Lyr. Add: THE LITTLE BLACK TRAIN
(Black and white gospel, Scarborough)

God said to Hezekiah
In a message from on high,
Go set thy house in order
For thou shalt surely die.

Chorus:
The little black train is coming
Get all of your business right;
Better set your house in order,
For the train may be here tonight!

He turned to the wall weeping,
Oh! see the king in tears.
He got his business fixed all right
God spared him fifteen years.

When Adam sinned in Eden
Before the birth of Seth,
That little sin brought forth a son
They called him conquering death.

Go tell the ballroom lady, And filled with earthly pride,
That death's black train is coming;
Prepare to take a ride.

This little black train and engine
And little baggage-car,
With idle thoughts and wicked deeds,
Must stop at the judgement bar.

A poor young man in darkness
Cared not for the gospel light,
Until suddenly the whistle blew
From the little black train in sight!

"Oh! death, will you not spare me?
I've just seen my wicked plight.
Have mercy, Lord, do hear me,
Please come and help me get right."

But death had fixed his shackles
About his soul so tight,
Before he got his business fixed
The train rolled in that night.

The rich fool in his granary said,
"I have no future fears;
Going to build my barns a little larger
And live for many years.

"I now have plenty of money,
I expect to take my ease,
My barns are over-running;
No one but self here to please."

But while he stood there planning,
The God of power and might
Said, "Rich fool, to judgement come;
Thy soul must be there tonight."

Scarborough- "....a Holy Roller song from Texas." "A delay here brings no complaint against the management."
Dorothy Scarborough, 1925 (1963), "On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs," Folklore Assoc. Inc., pp. 260-261.

Newman I. White (1925) heard a similar but fragmental version from Ed Lloyd, an African-American from North Carolina, "where he had heard it sung for many years." Another fragment from White:

Look here, nigger, do you figger on going up dar;
If you get your business right, get your heart in order;
For the little black train is going to come at night.
Heard in Durham Co., NC, 1909.
N. I. White, 1928, American Negro Folk-Songs, no. 6 A-B, The Little Black Train, pp. 65-66.

The Carter Family lyrics for "Little Black Train" were posted from
Bluegrasslyrics.com by George Seto in thread 56422: Little Black Train

A version similar to that transcribed by Scarborough was printed, with music, in "Our Singing Country."

Lyr. Add: THE LITTLE BLACK TRAIN
Brother Elihu Trusty, KY, 1937

Chorus:
There's a little black train a-comin'-
Get all your business right;
There's a little black train a-comin',
An' it may be here tonight.

Oh, the little black train is a-comin',
I know it's goin' to slack;
You can tell it by its rumblin'-
It's all draped in black.

The train we are singin' about,
It has no whistle or bell,
And when you find your station
You are in Heaven or Hell.

There's a little black train and an engine,
And one small baggage car;
You won't need to have much baggage
To come to the judgement bar.

O Death, why don't you spare me?
I see my wicked plight.
Have mercy, Lord, to hear me,
Come and set me right.

Oh, Death had fixed the shackles
Around his throat so tight,
Before he got his business fixed,
The train rolled in that night.

They are men and women
What love their sport and game,
Yet Death is ridin' with them
Will take them just the same.

Go tell that barroom lady,
All filled with worldly pride,
That Death's black train's a-comin'-
Prepare to take a ride.

There's a rich old man in his darkness
Says: "I have no such fears-
I'll build my barns a little larger,
For I'll live a million years."

So while he sat there plannin',
The God of power and might
Took the old fool to the judgement bar,
So his soul's in the fire tonight.
pp. 46-47, with music (not same as given by Grissom, see below). Lomax and Lomax, 1941 (Dover 2000), "Our Singing Country, Folk Songs and Ballads."

Lyr. Add: LITTLE BLACK TRAIN IS A COMIN'

God tole Hezykiyah
In a message from on high;
Go set yo' house in ordah,
For thou shalt sholy die.
He turned to the wall a weepin',
Oh! See the King in tears;
He got his bus'ness fixed all right,
God spared him fifteen years.

Chorus:
Little black train is a comin',
Get all yo' bus'ness right;
Go set yo' house in ordah,
For the train may be here tonight.

Go tell that ball room lady,
All filled with worldly pride,
That little black train is-a comin',
Prepare to take a ride.
That little black train and engine
An' a little baggage car,
With idle thoughts and wicked deeds,
Must stop at the judgement bar.

There was a po' young man in darkness,
Cared not for the gospel light,
Suddenly a whistle blew
From a little black train in sight.
"Oh, death will you not spare me?
I'm just in my wicked plight,
Have mercy Lord, do hear me,
Pray come an' set me right."
But death had fixed his shackles
About his soul so tight,
Just befo' he got his bus'ness fixed,
The train rolled in that night.

With music (very different from that given in Lomax and Lomax). Collected in Kentucky, pp. 10-11, M. A. Grissom, 1930 (Dover 1969), "The Negro Sings a New Heaven."

Lyr. Add: LITTLE BLACK TRAIN IS COMIN'
Ruby Pickins Tartt Coll., Alabama

Oh, de little black train is a-comin'
Hit'll git yo' bizness right.
Better fix yo' house in order,
Kaze hit may be here tonight.

Chorus:
Oh, de little black train's er comin',
Hit's comin' round de curve,
It's puffin' en hit's blowin',
Hit's strainin' every nerve.

God sent Keziah a message,
A message from on high,
Better git his bizness fixed all right
Kaze hit may be here tonight.

Keziah turned t' de wall a-weepin'
He seed king in *Caaz,
He got his bizness fixed all right,
He gave him fifteen years.

Oh, de little black train's er comin',
Hit's comin' round de curve,
It's puffin' en hit's blowin',
En hit's strainin' every nerve.

* May refer to the king in Assyria who was besieging the Israelites.
This spiritual was used by Kurt Weill in his folk opera, "Down in the Valley."
No music, p. 64, O. and J. Solomon, 1984, "Honey in the Rock," Ruby Pickins Tartt Coll., Alabama.