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I just watched "Incident on the Edge of Madness," an episode of "Rawhide," from the Season One dvd collection, in which a Negro house servant of a somewhat mad former Confederate officer is called upon by his marster to sing the song. This show was made in 1959. The servant character sings...

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names

...and I recognized the song, and thought, "Gee whiz. Pinko writers inserting a popular folk song about the FBI investigating subversive Commie activity, and taking names of potential Commie subversives or informants."

But the lyrics continued...

Death is the man taking names

...and I realized it was a Negro Spiritual.

I googled, and this is the first page that looked promising. Apparently not.

From http://www.cpsr.cs.uchicago.edu/robeson/links/recordings.html

Paul Robeson [X24]
    CD only
    Availability: Rediscover Music Catalog (Catalog # PRO9382D)

          Contents:
                Down in Lovers' Lane;   Swing Along;   Bear De Burden;   All God's Chillun Got Wings;   Witness;   Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho;   De 'Old Ark's A-Movering;   Ezekiel Saw de Wheel;   Scandalize my Name;   Sinner Please Doan' Let this Harves Pass;   Work All de Summer;   Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel?;   Dere's A man Goin' Roun' Takin' Names;   Shenandoah;   Little Pal;   Lonesome Road;   Roll Away, Clouds;   Ho! Ho!;   Climbing Up;   Song of Freedom;   Sleepy River;   Trees;   No! John No!;   Song of the Volga Boatmen;   There is a Green Hill;   Nearer, My God, to Thee;   Fat Little Fellow;   Mama's Little Baby-Love   

There it is, among the other spirituals, and Robeson was a Commie. How fortuitous...

Dere's A man Goin' Roun' Takin' Names

Now if I could only find the lyrics. Or a recording that is actually available.

Yes, Death is the man taking names. Your number is up. It is time for you to called to leave this vale of tears. Death has been looking for you. He found your name, and will check you off. Next!

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