Lyr Req: I Wonder as I Wander (John Jacob Niles)

Subject: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From:
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 12:16 AM

Hi,everyone, I'm hoping you can help me yet again.

I'm looking for the lyrics of the Christmas Carol "I Wonder as I Wander" Any different versions, too, if you have any. I can't find the book I saw it in. Of course.

Jen

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Jen
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 02:48 PM

It goes something like this, just in case that isn't the right title:

I wonder as I wander, Out under the sky, Why jesus our saviour Was Brought forth to die,

And, of course, that's all I know. Not quite enough to sing as a solo at Midnight Mass.

Jen

Subject: Lyr Add: I WONDER AS I WANDER (John Jacob Niles)
From: alison
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 04:38 PM

HI
Here you go. This brings back memories of teaching it to a Sunday school choir years ago.

I WONDER AS I WANDER
John Jacob Niles

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing
He surely could have it, 'cause He was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

Taken from Jen's Christmas site. See the list of sites on your personal page.
Slainte.

Alison

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Jen
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 06:06 PM

Thank you. I'll look up that site.

Jen(but not the same one who has the Christmas song site)

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From:
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 08:24 PM

Joan Baez does a nice version on "Noel", which I am told is now out on CD but which I have been unable to find, along with the Louis Armstrong Christmas CD. Oh well, guess this means a trip to the malls in Detroit . . .

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Jen
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 08:30 PM

Yes, that's where I first heard it. My dad is a big fan of Joan Baez's earlier works.

Jen

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: JoJo
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 09:16 PM

Hi. If you could get ahold of a local Baptist church's hymnbook, music and lyrics would most likely be in there. Of course it's probably too late for this Christmas.

JoJo

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Selene
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 05:41 PM

Hm, I've sung that one so often the last couple of days, but I've only ever heard one version, the one that is above.

Selene

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Sir
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 11:54 PM

John Jacob Niles wrote a lot of nice folk-style Christmas songs. I don't remember the name of the song book he had out but it included nonholiday songs such "Lass from the Low Countree" and "Black is the Color" along with "Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head" and other Christmas Songs as well. I've seen the book used often by high school vocal soloists at music festivals. Large music stores would probably have it in stock.

Subject: I wonder as I wander
From: Luke
Date: 17 Dec 01 - 03:49 PM

I have been wondering as I wander if there are more two verses to the above mentioned song? I have searched the digitrad and no luck.

thanks, Luke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I wonder as I wander
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 17 Dec 01 - 03:57 PM

I found this in the forum search. click here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I wonder as I wander
From: Luke
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 08:38 AM

Thank you Mary. I s'pose a Ky. person would know these Johnny Niles words. There lots of tales told on him. Do you know any?

Thanks again,

Luke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I wonder as I wander
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 09:32 AM

Here's The John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky. Go Big Blue!

Also, do a forum search here about him. I think the concensus is to suspect his research and documentation, but he sure did write some good stuff.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander song
From: GUEST,Yvonne
Date: 26 Dec 03 - 02:26 PM

Hi -

Was wondering if you know any history about this song.
We are doing a service in church on Christmas Carols and
this was one we didn't know any history about.
thank you.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Dec 03 - 02:54 PM

John Jacob Niles seems to have composed this song in the 1930s. Like several of his other compositions, he made up a story about its folk origin.
His tale can be found at Niles

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 05:54 PM

(1) Does "on'ry" stand for "ordinary" or "ornery"?
(2) Is there any dialect in the world in which "like I" would be considered normal speech?

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 06:31 PM

Regardless of whether Niles made it up, and then made up a back story to authenticate it, or collected it in the way he said, or picked it up in some other way, the fact remains, it's a hell of a good song. Good enough for folk, even.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 06:37 PM

(1) The former.

(2) East Anglia, to my certain knowledge; and I think parts of the West Country. Very likely parts of Newfoundland, too; wouldn't know about rural USA.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: GUEST,Frank
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 07:37 PM

"Ornery"....stubborn...I think that's what Niles meant.

Frank

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 10:09 PM

'On'ry' very common for Ornery.Heard in many parts of the States and in western Canada.

Never heard 'like I' without a follower (am, do, etc.) in the States.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 27 Dec 03 - 10:21 PM

And "on'ry" traces back to "ordinary" in another sense, so it's both, sort of.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 Dec 03 - 02:24 PM

He meant it to be a better-scanning form or ordinary.

Also, the word proletariat was just too long completely.

Meant just plain folks.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Dec 03 - 02:57 PM

Why should the word have to have only the one meaning rather than both?

Ordinary people are stubborn.

Subject: RE: I Wonder as I Wander Lyrics
From: SarahNash
Date: 28 Dec 03 - 03:36 PM

My version came from "100 Carols for Choirs" which also has all the current "standard" harmonies for most well known carols, as arranged by David Wilcox/John Rutter. At least, these are the standard versions used in the UK - I'm loath to make a global sweeping statement on this one!