Origins: Sinner Man

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 03:13 AM

John E [29 Oct 01 - 10:11 AM]: "I know a "Oh Sinner Man" from the Bahamas. It has a liberation theme..."

When was it written?

Mudcat has just joined a very exclusive interwebs club for the search term "Mafundi Bahamia" (Swahili for artisans.) Nina Simon came to Nassau in the early '70s to do a benefit concert. It did not go well. Comes from not knowing your audience. Poor old Bert Cooper (her sponsor) didn't "do lunch" in Hollywood town for nearly two years after. I don't think it was safe to play this song in public again until Jamaican Peter Tosh's "Equal Rights" LP came out in '77.

Same as above, in Tosh's cover: sin = colonialism.

Youtube: Peter Tosh - Downpressor Man (HD)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 09:08 AM

The Weavers' version has words pretty much identical to Nina Simone's. They recorded it in the '50s. I can even recall hearing it on TV once around 1955.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,Nina simone-sinner man remix
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 01:51 AM

Where you gonna run to(x4)
Oh sinner man where you gonna run to,(x3)
sinner man where you gonna run to(x1)


I said Rock,
Whats the matter with you rock,
dont you see I need you rock


Go to the Lord

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 03:07 PM

I've always thought that "O Sinner Man" would be great done as a heavy metal number with thunderous riffs, or in a Santana style setting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Barry Finn
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 03:01 PM

Lydia Parrish has in her collection "Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands" (1942) she has a song called "Can't Hide Sinner" but she gives nothing at all about the song or when, who or where she collected it from, she does give the music though.

                   CAN'T HIDE SINNER

You may run to the rock
                      Can't hide
For a hidin' place
                      Can't hide
An' the rock cry out
                      Can't hide
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide


You may run to the sea
                      Can't hide
For a hidin' place
                      Can't hide
An' the sea cry out
                      Can't hide
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide


Oh sinner man
                      Can't hide (these repeat thoughout the song)
What you going to do
                      Can't hide
In the judgment day
                      Can't hide
You can't hide sinner, you can't hide (this line continues the same)


You may run to the grave
For a hidin' place
An' the grave cry out

You may run to the church
For a hidin' place
An' the church cry ouy

You may run to the mount'n
For a hidin' place
An' the mount'n cry out


Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,A Homicide (TV show) and Nina fan
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 01:45 PM

"....Someone else wrote that he [or she] heard it in "homicide life on the street [a tv series?]..."

Best Cop Show ever, IMHO. For info see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide:_Life_on_the_Street

The particular episode that used Sinnerman, "Sins of the Father" (1998) had a storyline about a family with a history relating to slavery and the Confederacy.

http://www.tv.com/homicide-life-on-the-street/sins-of-the-father/episode/36544/summary.html

Another website says the song was used in an episode of "Miami Vice", though don't recall it myself.

The song is an Afro-American spiritual, used at religious meetings to evoke the day of judgement and the idea of the "sinnerman" trying to find a place to hide from the end of the world and God's judgement. The lyrics reference biblical descriptions of the end of the world - rivers running with blood, sea boiling etc. Nina Simone was supposed to have heard it used this way by her mother, who was a Methodist preacher.

In the various cop show / movie scenarios, the song has typically been used to evoke /accompany a hunted bad guy trying to escape from retribution/justice (one of the classic crime show/movie scenarios), or (more rarely) to atone.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: GUEST,cmt49
Date: 09 Apr 07 - 08:07 PM

And don't forget Peter Tosh's great version - Downpressor Man! On the Equal Rights album, I think.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 07:53 PM

Lyr. Add: OH! SINNER MAN
Noble, 1911

Chorus:
Oh! sinner, Oh! sinner man...
Oh! sinner, Oh! which way are you going?

1.
Oh! come back, sinner, and don't go there,
Which way are you going?
For hell is deep and dark despair,
Oh! which way are you going?
2.
Tho' days be dark and nights be long,
Which way are you going?
We'll shout and sing till we get home,
Oh! which way are you going?
3.
'Twas just about the break of day,
Which way are you going?
My sins forgiv'n and soul set free,
Oh! which way are you going?

