Trying to figure out the lyrics to John The Baptist by Rev Moses Mason (Paramount 12702A) from 1928. Anyone have any ideas? I's a real tricky one.

This is what I have so far...

John The Baptist.

John done saw that number, in the air(1)
John done saw that number, in the air

Inculcating John The Baptist,
Preaching in the wilderness
All the children came from east
Came from the east,
For the kingdom of heaven
Speaking of...........
.................... prophecy
That was spoken (of the Bible) ..........prophecy

A voice of one crying in the wilderness............... .....................
John had a raiment of camel hide and a leather girdle, not his own (2)

John done saw that number, in the air
John done saw that number, in the air
Crying "hooley, hooley, hooley my Lord God, hooley" (3)

Jesus came from Nazare' unto Galilee
to be baptised by John in Jordan
And John said unto Him "Come yourself to me,
I need to be baptised of thee"
And Jesus said unto John "Suffer it to be...... ........................... ..........................

John done saw that number, in the air
John done saw that number, in the air
Crying "how long, how long, how long my Lord God, how long."

After Jesus was baptised of John
Straight way out of the water
He looking He saw a dove..................
And the spirit of God came down and laid a bow(?) on him
And Jesus was carried up into the mountain
To be tempted, all-forsaken
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights
They tempters came unto him and said
"If Thou be the Son of God, cast thy weight
'Cos he's going to be a burden."

Jesus said unto John
"Get behind me, for it is written thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God But him only (thou shall obey?)

John done saw that number, written in the middle of the air John done saw that number, written in the middle of the air

NOTES

(1) "middle of the air" could be "golden altar" - see below
(2) I'm assuming "not his own" is a cheeky aside, apparently there is no Biblical basis for thinking he'd borrowed his gear!
(3) It sounds like "hooley" - are there similar cries in other songs?




One of the Alan & John Lomax books ("Our Singing Country; Folk Songs and Ballads", 1941, http://web.doverpublications.com/cgi-bin/toc.pl/0486410897)
lists a song with the title "John Done Saw That Number." I have a different Lomax book at home but I'll check to see if it's in there.

And from http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/john_saw_the_holy_number.htm - this has a similar opening line which may be better than ours:

"JOHN SAW THE HOLY NUMBER"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from "The Book of American Negro Spirituals"
by J. W. Johnson, J. R. Johnson, 1925

John saw.
Oh, John saw
John saw the holy number
Sitting on the golden altar

Worthy, worthy is the Lamb
Is the Lamb, is the Lamb
Oh, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb
Sitting on the golden altar

Mary wept and Martha cried
Martha, Martha cried
Oh, Weeping Mary weeps no more
Sitting on the golden altar