Lyr Add: Mary and Martha (Marthy) spirituals

Subject: Lyr Add: OH MARY - OH MARTHY
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 06:17 PM

Lyr. Add: OH MARY - OH MARTHY

Oh! Mary Oh! Marthy, go tell my disciples,
Gwine-a meet Him in Gallalee,
Gwine-a meet Him in Gallalee.
Yes, bless de Lawd, meet Him in Gallalee.
Gwine-a meet Him in Gallalee.

Oh! yondah come duh chariot,
Duh hosses dressed in white,
Duh fo' wheels a runnin' by duh grace ob God,
An' duh hind wheels a runnin' by love;
An' duh hin' wheels a runnin' by love.

Oh! yondah come ole Satan
Wid a black book under his arm;
A hollerin' give me jestice,
Mo'n hafen dem people am mine,
Mo'n hafen dem people am mine.
Yes, bless de Lawd, hafen dem people am mine; Mo'n hafen dem people am mine.

Oh! yondah come Brudder Peter,
An' how do you know it's him?
Wid a crown upon his fo'head
An' de keys of Bethlyham,
An' de keys of Bethlyham.
Yes, bless de Lawd, keys of Bethlyham;
An' de keys of Bethlyham.

Oh! yondah come Sista Mary,
An' how do you know it's huhr?
A shoutin' hallelujah
An' praises to duh Lamb,
An' praises to duh Lamb.
Yes, bless de Lawd, praises to duh Lamb;
An' praises to duh Lamb.

M. A. Grissom, 1930 (1969), The Negro Sings a New Heaven, p. 14-15, with music.
The lines "Yonder comes ..., And how do you know" appear in a number of spirituals. Verses about Satan not getting a fair shake are also common. Mary and Martha are often associated, even though they may not fit the sense of the song, but because they both have short names that go well together. The chariot verse obviously is borrowed from another spiritual.
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Lyr. Add: MARY WEPT AN' MARTHY MOANED

Mary wept an'-a Marthy moaned, (3 times)
Round a willuh tree,
Round a willuh tree.

Who's-a been heah since I've been gone? (3 times)
Good Lawd done come an' gone,
Good Lawd done come an' gone.

I don' wan-tuh live an' die in sin, (3 times)
Good Lawd delivuh me.
Good Lawd delivuh me.

Last line sometimes: King Jesus bowed His head an' groaned.

M. A. Grissom, 1930 (1969), The Negro Sings a New Heaven, pp. 34-35, with music.
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Subject: Lyr Add: MARY WEPT AND MARTHA MOURNED etc.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:06 PM

Several threads have discussed whether folk songs should maintain their integrity or whether they may be rewritten to suit the occasion, to bring them up-to-date, etc. This was never a problem to the singers of spirituals, because they varied the songs and interchanged verses with other songs constantly.

Publication of books of Negro spirituals since 1900, with arrangements, has stabilized a number of the songs, at least in the minds of those who are not aware of the past history of the verses.

Three Mary and Martha verses often found with the last line, "All my sins done taken away, taken away," also the title of a spiritual that has many interchanges with other spirituals.

Mary wept and Martha mourned,
Mary wept all 'round the throne.

Mary wept and Martha mourned,
All because deir brother done dead and gone.

Mary wept and Martha mourned,
All 'cause dey brother done gone and died.

Odum and Johnson, 1925, The Negro and His Songs, p. 62.

In the spiritual "Dese bones gwine rise again," (and in others with a different last line and title), this verse may appear:

Mary, Martha, Luke and John,
Dese bones gwine rise again.
Take your little truth and munch along,
Dese bones gwine rise again.

Verses with Mary and Martha appear in the spiritual, "Pharaoh's Army."

Lyr. Add: PHARAOH'S ARMY

Pharaoh' army got drowned in the sea;
I am so thankful it was not me.

Pharoah' army got drowned-
O Mary don't you weep.

O Lord, Pharaoh army got drowned-
O Martha don't you moan.

If you wants to get to Heaven when you die,
Stop your tongue from telling lies.

Mary weep and Martha moan,
Weeping about brothers dead and gone.

Two white horses side by side;
Them am the horses I am going to ride.

When I go to Heaven I want to go right,
I want to go to Heaven all dressed in white.

Sinners, you all take my advice
And try to get religion for this is nice.

Newman L. White, 1928, American Negro Folk Songs, collected from Auburn, AB. A version was printed in Higginson, 1867, Atl. Monthly, xix, p. 685.
Compare with verses of "Mary, Don't You Weep," thread 7873 (and in DT): Mary

Subject: Lyr Add: BOW LOW, MARY
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:33 PM

BOW LOW, MARY
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Bow low, Mary, bow low, Martha,
For Jesus come and lock de door,
And carry the keys away.

Sail, sail, over yonder,
And view the promised land
For Jesus come, etc.

Weep, O Mary, bow low, Martha,
For Jesus come, etc.

Sail, sail, my true believer;
Sail, sail, over yonder;
Mary bow low, Martha bow low,
For Jesus come and lock de door
An' carry de keys away.

T. W. Higginson, 1867, Negro Spirituals, XVII. Higginson
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