Gilbert Clifford Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," Hinds, Noble and Eldredge, Publishers, NYC. P. 97, with score. No notes provided. This seems to be the earliest version in print. There are many songs about the sinner, but not about 'where are you going, (or) running.' Nina Simone (see post by Azizi) has a fine version. The Weavers and others of the 1950's-60's made the song popular. Often combined with "No Hiding Place."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Jim Lad
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 07:00 PM

The Seekers sang Jeri's version back in the sixties.(1963/64) Could have been the "B" side of "Someday" but I can't say for sure. I was very young then, you know.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 06:18 PM

I like to read the comments written by YouTube viewers. One comment in the Nina Simone Sinnerman video linked above mentioned that this song is on the soundtrack for the "Thomas Crown Affair".

Also someone mentioned this song was featured in the films "Golden Door" [?]. Someone else wrote that he [or she] heard it in "homicide life on the street [a tv series?]

In addition,there's mention of other contemporary artists using portions of Nina Simone's version of this song in their recordings-among them Timbaland making a remix of this song, and Talib using this in the beginning of his song "Get By". [double question marks indicating I don't know these recordings, though I have heard of the Hip-Hop artists]

There were also several mentions of Felix Da Housecat using portions of this in his "Heavenly House Mix" [?].

More power to them {as long as they give credit to who deserves credit].

They know great music when they hear it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Barry Finn
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 05:27 PM

My first exposure to Sinner Man was from Nina Simone (see Azizi's above post) back in the 60's, loved that woman's singing & that LP was great. For me it'll always be her version that I love the best. Humpry Bogart sings a either a verse or a chorus in the end of one of his films but I can't remember which one, anyone remember.

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 01:57 PM

Reading this, I remember 'O Sinner Man', but also would link it to the title of a Babylon 5 episode "The Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place" which is already in the DT as a spiritual:
No Hiding Place Down Here

CHEERS
Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 01:09 PM

Nina Simone: Sinnerman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSasf8GBfV4

From Attila8701; Added February 08, 2007
"Nina Simone "PASTEL BLUES" (1966)
-snip-

This is 10:11 minutes of music [no video]

**

Lyrics: Nina Simone- Sinnerman *

Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to all on that day?

Lord says, "Sinner man, the moon'll be a bleeding."
Lord says, "Sinner man, the sea'll be a sinking."
Lord says, "Sinner man, the sun'll be a freezin' all on that day!"

Run to the Lord, "Lord won't you hide me?"
Run to the Lord, "Lord won't you hide me?"
Run, run, "Lord won't you hide me all on that day?"

Lord says "Sinner man, you should've been a praying."
Lord says "Sinner man, you should've been a praying."
Lord says "Sinner man, you should've been a praying all on that day."

Run to the moon, "Moon won't you hide me?"
Run to the sea, "Sea won't you hide me?"
Run to the sun, "Sun won't you hide me all on that day?"

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/nina-simone/sinner-man.html

* these aren't the complete lyrics that Nina Simone sings
{as heard on the video whose link I've posted above}.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: harpgirl
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 11:46 AM

I learned a slightly different version, Jeri. I'll post it when I get home tonight and try to rmemeber where it came from, maybe an old "Sing Out."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 11:37 AM

Folk song, or prediction of the sun going super-nova?

"No more water, but the fire next time"

sounds like both, but the song pre-dates knowlege of Novas, so I guess they were just predicting VERY hot fires! *grin*..(I didn't read anything in all this which suggested much of a religious debate...just silly pedantic fun)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 10:20 AM

Oh yes, please post it!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: John E
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 10:11 AM

I know a "Oh Sinner Man" from the Bahamas. It has a liberation theme and goes (in part) like this: Oh Sinner Man, how can you stan', I canna stay in the Egypt lan'" Interested?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 05:39 PM

Oh come on, let's not start debating religion again!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:57 PM

Ian B, the problem is the sun has melted, the seas have boiled, all the people have theoretically gone to one place or the other, and you're somehow still singing the song. Technicalities! Of course, they may just be mad because it sounds like the devil was the good guy who at least let them in somewhere.

