Run, Come See Jerusalem
[a calypso song that was composed by Blind Blake Higgs (Blake Alphonso Higgs) c. 1940s]

**

I've taken the liberty of reposting rich r's post from this Mudcat thread:
thread.cfm?threadid=67533#1128870 History of 'Run, Come See Jeruselem

Subject: Lyr Add: RUN, COME, SEE JERUSALEM (Blind Blake)
From: rich r - PM
Date: 26 Sep 97 - 11:31 PM

Run Come See is also in "The Collected Reprints from Singout! Vol. 1-6" and in "Travelin' On With The Weavers". The versions are different enough that I will include both. Pete Seeger thinks the song may be a parody of an older folk song that was written at the time of the described shipwreck. I will put the "Run come see's" in the first verse only.
RUN, COME, SEE JERUSALEM (Singout! version)
By Blind Blake

It was nineteen-hundred and twenty-nine. (Run come see, run come see.)
Me see, I remember that day pretty well.
It was in nineteen-hundred and twenty-nine. (Run come see Jerusalem.)

That day, they were talking about a storm in the islands.
My God, what a beautiful morning!
They were talking about a storm in the islands.

That day, there were three ships a-leaving out the harbor,
The Ethel and the Myrtle and the Pretoria.
There were three ships a-leaving out the harbor.

These ships were bound for a neighboring island,
With mothers and children on board.
These ships were bound for a neighboring island.

The Pretoria was out on the ocean,
Rocking from side to side.
The Pretoria was out on the ocean.

Right then, it was a big sea built up in the northwest.
They were out on the perilous ocean.
Then it was a big sea built up in the northwest.

My God, when the first wave hit the Pretoria,
The mothers come a-holding onto the children.
My God, when the first wave hit the Pretoria.

My God, there were thirty-three souls on the water,
Swimming and praying to the good Lord God.
There were thirty-three souls on the water.

My God, now George Brown he was the captain.
He shouted, "My children, come pray."
My God, now George Brown he was the captain.

He said, "Come now, witness your judgment."
He shouted, "My children, come pray."
He said, "Come now, witness your judgment."

(Weaver's Songbook version)

It was nineteen-hundred and twenty-nine.
I remember that day pretty well.
Nineteen-hundred and twenty-nine.

My God, they were talkin' 'bout a storm in the island.
My God, what a beautiful morning!
They were talkin' 'bout a storm in the island.

My God, there were three sails leaving from the harbor,
With the mothers and children on board.
They were bound for the island of Andros.

My God, they were the Ethel and the Myrtle and the Pretoria,
And the Myrtle was bound for French Creek.
The Ethel was bound for Spanish Creek.

My God, the Pretoria was alone on the ocean,
Dashing from side to side in the waves.
The Pretoria was alone on the ocean.

My God, then a big sea built up on the starboard.
My God, what wind and waves!
Well, a big sea built up on the starboard.

My God, then the first sea hit the Pretoria,
And the children came a-grabbing for their mothers.
The first sea hit the Pretoria.

My God, well, it sent her head down to the bottom,
And the captain came a-running for the tiller.
It sent her head down to the bottom.

My God, there were thirty-three souls on the water,
Swimming and praying to their Daniel, God.
Thirty-three souls on the water.

My God, now George Brown he was the captain.
My God, he shouts, "Now children, come pray.
Come and witness your judgment."

rich r

-snip-

Thanks rich r! Thanks also to Guest robert for starting a thread on December 28, 2007 about the origins of that song
thread.cfm?threadid=107301&messages=7

Here is a sound clip of "Run, Come See Jerusalem" that I posted in Guest robert's thread:

http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=8480

Music of the Bahamas, Vol. 2: Anthems, Work Songs and Ballads
Various Artists

Pytoria (Run, Come See Jerusalem)   
John Roberts, H. Brown, and Charles Wallace
Duration: 4:52