On My Journey
(new verses by Darling/Gilbert/Hays/Hellerman)

When I'm on my journey, don't you weep after me,
When I'm on my journey, don't you weep after me,
When I'm on my journey, don't you weep after me,
I don't want you to weep after me.

Every lonely river must go home to the sea,
Every lonely river must go home to the sea,
Every lonely river must go home to the sea,
I don't want you to weep after me.

When the stars are fallin' and the thunder starts to roll,
When the stars are fallin' and the thunder starts to roll,
When the stars are fallin' and the thunder starts to roll,
I don't want you to weep after me.

High up on the mountain, leave my sorrow down below,
High up on the mountain, leave my sorrow down below,
High up on the mountain, leave my sorrow down below,
I don't want you to weep after me.

Source: The Weavers' Song Book (1960, Harper)

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Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Don't You Weep After Me

DESCRIPTION: "When I'm dead and buried don't you weep after me (x3).... I don't want you to weep after me." Unrelated verses about death: "On the good ship of Zion"; "King Peter is my Captain"; "Bright angels are the sailors"; "When I do cross over"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1922 (Randolph)
KEYWORDS: death nonballad Bible funeral
FOUND IN: US(SE,So)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Randolph 262, "Jacob's Ladder" (1 text, 1 tune -- a fragment so short that it can only tentatively be classified with this piece; see also "Jacob's Ladder")
BrownIII 527, "Don't You Grieve After Me" (2 texts plus a fragment)
BrownSchinhanV 527, "Don't You Grieve After Me" (1 tune plus a text excerpt)
Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 9, (no title) (1 fragment)
Silber-FSWB, p. 350, "Don't You Weep After Me" (1 text)
ST R262 (Full)
Roud #2286
RECORDINGS:
Pete Seeger, "Don't You Weep after Me" (on PeteSeeger26)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Jacob's Ladder" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Don't You Grieve After Me (I)" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Oh, They Put John on the Island" (floating lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
On My Journey
Don't You Grieve After Me
When I'm Dead and Buried
NOTES: Both the Randolph fragment and Brown's "A" text and "B" fragment are linked to "Jacob's Ladder." It is not clear whether this link is original or coincidental. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.1
File: R262

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