A tune! A tune! My kingdom for a tune!
More verses would be nice, too.
-Joe Offer (click to e-mail)-

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Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Rise Up, Shepherd

DESCRIPTION: "There's a star in the east on Christmas morn, Rise up, Shepherd, and follow." The shepherd is advised to "Leave your sheep and leave your lambs" and follow the star to where Jesus is
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1867 (Allen/Ware/Garrison)
KEYWORDS: Bible religious shepherd Christmas
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Dett, pp. 79-79, App.IV, "Rise Up, Shepherd, an' Foller" (2 texts, 2 tunes; p. 173 in the 1909 edition)
Lomax-FSNA 253, "Rise Up, Shepherd" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fireside, p. 266, "Rise Up, Shepherd, an' Foller" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 373, "Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Ian Bradley, _The Penguin Book of Carols_ (1999), #85, "There's a Star in the East" (1 text)
Roud #15289
RECORDINGS:
Pete Seeger, "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow" (on PeteSeeger37, PeteSeeger42)
NOTES: Although everything mentioned here comes from the Gospels, there is no evidence that the shepherds behaved as described. The star is mentioned only in Matthew (2:2, 9-10), and it seems to have been visible only to the Magi ("Wise Men") -- at least, Herod and his advisors couldn't tell which star it was.
The shepherds who see Jesus, on the other hand, are found only in Luke (2:8-20). They are not guided by the star, but given explicit directions by an angel. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: LoF253

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

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....and the Digital Tradition lyrics:

RISE UP, SHEPHERD AND FOLLOW

There's a star in the East on Christmas morn,
Rise up, shepherd, and follow
It'll lead to the place where the Savior's born,
Rise up, shepherd, and follow

cho: Leave your sheep and leave your lambs
Rise up, shepherd, and follow
Leave your ewes and leave your rams
Rise up, shepherd, and follow
Follow, follow
Rise up, shepherd, and follow
Follow the star of Bethlehem
Rise up, shepherd, and follow

If you take good heed of the angel's words
Rise up, shepherd, and follow
You'll forget your flocks, you'll forget your herds
Rise up, shepherd, and follow


From Seeger "American Folk Songs for Christmas" CD
Ruth Crawford Seeger got it from "Religious Folk Songs of the Negro, as Sung on
the Plantations" by Thomas P. Fenner, 1909.

@Xmas @spiritual
filename[ RISESHEP
CD
Oct01