ADD: No More Auction Block / Many Thousands Gone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Apr 22 - 10:06 PM

video - History of We Shall Overcome includes No More Auction Block
We Shall Overcome became the anthem for the Civil Rights Movement, thanks in part to the movement leaders, and thanks in part to artists and folk signers like Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger. But the roots of the song go way back to the Civil War and slavery. Maybe the most poignant thing about the evolution of We Shall Overcome is that there’s been a NEED for it to evolve. From the beginning, black music has always been about acknowledging oppression while hoping for a better future. That’s a paradox. That’s why the clip of Fountain Hughes is so inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. So the next time you hear this song, and I hope we don’t need any more versions of it, just know that it’s invoking the memory and traditions of some of America’s greatest fighters. People like Pete Seeger, Mahalia Jackson, Charles Tindley, Fountain Hughes, Union Soldiers, and perhaps even the first generations of born African American slaves. It’s powerful stuff. But it’s music, and music is powerful.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 12:38 AM

Words to MANY THOUSAND GONE, along with musical notation in 4-part harmony, can be found in The Story of the Jubilee Singers: With Their Songs by J. B. T. Marsh (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1881), page 146.

The lyrics are the same as those posted by Joe Offer above, except that the last 2 verses--"No more children stole" and "No more slavery chains"--are omitted.

The same lyrics are also quoted in an article about the Jubilee Singers and Hampton Singers, called "Negro Folk Songs," in Dwight's Journal of Music, Vol. 32, No. 26 (Boston: Apr. 5, 1873), page 412.

Subject: Lyr Add: MANY THOUSAND GONE
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jun 20 - 02:42 AM

I don't know anything about the Ballad of America Website, but they have some verses I haven't seen elsewhere.


Many Thousand Gone: About the Song
Enslaved African Americans created a varied body of music that included work songs, leisure songs, and spirituals. The sound was rooted in African traditions and informed by the European American music to which they were now being exposed. Likewise, African rhythms, harmonies, and vocal styles had a great influence on the music of European Americans. The words to the spiritual “Many Thousand Gone,” aka “No More Auction Block,” conveyed various messages depending on whether the singer was a slave, runaway slave, African American Union soldier, or emancipated former slave.

Lyrics
No more auction block for me
No more, no more
No more auction block for me
Many thousand gone

No more peck of corn for me
No more, no more
No more peck of corn for me
Many thousand gone

No more driver’s lash for me
No more, no more
No more drivers’ lash for me
Many thousand gone

No more pint of salt for me
No more, no more
No more pint of salt for me
Many thousand gone

No more hundred lash for me
No more, no more
No more hundred lash for me
Many thousand gone

No more mistress call for me
No more, no more
No more mistress call for me
Many thousand gone

No more children stole from me
No more, no more
No more children stole from me
Many thousand gone

No more slavery chains for me
No more, no more
No more slavery chains for me
Many thousand gone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: GUEST,Dave Hanson 19 Feb 2015
Date: 21 Feb 15 - 03:34 PM

Bob Dylan also recorded ' No More Auction Block ' it's on the Bootleg series, and a fine recording it is.

Dave H

Subject: Lyr Add: MANY THOUSAND GONE (Susan Oldberg Hinton)
From: GUEST,W y s i w y G ! (19 Feb 2015)
Date: 21 Feb 15 - 03:32 PM

MANY THOUSAND GONE
Learned from the singing of Odetta, this traditional Negro spiritual's tune is familiar to many because Bob Dylan "borrowed" it for "Blowing in the Wind." This version was written in memory of Black lives lost at the hands of badge-wearers who made split-second, tragic, fatal mistakes. These cost our whole planet's people the lives of the individuals killed-- as well as the generations of people who would have flowed from them in the unfolding of time. As white people, it is most appropriate that we sing about losing not our lives-- because for the most part we're safe-- but the unearned Privilege that allows this.

Lyrics (c) 2015 Susan Oldberg Hinton for The Good News-Goodtime Band.


1. No more precious lives to mourn, no more, no more!
No more precious lives to mourn, many thousand... gone.

2. No more patient waiting, no more, no more!
No more patient waiting, many thousand... gone.

3. No more outraged silence, no more, no more!
No more outraged silence, many thousand... gone.

4. No more holding back for me, no more, no more!
No more holding back for me, many thousand... gone.

5. No more unearned privilege, no more, no more!
No more unearned privilege, many thousand... gone.

6. No more sorrow songs for me, no more, no more!
No more sorrow songs for me, many thousand... gone.

... sung unaccompanied, with each verse modulating up from deepest voice in V. 1, to a near-howl by the end.

