Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary

Subject: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:28 PM

This song suggests an origin in spirituals, crossed with a play party song, converted to a minstrel song? I'm confused. Any information would be appreciated.

Lyr. Add: CARRY THE NEWS TO MARY
by Words by Charley Howard, music by Walter Bray

Oh! Martha wept and Mary cried:
We're all surrounded:
The good old man has gone and died,
We're all surrounded.
Shake off your slumbers and arise,
We're all surrounded
The sun is shining in the skies,
We're all surrounded.

Chorus:
Then carry the news,
Carry the news to Mary!
Carry the news,
We're all surrounded.
[Dance.}

The good old man we'll see no more,
We're all surrounded:
He has gone to the happy shore,
We're all surrounded.
He's gone and left us darks alone,
We're all surrounded:
And Gabriel's trumpet called him home,
We're all surrounded.

Chorus

Adam and Eve climbed up a tree,
We're all surrounded:
Their lamb and master for to see,
We're all surrounded.
Eve stole an apple from the tree,
We're all surrounded.
And Adam was stung by a bumble Bee,
We're all surrounded.

Chorus

Who is the 'good old man in this song- Lincoln? "Carry the news to Mary" was an expression that originated from the story of Martha meeting Jesus on his way to Bethany, and turning back to carry the news to Mary. It seems to have been a popular saying around Civil War time, but I am not certain of its purport.

H. De Masran, New York City, song sheet, 19th c., before 1880. Sheet music was published by R. Wittig, Philadelphia, arranged by Eddie Fox, but I haven't found a copy.
The music also appears in Cole, 1940, One Thousand Fiddle Tunes, p. 26. Anyone have that?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 02:38 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 10:11 PM

The lyrics of the De Masran song sheet given above are idenrical to those on sheet music, "Carry the News! We Are All Surrounded," "as sung by Simmons and Slocum's Minstrels," published 1870 by R. Wittig, Philadelphia. The same authors are given; words by Charley Howard and music by Walter Bray, with the additional note, Arranged by Eddie Fox. In other sites, the song is referred to as a "minstrel walk-around."
A search for "We are all surrounded' turned up the chorus in lyrics of "Sea of Angels," by the group Plus One (singers of Christian songs). The phrase "Sea of Angels" is from psalm 103:20-21; song not found elsewhere. The chorus:

We are all surrounded
Swimming in a sea of angels
We are not forgotten
And we will win
Because you send your angels.

"Carry the News to Mary" appears in "1000 Fiddle Tunes," Cole, 1940. "Ryan's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes," first published in 1883 (still available, publisher Mel Bay), and other collections also have the song.
J. J. Haman published piano music in 1871 with the title "Carry the News" (Lee and Walker). At American Memory.

Liner notes on western lingo by Johnny Cash in "Sings Songs of the True West" define a horse as "Carry the News to Mary;" this does not appear in Adams or other books of western words that I have seen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 10:43 PM

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has CARRY THE NEWS. (Click the link.) The lyrics are exactly as posted above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: radriano
Date: 12 Oct 05 - 06:04 PM

Apparently the song was also used as a sea shanty. The first vere and chorus appear in one of the sea shanty collections.

Chanteyranger, where are you?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Carry the News to Mary
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 02:40 AM

Hi, Radriano. I've been in PM contact with Q about this. I will also write Bob Walser to see what he knows about how this was evidently adapted by stevedores. The collection where the first verse and chorus appears in is Frederick Pease Harlow, "Chanteying Aboard American Ships."

Chanteyranger