prophecy That was spoken (of the Bible) ..........prophecy A voice of one crying in the wilderness............... ..................... John had a raiment of camel hide and a leather girdle, not his own (2) John done saw that number, in the air John done saw that number, in the air Crying "hooley, hooley, hooley my Lord God, hooley" (3) Jesus came from Nazare' unto Galilee to be baptised by John in Jordan And John said unto Him "Come yourself to me, I need to be baptised of thee" And Jesus said unto John "Suffer it to be...... ........................... .......................... John done saw that number, in the air John done saw that number, in the air Crying "how long, how long, how long my Lord God, how long." After Jesus was baptised of John Straight way out of the water He looking He saw a dove.................. And the spirit of God came down and laid a bow(?) on him And Jesus was carried up into the mountain To be tempted, all-forsaken And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights They tempters came unto him and said "If Thou be the Son of God, cast thy weight 'Cos he's going to be a burden." Jesus said unto John "Get behind me, for it is written thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God But him only (thou shall obey?) John done saw that number, written in the middle of the air John done saw that number, written in the middle of the air NOTES (1) "middle of the air" could be "golden altar" - see below (2) I'm assuming "not his own" is a cheeky aside, apparently there is no Biblical basis for thinking he'd borrowed his gear! (3) It sounds like "hooley" - are there similar cries in other songs? One of the Alan & John Lomax books ("Our Singing Country; Folk Songs and Ballads", 1941, http://web.doverpublications.com/cgi-bin/toc.pl/0486410897) lists a song with the title "John Done Saw That Number." I have a different Lomax book at home but I'll check to see if it's in there. And from http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/john_saw_the_holy_number.htm - this has a similar opening line which may be better than ours: "JOHN SAW THE HOLY NUMBER" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- from "The Book of American Negro Spirituals" by J. W. Johnson, J. R. Johnson, 1925 John saw. Oh, John saw John saw the holy number Sitting on the golden altar Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Is the Lamb, is the Lamb Oh, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Sitting on the golden altar Mary wept and Martha cried Martha, Martha cried Oh, Weeping Mary weeps no more Sitting on the golden altar
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