I'm really not very qualified to comment, Rochelle, but there is not a huge amount of interest on Mudcat regarding all the permeations of old hymns. I hope some one with more knowledge and expertise than I possess will chime in, but will offer what I can. Take it with a grain of salt.

Part of the problem may be that this is a "family" of hymns that share or interchange lyrics and tunes. There are not a lot of posts to this thread, but it is clear from the posts and from following the links that are still good, that when you or anyone else references "this song", it is not entirely clear which set of lyrics and tune is "this song."

In the course of doing a little research when you bounced this thread awake again, I ran across a good article that offers what I hope is at least in part an explanation of why you may not be able to pin the particular version of "this song" down. I posted a link to that article to an old thread about Old Regular Baptist hymns, but will repeat it here.

Old Regular Baptist Singing

Among "independent" churches in places throughout the Appalachians and other rural areas, lined out singing was (and in some places still is) very common, and there can be many local, even "micro" traditions that get passed down. What you will find, I think, as you try to pin your song down via research, , is that it really can't be pinned down.

The example I described in my previous post about my grandfather's church is but one example.

I learned "Come Thou Fount" with the same tune as Susan posted in the link I referenced above, long before I had my grandfather's version of what he called "I Will Arise," which uses all the verses of "Come Thou Fount...." plus another 6 or 7 verses common to some of the hymns mentioned above, including "This Old World."    That tune is similar to but not the same tune that is generally associated with "Come Thou Fount...."   I was very excited the first time "Come Thou Fount" was part of the service at the Episcopal church I attend, and then more than a little disappointed when the tune was different, although the lyrics, as far as they went, were all included in the hymn my Grandfather sang.

There are more floating verses and choruses among old hymns than one can shake a stick at. Tunes float too. I think the article I have linked to might shed some light.


All the best.

Janie