Lyr Add: John Saw (de Holy Number)

Subject: John Saw (de Holy Number)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:09 PM

JOHN SAW (DE HOLY NUMBER)

Cho.
[John saw, oh John saw, John saw de holy number,
Settin' on de golden altar.

1. Worthy, worthy is the Lamb, is the Lamb, is the Lamb,
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb, settin' on de golden altar].

2. Mary wept and Martha cried, settin' on etc.
To see de'r Saviour crucified, settin' on etc.
Weepin' Mary, weep no more, settin' on etc.
Jesus say He gone before, settin' on etc.
Cho. (now plus 1st verse)
3. Want to go to Hebben when I die, settin' on etc.
Shout salvation as I fly, settin' on etc.
It's a little while longer here below, settin' on etc.
Den-a home to Glory we shall go, settin' on etc.
Cho. (now plus 1st verse)

Thomas P. Fenner, Camp and Plantation Songs, p. 196, in Hampton and Its Students, M. F. Armstrong and H. W. Ludlow. There are several spirituals and gospel songs that mention the Holy Number. This one, published 1874, is one of the oldest recorded.
@religion @spiritual


Lyr. Add: HOLY BRIGHT NUMBER

I want to join that Holy Bright Number, (3 times)
For to turn some ransomed one home.
(Sing couplet twice)

Numbered one hundred an' forty-four thousand, (3 times)
For to turn some ransomed one home
(Sing couplet twice)

Dat Holy Bright Number I wants to join, (3 times)
For to turn some ransomed one home.
(Sing couplet twice)

The McDonald Family, near Livingston, AL. John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip. Click on Links at top of page and go to Lomax Collection for notes and sound.

@religion @spiritual @gospel

Subject: ADD: HOLY BRIGHT NUMBER
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 11:28 PM

Dicho, these are so wonderful that I almost hesitate to raise one teeny technical point about posting them. That is, if each version/variant gets its own post, with the subject line of the post changed like I did for this post, it makes them search up easier later. (Not it's own thread-- this grouping makes perfect sense, and I see why you posted the Hampton one first, absolutely.)

And they are easier to harvest that way too.

Just, that when you do group them, it's good to make a new post for each version, variant, or song. This will especially be helpful when we post all those Lomax fragments-- can you play with changing the subject line to see how it's done if you never have?

But whatever you do, DON'T STOP!

~Susan

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN DONE SAW DAT NUMBUH
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 11:19 PM

Lyr. Add: JOHN DONE SAW DAT NUMBUH

Cho.:
John done saw dat numbuh,
'Way in de middle of de air;
Don't-chu wanta jine dat numbuh,
'Way in de middle of de air.

On de right I saw a sight,
'Way in de middle of de air;
A band of angels dressed in white,
'Way in de middle of de air.

Havin' great tribulations,
'Way in de middle of de air;
Havin' their harps in their han's,
'Way in de middle of de air.

Singin' a new song before the throne,
'Way in de middle of de air;
That Angels in Heabum could not sing,
'Way in de middle of de air.

John done saw dat nunbuh,
'Way in de middle of de air;
Comin' up from hard tryuls,
'Way in de middle of de air.

On de left I saw no rest,
'Way in de middle of de air;
I'm gonna talk 'bout God myse'f,
'Way in de middle of de air.

Mary Allen Grissom, "The Negro Sings a New Heaven," 1930, Univ. North Carolina Press, Dover reprint of 1969, p. 38-39, with sheet music.

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN DONE SAW THAT NUMBER
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 12:15 AM

JOHN DONE SAW THAT NUMBER
(sung by Vera Hall, Livingston, Ala., 1937)

Sung:
1 John done saw that number,
    Way in the middle of the air,
    John done saw that number,
    Way in the middle of the air.

2 John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, my Lord,
    John couldn't read it.

Chanted:
3 See, see, see, man, read,
    Read the Revelation,
    Third chapter, third verse,
    And there you'll find it there;
    There was a man of the Pharisees,
    Named Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews,
    Same came to him by night,
    Says, "No man can do these mi'acles
    Except God be with him there."

Sung:
4 Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, my Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy."

5 John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, my Lord,
    John couldn't read it.

Chanted:
6 There was a beast came out of the sea
    Havin' ten horns and ten crowns,
    On his horns was a-written blaspheme--

Sung:
7 Weep like a willow, mourn like a dove,
    You can't get to heaven 'thout you go by love.

8 John saw that number,
    Way in the middle of the air,
    John saw that number,
    Way in the middle of the air.

9 John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, my Lord,
    John couldn't read it.

10 Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, my Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy."

Chanted:
11 God told the angel,
    "Go down, see 'bout old John,"
    Angel flew from the bottom of the pit,
    Gathered the sun all in her fist;
    Gathered the moon all 'round her wrist;
    Gathered the stars all under her feet;
    Gathered the wind all 'round her waist.

Sung:
12 Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy, my Lord,"
    Cry'n', "Holy."


13 John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, Lord,
    John couldn't read it, my Lord,
    John couldn't read it.

SOURCE: John A. Lomax & Alan Lomax, Our Singing Country: Folk Songs and Ballads (1941; rpt. Dover, 2000, pp.16-21; with music)

Subject: Lyr Add: WASN'T THAT A WONDER IN THE HEAVEN?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 01:06 AM

There is a note in Courlander that the song Masato gave above is Library of Congress recording no. 1335.

Verse 11 of the song by Vera Hall has some similarity with one in Lydia Parrish, 1942, "Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands," quoted by Courlander.

Lyr. Add: WASN'T THAT A WONDER IN THE HEAVEN?

Wasn't that a wonder in the heaven?
Wasn't that a wonder in the heaven?
Mighty wonder in the heaven?
That woman clothed with the sun,
Moon under her feet!

Read about the wonder in the heaven.
Read about the wonder in the heaven.
Mighty wonder in the heaven.
That woman clothed with the sun,
Moon under her feet.

Courlander gives no title, but I have given it one for indexing purposes. Courlander, "Negro Folk Music, U. S. A.," 1963, pp. 64-65.

Subject: Lyr Add: WASN' THAT A WONDER
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 05:42 AM

WASN' THAT A WONDER

Chorus: Wasn' that a wonder
                      in the Heaven
       Wasn' that a wonder
                      in the Heaven
       Mighty wonder
                      in the Heaven
That woman clothe with the sun, moon under her feet.
       Read about the wonder
                      in the Heaven.
       Read about the wonder
                      in the Heaven.
       Mighty wonder
                      in the Heaven.
That woman clothe with the sun, moon under her feet.
       John saw the wonder
                      in the Heaven.
       John saw the wonder
                      in the Heaven.
       It's a mighty wonder
                      in the Heaven.
That woman clothe with the sun, moon under her feet.
   Well, John' mother may gone before me
    But you can't get no higher in Glory
       If you get there befo' I do
    Jus' tell my Lord I'm comin' too.

SOURCE: Lydia Parrish, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands (University of Goergia Press, 1940, 1992, p. 139; with music)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: John Saw (de Holy Number)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 03:15 PM

Thanks for completing "Wasn't that a Wonder," Masato.