Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)

Subject: Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Dec 06 - 04:23 PM

Lyr. Add: GOT A LETTER THIS MORNING

1. Got a lettah dis mawnin', um-m-m
2. Could not read dat lettah, um-m-m
3. Took it to my deacon, um-m-m
4. Deacon could not read it, um-m-m
5. Took it to my pastor, um-m-m
6. Pastor could not read it, um-m-m
7. Took it to my Jesus, um-m-m
8. Jesus read dat lettah, um-m-m
9. Lettah read about my soul, um-m-m
10. Gospel train a-comin', um-m-m
11. Lettah read about jedgement, um-m-m
12. Sinnah, bettah git ready, um-m-m
13. Gospel train a-comin', um-m-m
14. Sinnah, bettah git on boa'd, um-m-m.

With part score. Um-m-m sung with closed lips. South Carolina.

Marion Alexander Haskell, "Negro 'Spirituals'," The Century Magazine Aug. 1899, vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 577-581.
The collector says, "This spiritual is a special favorite because it has no end, and serves as a perfect medium for the expression of any reflection which may occur to the singer. The day after it was first heard in camp-meeting one old cook, at least, was thinking aloud to its melody and rhythm from morn to eve. At one moment she would piously repeat an order just given, "Come and mix dem cakeses, um-m-m." At the next, with her mind attuned to holy thoughts, she would continue, "Deah I'll meet my Lawd, um-m-m.""

Has anyone met with this spiritual elsewhere?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Dec 06 - 04:24 PM

No title given in the article; I added "Got a Letter."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Dec 06 - 07:29 PM

Never ran across this one before, myself. Thanks for posting it!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 25 - 07:22 PM

I'm adding some of these verses to the old plantation melody, I Got a Letter From Jesus in church tomorrow. The version in Sandburg's American Songbag has only one line. And that's the single line also arranged by the composer George Walker.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Got a Letter (spiritual)
From: RTim
Date: 29 Mar 25 - 07:50 PM

From the Menhaden Fishermen of the Chesapeake Bay area, and the group - Bright Light Quartet. ...sang the following:

Won't you help me to raise 'em boys      

Won't you help me to raise 'em boys      
C: Hey, hey, honey…3 times
See you when the sun goes down (end of verses)

Oh the weight is on the mate's boat.            
C: Hey,hey ,honey

Oh the weight's on the captain's boat            
C: Hey, hey, honey

Oh the weight is on the donkeyman.               
C: Hey, hey, honey

I got a letter this morning boys

I couldn’t read it for crying boys,

I got a long tall yellow gal.                  

I got a girl in Georgia boys.         

Her name is Alvolina boys.      

She'll be waitin' on the dockside...

She shakes like jelly boys

Oh the crew are gonna leave ya cap'n               

Oh the crew are gonna leave ya cap'n.            

next pay day cap'n.                                 

Oh won't you help me to raise em now.               

Extra Verses:
We're waiting on the donkey man….


Tim Radford