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: MANY THOUSAND GO
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:26 PM

"Many Thousand Go" is also in Thomas Wentworth Higginson's Atlantic Monthly article "Negro Spirituals" (1867, no. 35), which became later a chapter of his book Army Life in a Black Regiment (1869; available now Penguin classics, 1997). The article itself is online at the following websites. The lyrics are similar to those in Slave Songs of the United States, but I'll post them with his comments here on its historic merits.

(1) The Atlantic Online
(2) about.com
(3) Etext Center, University of Virginia
(4) xroads.virginia.edu
(5) David Hart's Library of E-Texts

XXXV. MANY THOUSAND GO.

"No more peck o' corn for me,
No more, no more, --
No more peck o' corn for me,
Many tousand go.

"No more driver's lash for me, (Twice.)
No more, &c.

"No more pint o' salt for me, (Twice.)
No more, &c.

"No more hundred lash for me, (Twice.)
No more, &c.

"No more mistress' call for me,
No more, no more, --
No more mistress' call for me,
Many tousand go."

Even of this last composition, however, we have only the approximate date, and know nothing of the mode of composition. Allan Ramsay says of the Scotch songs, that, no matter who made them, they were soon attributed to the minister of the parish whence they sprang. And I always wondered, about these, whether they had always a conscious and definite origin in some leading mind, or whether they grew by gradual accretion, in an almost unconscious way. On this point I could get no information, though I asked many questions, until at last, one day when I was being rowed across from Beaufort to Ladies' Island, I found myself, with delight, on the actual trail of a song. One of the oarsmen, a brisk young fellow, not a soldier, on being asked for his theory of the matter, dropped out a coy confession. "Some good sperituals," he said, "are start jess out o' curiosity. I been a-raise a sing, myself, once."
My dream was fulfilled, and I had traced out, not the poem alone, but the poet. I implored him to proceed.
"Once we boys," he said, "went for tote some rice, and de nigger-driver, he keep a-callin' on us; and I say, 'O, de ole nigger-driver!' Den anudder said, 'Fust ting my mammy tole me was, notin' so bad as nigger-driver.' Den I made a sing, just puttin' a word, and den anudder word."
Then he began singing, and the men, after listening a moment, joined in the chorus as if it were an old acquaintance, though they evidently had never heard it before. I saw how easily a new "sing" took root among them.

Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 03:57 PM

Appears in the very fine current songbook, Songs of Zion (Verolga Nix). Can be had via Amazon; CLICK HERE and look for the Amazon link to make a purchase that also benefits Mudcat.

According to Songfinder, also appears in these songbooks:

ROLLING ALONG IN SONG
SLAVE SONGS OF THE U. S.
SONGS OF THE CIVIL WAR
FOLK SONGS OF NORTH AMERICA

These also may or may not be available via Amazon.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 08:05 PM

As I've said, I've only recently heard this song. I have heard the Dylan "BITW' thing before. Other than the the little bridge in HIS version (Don't know if it's in other versions) I don't hear Bob ripping anything off as per the accusations.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that the "folk Process" is at work here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 12:15 AM

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: raredance
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 11:44 PM

The "peck of corn" and "pint of salt" refer to slaves' rations. I have also heard "no more slavery chains" as a verse.

It's probably been said here before, but Bob Dylan borrowed heavily from one of the tunes for this for his "Blowing In the Wind"

rich r

Subject: ADD: MANY THOUSAND GO
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 11:24 PM

This spiritual was, I'm sure, first recorded with music in William Francis Allen et al., Slave Songs of the United States (1867) as "Many Thousand Go". The whole book is now online here in Documenting the American South. The lyrics in this book (p. 48) are:

No more peck o' corn for me,
No more, no more;
No more peck o' corn for me,
Many tousand go.

No more driver's lash for me.

No more pint o' salt for me.

No more hundred lash for me.

No more mistress' call for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:51 PM

Thanks, Jeff.

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: NO MORE AUCTION BLOCK
From: Pene Azul
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:23 PM

Thanks marymarymary. I'll post 'em:

NO MORE AUCTION BLOCK
(Traditional)
(by the courtesy of Mr. Luis Blanco)

No more auction block for me
No more, no more
No more auction block for me
Many thousands gone

No more driver's lash for me
No more, no more
No more driver's lash for me
Many thousands gone

No more whip lash for me
No more, no more
No more pint of salt for me
Many thousands gone

No more auction block for me
No more, no more
No more auction block for me
Many thousands gone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:18 PM

Guest marymarymary.

Thank you. Wow, answer in five minutes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: No More Auction Block
From: GUEST,marymarymary
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:15 PM

The lyrics are online here.

Subject: No More Auction Block
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:10 PM

I have only recently heard this wonderful song. Although it is sung by one of my favourite singers, I have a tough time with a couple of the verses. I checked the DT and bobdylan.com, but the lyrics aren't there.

Can anyone help?