Charley, you mentioned that Leland thought this was a thread on freedom songs. I take it that Leland is the same person as Harou. [?]

Haruo [20 Jul 01 - 06:40 PM] posted a verse to If You Don't See Me At The Back Of The Bus {also known as If You Miss Me In [or "From"] The Back Of The Bus"}

Here's verses to that song as I hearing them sung:

IF YOU DON'T SEE ME AT THE BACK OF THE BUS
If you don't find me at the back of the bus
If you can't find me back there.
Come on up to the front of the bus.
I'll be sittin up there.
I'll be sittin up there.
Come on up to the front of the bus
I'll be sittin up there.

If you can't find me in the schoolroom
If you can't find me in there
Come on out to the picket line
I'll be standin right there
I'll be standin right there
Come on out to the picket line
I'll be standin right there

If you can't find me in the picket line
If you can't find me out there
Come on down to the jail house
I'll be singin in there
I'll be singin in there
Come on down to the jail house
I'll be singin in there

If you can't find me in jail house
If you don't see me in there
Come on over to the church yard
I'll be prayin out there
I'll be prayin out there
Come on over to the church yard
I'll be prayin out there.
-snip-

[Here are some additional verses from a 1963 book on Civil Rights songs edited by Guy and Candie Carawan, published by Oak Publications; New York ; p. 50; {Library of Congress Number 63-23278}. I lost the cover page of the copy I reproduced and don't have a title page].

If you miss me from the front of the bus,
and you can't find me nowhere,
Come on up to the driver's seat,
I'll be driving up there. etc.

If you miss me from Jackson State,
and you can't find me no where
Come on over to Ole Miss,
I'll be studyin' over there. etc.

If you miss me from knockin' on doors
and you can't find me nowhere
Come on down to the registrar's room,
I'll be the registrar there. ect.

If you miss me from the cotton field,
and you can't find me nowhere.
Come on down to the court house,
I'll be voting right there. etc

If you miss me from the picket line,
and you can't find me nowhere.
Come on down to the jail house,
I'll be rooming down there. etc.

If you miss me from the Mississippi
River
and you can't find me nowhere
Come on down to the city pool
I'll be swimming in there. etc.   

-snip-


Btw, some time ago I posted words to this song on my website http://www.cocojams.com/freedom_songs.htm along with this note: "adapted from the song composed by C. Neblett".

Though I posted that note then, now I don't have a clue where I got that information from. Which song did C. Neblett write? Please help, Q or anyone else!

Thanks!