The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31041   Message #1649978
Posted By: Stewie
16-Jan-06 - 11:24 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: songs by Uncle Dave Macon
Subject: Lyr Add: POOR SINNERS, FARE YOU WELL (Dave Macon)
Here is the transcription from book accompanying the Bear Family box set. I don't think what is in the square brackets is accurate, but I don't know what it should be either.

POOR SINNERS, FARE YOU WELL

Spoken:
Now people I'm going to analyse myself to you. You know I'm Methodist. And the last time I was home, I went to the colored church because there wasn't no white meeting going on. And the parson was very clever, he invited me in, and I heard him take his text from the two two verse of [the sixteenth epostle (sic) who took the epistle and fired at John]. And he got up and said: 'Now this is contribution day and I'm going to have the contribution box passed, and bear in mind there's one man in this house been goin' around with another man's wife, and if he don't put in five dollars in that box today, I'm a-gwine expose him. So I stayed there 'til the box went around and she come in with seventeen five dollar bills and one two-dollar bill with a note written plainly, pinned to it, saying, 'Brother, forever hold your peace, you'll get your other three dollars before the sun goes down'. Now I'm going to sing one of their favorite songs.

Gwine down on the river, down on Jordan's stream
All those children crying, Lord, Lord, I've been redeemed

Chorus:
Crying, mmmm, mmmm
Them-a golden slippers I'm bound to wear
Them-a golden slippers I'm bound to wear
Them-a golden slippers I'm bound to wear
Poor sinners fare thee well

Jews didn't believe in Jesus, not a word was said
Then he went down to Lazarus' grave,
Raised him from the dead

Chorus

Shout if you are happy!

Just come out of the water, ain't got fairly dry
If you don't mind old Satan make you tell a lie

Chorus

When I get to heaven, know I'm gonna smile
Sit down by my Saviour's side, be one welcome child

Chorus

Recorded by Uncle Dave Macon on 16 April 1926 and issued as Vocalion 15324 in June 1926.

Meade ('Country Music Sources') notes that the text at page 153 of Anthony J. Showalter 'The National Singer' (Dalton, Ga, A.J. Showalter Co, ca 1885) is a close approximation of the Macon recording.

--Stewie.