I have (or had) an album by a group of women called The Pennywhistlers. Their notes said that this is a song of The Native American Church. Makes sense to me!

I will send Joe a MIDI of the tune which the Pennywhistlers sang. It is very short, has a triplet in it, on the word 'day.' It's quite similar to the tune Gillian Welch sings (Open Mike's link, above.)

The beauty of a MIDI is that if you have music software, you can download and edit it to suit yourself.

Joel, old boy, before the sun comes up, stars rise on the eastern horizon in the morning. When the sun finally appears, it is so bright that we can't distinguish the rising stars any longer.

(I'm happy to say that I am retired now and no longer have to experience this firsthand.)