Lyr Add: It's Me/Standin' in the Need of Prayer

Subject: IT'S ME/STANDIN' IN THE NEED OF PRAYER
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 10:04 PM

See also:

It's Me, Folk Songs Of The American Negro

It's Me, American Negro Songs

It's Me, O Lord, Lift Every Voice And Sing

It's Me, O Lord, Books Of American Negro Spirituals

It's Me, O Lord, Hard Hitting Songs For Hard-Hit People

It's Me, O, Lord, Book Of American Negro Spirituals

Standin' In The Need Of Prayer, Song Fest

Standin' In The Need Of Prayer, Songs Of Zion (Nix)

Standin' In The Need Of Prayer, Lift Every Voice And Sing

Standin' On De Sea Ob Glass, Befo' De War Spirituals

Standin' On The Walls Of Zion, American Songbag

Standing In The Need Of Prayer, Faith, Folk, And Clarity

Standing In The Need Of Prayer, Jerry Silverman's Folk Song Encyclopedia, V.2

Standing In The Need Of Prayer, Let's All Sing

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IT'S ME (STANDIN' IN THE NEED OF PRAYER)
Traditional Negro Spiritual

REFRAIN:
It's me, it's me, it's me O Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
It's me, it's me, it's me O Lord
Standing in the need of prayer

'Taint my brother nor my sister
But it's me, O Lord
Standing in the need of prayer
'Taint my brother nor my sister
But it's me, O Lord
Standing in the need of prayer

'Taint the deacon nor my leader
But it's me, O Lord!
Standing in the need of prayer
'Taint my brother nor my sister
But it's me, O Lord
Standing in the need of prayer


SOURCE:
Park New Choir, http://parknewchoir.free.fr/

@spirituals

SH

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: IT'S ME/STANDIN' IN THE NEED OF PRAY
From: GUEST,Arjay
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 01:22 AM

You can go on, e.g., "Not my mother, not my father, but it's me, O Lord, ... ."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: IT'S ME/STANDIN' IN THE NEED OF PRAY
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 01:39 AM

I hear what you been a sa'n
It's a me... Dear Lord....
on the plains of Armageddon

Not my brother,
not my sister,
Not my father,
not "Bin A Ledin'

Its a me O' Lord
Standin' in the need O prayer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: IT'S ME/STANDIN' IN THE NEED OF PRAY
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 02:39 AM

H.T. Burleigh's arrangement of "'Tis me, o Lord; Standin' in de need of prayer" (1918)and William J. Reddick's arrangement of "Standin' in de need o' prayer" (1918) are in American Memory, Library of Congress.

Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: It's Me/Standin' in the Need of Prayer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 12:17 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song. We don't have lyrics in the Digital Tradition, or at least I couldn't find them.

Standing in the Need of Prayer

DESCRIPTION: "It's me, Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer." "Not my mother, not my father, but it's me, Oh Lord, sanding in the need of prayer." "Not my brother, not my sister, but its me...." (Others whom it is not may be listed as desired)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (recording, Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Dett, pp. 183, App.IX, "'Tis Me" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
BrownIII 637, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (2 texts plus mention of 1 more)
BrownSchinhanV 637, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (2 tunes plus text excerpts)
Silber-FSWB, p. 350, "It's Me, Oh Lord" (1 text)
Sandburg, pp. 488-492, "Ezekiel, You and Me" (1 heavily composite text, 1 composite tune; this song produces stanza 3)
Roud #11833
RECORDINGS:
Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (Paramount 12070, 1923)
Hall Johnson Negro Choir, "Standin' in de Need of Prayer" (Victor 36020, 1930)
Southern Four, "Standin' in the Need of Prayer" [medley with "Shout All Over God's Heaven {All God's Children Got Shoes}"] (Edison 51364, 1924)
West Virginia Snakehunters, "Standin' in the Need of Prayers" (Brunswick 119, 1927/Supertone S-2072, 1930)
File: FSWB350A

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Subject: ADD Version: It's Me Oh Lord
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 12:48 AM

IT'S ME OH LORD

CHORUS:
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

Verses:
'Tain't my mother or my father, But it's me, oh Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer. 'Tain't my mother or my father, But it's me, oh Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

'Tain't my brother or my sister, etc.

'Tain't my deacon or my leader, etc.

Source: Folksinger's Wordbook (Silber & Silver, 1973), page 350

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CHORDS

  It's Me, Oh Lord
  
  Chorus:
  E
  It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord,
                   B7      E
  Standing in the need of prayer.
  
  it's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord,
                   B7      E
  Standing in the need of prayer.
  
  Verses:
  E
  'Tain't my mother or my father, But it's me, oh Lord,
                   B7      E
  Standing in the need of prayer.
  
  'Tain't my mother or my father, But it's me, oh Lord,
                   B7      E
  Standing in the need of prayer.

Subject: ADD: Ezekiel, You and Me
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 12:57 AM

This is the very last song in Carl Sandburg's 1927 American Songbag (pp 488-492). The brief notes say: "The author's arrangement of lines and airs from five negro spirituals that have for many years given musical enjoyment and spiritual sustenance, with harmonization by Alfred G. Wathall.

