Lines from "Train Song" as provided in Q's 2nd post to this thread:
"I went to the valley for to pray I met ole Satan on de way"
Google found these words in this article
"Roland Hayes: Expressor of the Soul in Song (1887-1977) Marva Griffin Carter The Black Perspective in Music, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Autumn, 1977), pp. 188-220 doi:10.2307/1214079
Lines: "Railroad train am passing thro', Dis world am saying how-de do; And sister, I am coming too"
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These lines song like the floating verse "If you get to heaven before I do/just tell my friends I'm comin too". These lines are found in a number of spirituals. And Bo Diddley used them {or lines like them} in the R&B song "Dearest Darling"
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Lines:
"Byme bye, byme bye, Stars number one, number two, number three, number four. Byme bye .... byme bye, Good Lord,.... byme bye." *
I've "translated" "byme bye" as "by and by". And that phrase remind me of the religous song "We'll understand it better by and by [I'm not sure if that's the right title, but that's the one I've used for it. The words are-
By and By when the mornin comes. When all the saints of God are gathered home. We'll tell the story how we've overcome And we'll understand it better by and by
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If my guess is correct that 'byme bye'='by and by', I wonder if singing the phrase served as short hand for the entire religous song, as saying part of a popular phrase or a singing a line from a familiar song causes us to remember the entire phrase or song. Maybe this was factored into the reason why only a line here and a verse there from multiple songs were used in a one song...
[This is all theory. And I certainly have no way of proving it. But I'm wondering if there is research on the subject of floating verses serving as short hand for an entire song or phrase.]
Continuing the presentation of examples of lines found in that "Train Song",
"Stars number one, number two, number three, number four."
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These next lines really remind me of a traditional African American children's song/rhyme. And I could cite some examples from contemporary children's foot stomping cheers and cheerleader cheers. However, I'm wondering if anyone else thinks this song might be a source for those "Number one, Number two etc lines:
Lyr Add:
SUNDAY MORNIN' BAND Number one. Number two, number three angel Number four, number five, number six angel, Number seven, number eight, number nine angel An' ten little angels in the ban'
Whata ban' on Sunday mornin' Whata ban' on Sunday mornin', Whata ban' on Sunday mornin', Sunday mornin' ban'
Source: Tristram Potter Coffin, Hennig Cohen "Folklore From The Working Poor of America" {Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1973; pp-96-97}
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Lines: As I was crossing yonder field, Oh, my! hallelujah! Black snake bit me on de heel etc.
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This verse is included in numerous African American pre-emancipation secular folk songs including versions of the "Patteroller Song" {"Run ---Run"} and "Dr. Peck".