I have seen sheet music for this song which credit Jester Hairston for having written this. He is also credited with having written "Mary's Boy Child."
(Some of you may also remember him as having played Rolly Forbes on the old TV sitcom about a congregation in Harlem, I think. The sitcom may also have been called "Amen," but I am not sure.)

What I don't know is whether he actually originated the song or just wrote an arrangement of it, perhaps with some new couplets, and copyrighted that.
Does anyone know?

Genie