Folk song, or prediction of the sun going super-nova?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 02:44 PM

*G*

More dour, "You'll run...."

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Cappuccino
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 02:43 PM

In the version we do, we have the 'run to' verses in one single past-tense verse:

"You ran to the rocks, the rocks was a meltin' "You ran to the river, the river was a-boilin', "You ran to the devil, and the devil he was waitin'...."

That verse goes down like a lead balloon in church, I can tell you. - Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Fiolar
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:29 PM

Jeri: In passing I seem to recall the words of the version you posted as being sung many years ago in the opening credits of a movie starring I'm almost sure Zachary Scott.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 09:18 AM

The UTK database also lists "TURN SINNER" in BEFO' DE WAR SPIRITUALS.

Same? Any new verses?

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: SINNER MAN
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 08:44 AM

The lyrics in the DT are here (click).

I learned the song from the Johnson Girls CD, and it's a bit different. I'm not sure this is exactly the way they sing it - I can't find my CD to check the lyrics.

Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to
All on that day

Run to the rock, rock he was a-meltin' (x3)
All on that day

Run to the sea, sea she was a-boilin'(x3)
All on that day

Run to the moon, moon she was a-bleedin' (x3)
All on that day

Run to the sun, sun he was weepin'(x3)
All on that day

Run to the Lord, Lordy, won't you save me (x3)
All on that day

Lord say, sinner man, you shoulda been a-prayin' (x3)
All on that day

Run to the Devil, Devil, won't you hide me (x3)
All on that day

Devil he say, sinner, some right in (x3)
All on that day

Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to (x3)
All on that day

Subject: Lyr Add: TURN, SINNER, TURN O!
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 08:15 AM

"Turn, Sinner, Turn O!" in Allen et al., Slave Songs of the United States (1867, pp. 36-37) was probably related to some versions of "Sinner Man" in the DT. Additional verses and comments below are from this book, too.

TURN, SINNER, TURN O!

1. Turn, sinner, turn to-day,
Turn sinner, turn O!
Turn, sinner, turn to-day,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

2. Turn, O sinner, de worl' da gwine,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
Turn, O sinner, de worl' da gwine,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

3. Wait not for tomorrow's sun,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
Wait not for tomorrow's sun,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

4. Tomorrow's sun will sure to shine,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
Tomorrow's sun will sure to shine,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

5. The sun may shine, but on your grave,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
The sun may shine, but on your grave,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

6. Hark! I hear dem sinner say,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
Hark! I hear dem sinner say,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

7 If you get to heaven I'll get there too,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
If you get to heaven I'll get there too,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

8. O sinner, you make mistake,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
O sinner, you make mistake,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

9. While de lamp hold out to burn,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
While de lamp hold out to burn,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

10. De wile' sinner may return,
Turn, sinner, turn O!
De wile' sinner may return,
Turn, sinner, turn O!

The following words are sung to the same tune:

1 Bro' Joe, you ought to know my name--Hallelujah.

2 My name is written in de book ob life.

3 If you look in de book you'll fin' 'em dar.

4 One mornin' I was a walkin' down.

5 I saw de berry a-hinging down.

6 (Lord) I pick de berry, an' I suck de juice.

7 Jes' as sweet as de honey in de comb.

8 I wonder where fader Jimmy gone.

9 My fader gone to de yonder worl'.

10 You dig de spring dat nebber dry.

11 De more I dig 'em, de water spring.

12 De water spring dat nebber dry.

[This is the most dramatic of all the shouts; the tune varies with the words, commonly about as given above, and the general effect is very pathetic. The words and tunes are constantly interchanged: thus, for instance, the 6th verse might be sung to the second variation, and the 8th, 9th, and 10th, to the third.]

Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 01:01 AM

HERE would be a place to start, from a previous thread that points to other leads.

It also appears in FOLK SONGS ABECEDARY and WEAVERS' SONG BOOK, JERRY SILVERMAN'S FOLK SONG ENCYCLOPEDIA, V.2.

~S~

Subject: oh sinner man
From:
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:29 AM

I would like to find the lyrics to this song, do you know how I can find them?