Lyr Req: Three Little Angels

Subject: Lyr Req: Three Little Angels
From: GUEST,Question
Date: 11 May 06 - 01:33 AM

Does anyone know variations to the song 'Three Little Angels' and what its origin was? Who were the three? Do they appear in other songs?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Little Angels
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 May 06 - 02:16 AM

Hi - can you give us what you know of the song lyrics?
thanks.
-Joe Offer-

---

The one we have posted here is this one:

Thread #11190   Message #152614
Posted By: campfire
27-May-99 - 01:01 AM
Thread Name: Counting Songs
Subject: RE: Counting Songs

Ah yes, Night Owl - I remember that one too, now.

There's also:

Three little angels, all dressed in white
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a kite
The Kitestring broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to Heaven, they all went to

Two little angels......

One little angel.... Instead of going to heaven, they all went to

Three little devils, all dresses in red
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a thread
Thread-string broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to heaven they all went to

Two little devils....

One little devil, all dressed in red
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a thread
Tread string broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to Heaven they all went to BED!

campfire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Little Angels
From: Azizi
Date: 11 May 06 - 07:48 AM

Guess Question & Joe:

See this post about "Raise A Rucus Tonight" that may be the source of the "Three Little Angels" song:

Subject: RE: Wearing Red-or another color
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 11:10 PM

Tally includes the song "Raise A Rucus Tonight" in his 1922 book of "Negro Folk Rhymes"

The first verse of that song is:

Two liddle N----rs all dressed in white,
{Raise a Rucus tonight.}
Want to go to Heaben on de tail of a kite.
{Raise a Rucus tonight.}
De kite string broke; dem N----rs fell;
{Raise a Rucus tonight.}
Whar dem N----rs go, I hain't gwineter tell.
{Raise a Rucus tonight.}

-snip-

This song lives on in an African American profanity avoidance children's rhyme:

TEN LITTLE ANGELS
ten little angel all dressed in white
tryin to get to heaven on a tail of a kite
[but] the kite string broke and down they fell
instead of goin to heaven they went to

nine little angels all dressed in white
tryin to get to heaven on a tail of a kite
the kite string brok and down they fell
instead of goin to heaven they went to

[continue through to "one little angel".

In 2000 Pittsburgh, PA I heard some children shout "HELL" at the end of this rhyme. But usually, I've heard the rhyme end with "to bed".

Wearing Red -or another color


Of course, this may not be the "Three Little Angels" song that Guest Question is inquiring about.

But then again, it might be.

:o}