33. Too Late

Solo
Too Late- Too late sinner
Chorus
Ah too late
Solo
Too late- Too late sinner
Chorus
Carry de key and gone home
Solo
Maussur Jedus lock de do'
Lock de do' and tek de key
Chorus
Ah too late
Solo
Maussuh Jedus lock de do'
Lock de do' and tek de key
Chorus
Carry de key and gone home.

"Note: The second section of this song, after the 1st double bar, is sung as a relief not refrain to the 1st section which is constantly repeated- In the several repetitions of the 1st section the words are varied:

2. Too late, too late backsliders
3. Too late, too late liars
4. Too late, too late false pretenders
5. Too late, too late hypocrite

"And so on using as many different epithets at the command of the leader denoting moral derelicts."

"Note 2. Mr Aurelius J. Brown, the head in the Saint Helena Quartett sang also the following variations in the 2nd section-
(with score fragment)
Maussuh Jedus lock de door
Lock de do' and tek de key.
and the following in the 1st section-
Ah too late sinner."

The musical score is somewhat simplified in Johnson and Johnson, 1926, The Second Book of Negro Spirituals, and the text lacks verses 2-5.
The source is not given (from Mr. Ballanta-(Taylor?) and there is no list of references.

A variant was collected at Drayton Hall, Edisto Island, SC.

Cya'* Duh Key, Gone Home

1
Leader
Maussah Jedus lock duh do'
Congregation
Oh, too late.
Leader
Maussah Jedus lock duh do, Cya' duh key
Congregation
gone home.

Chorus-
Leader
Too late, too late fo' sinnuh,
Congregation
oh- too late
Leader
Too late, too late fo' sinnuh,
Congregation
cya' duh key,...
Gone home.
2
Lock duh do' en seal duh winduh,
Oh, too late.
Lock duh do' en seal duh winduh,
Cya' duh key, gone home.

With musical score

*cya' duh - carry the

A. T. Smythe et al., 1931, The Carolina Low-Country, Macmillan NY
This book has a fine collection of Low-Country spirituals; not included in the Cleveland Index.