The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #53453   Message #825515
Posted By: denise:^)
13-Nov-02 - 04:11 PM
Thread Name: Nelson's Blood Scottish Fiddle Tune/Spiritual
Subject: RE: Nelson's Blood Scottich Fiddle Tune?
The tune in the Digitrad database isn't the tune I learned for this song...
but that's okay, 'cause some of the words are different, too! ;^)

(Verse 1 & CHORUS)
We'll roll the old chariot along (3x)
And we won't drag on behind.

If the sinner's in the way, we'll stop and take him in, (3x)
And we won't drag on behind.

If the devil's in the way, we'll roll it over him (3x)
And we won't drag on behind.

I originally saw it in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Long Winter," and later learned the tune from "The Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook." (A large songbook, with lots of great, obscure tunes in it--not the little-kiddy one they sell now, I think with the same name, and it has "Oh Susanna" and a couple of other really basic songs for kids from her books. The other book is currently out of print.

Some folks have confused the "Nelson's Blood" song with the spiritual Laura mentioned, although she gave all of the lyrics in her book! The songs have the title and some lyrics in common.

The version I know makes a decent sing-along/spiritual--but would make a pretty crummy fiddle tune...

denise:^)