EZEKIEL, YOU AND ME

1 Ezek’l saw de wheel, Ezek’l saw de wheel,
‘Way up in de middle of de air.
De big wheel move by faith;
De little wheel move by de grace of God;
A wheel in a wheel,
‘Way up in de middle of de air.
A wheel in a wheel, a wheel in a wheel,
Ezek’l saw de wheel,
‘Way up in de middle of de air.

2. Keep a-inchin’, keep a-inchin’,
Jesus will come by and by;
Inch by inch, inch by inch,
Like a po’ inch worm,
Jesus will come by and by.

3. It’s me, O Lord; it’s me, it’s me,
It’s me, O Lord;
Standin’ in de need of prayer;
It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, O Lord;
Standin’ in de need of prayer.

4. Chilly water, chilly water,
Hallelujah to dat Lamb!
I know dat water am chilly and cold,
And a Hallelujah to dat Lamb!

5. Prayin’ on de mountain, prayin’ in de valley,
We’re go’n to reap jus’ what we sow;
Hopin’ on de mountain, hopin’ in de valley,
I’m go’n to reap jus’ what I sow.

Subject: ADD Version: 'Tis Me O Lord
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 01:14 AM

'TIS ME, O LORD

'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer—
O Lord!
'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer.

'Tis not my Mudder but it's me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer—
O Lord!
'Tis not my Mudder but it's me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer.

'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer—
O Lord!
'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer.

'Tis not my Sister but it's me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer—
O Lord!
'Tis not my Sister but it's me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer.

'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer—
O Lord!
'Tis me, 'tis me, O Lord,
Standin' in de need of prayer.


Source: Negro Folk-Songs: The Hampton Series, Books I-IV, Complete, Edited by Natalie Curtis-Burlin Dover Publications, 2001, page 51

Joe's Note: the Traditional Ballad index lists this song under

Dett: R. Nathaniel Dett, Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro as Sung at Hampton Institute (Hampton Institute Press, 1927). Ballads cited by Page. Indexed by Ben Schwartz. Added in Version 4.0.
Note: This is the fifth edition of a book with earlier editions under other titles and editors. Dett acknowledges the earlier editions and includes the 1874, 1891 and 1909 prefaces to the first, second, and fourth editions. However, Dett does not note, for each song, what edition it appeared in first or, whether it is one of the few he added.

The Burlin book is from Hampton volumes I-IV and contains only one text and one tune.

Subject: ADD Version: Standing in the Need of Prayer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 01:46 AM

STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER

It's not my mother, nor my father,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

CHORUS:
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord;
Standing in the need of pray;
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of pray.

2 It's not my brother, nor my sister,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of pray.

3 It's not my uncle, nor my aunt, etc.

from Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, volume III, #637 A
'Standing in the Need of Prayer.' With music and recording. Miss Kate S. Russell, Roxhoro, Person county, C. 1923.

Subject: ADD Version: Standing in the Need of Prayer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 01:51 AM

STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER

1 'Tain't (It ain't) the preacher, or the deacon,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

CHORUS:
It's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
It's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

2 'Tain't (It ain't) your father, or your mother,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

3 'Tain't (It ain't) your sister, or your brother,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

4 'Tain't (It ain't) your friend, or your neighbor,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.


from Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, volume III, #637 C
'Standing in the Need of Prayer.' from Julian C. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico County C. 1927-28.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: It's Me/Standin' in the Need of Prayer
From: stephengriffith
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 09:06 PM

So, Sandburg's medley in the American Songbag, Ezekiel, You and Me includes bits of the following songs:

1. Ezekiel Saw the Wheel
2. Keep A-Inchin' Along
3. Standing in the Need of Prayer
4. Chilly Water
5. ?

Can't find verse 5:

Prayin' on de mountain, prayin' in de valley,
We're go'n to reap jus' what we sow;
Hopin' on de mountain, hopin' in de valley,
I'm go'n to reap jus' what I sow.

Any help appreciated.

Subject: ADD: Ezekiel, You and Me
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 18 - 01:43 AM

Hi, Stephen - the last song in that Sandburg medley is usually called Sowing on the Mountain, or "You're Gonna Reap Just What You Sow." There are lots of versions. Go to this link (click) and take a look at the songs that are cross-listed on the song listing.
-Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: It's Me/Standin' in the Need of Prayer
From: stephengriffith
Date: 20 Dec 18 - 10:17 AM

Thank you. I also heard from Robert Waltz of the Traditional Ballad Index and he concurs and will be making the following correction to the TBI:

Sandburg, pp. 488-492, "Ezekiel, You and Me" (1 heavily composite text, 1 composite tune; the first verse is "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel," the second is from "Keep A-Inchin' Along," the third is "Standing in the Need of Prayer," the fourth is "Chilly Water" [Roud #15312], the last probably derived from "Sowing on the Mountain")

--Stephen Griffith