Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?

Subject: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 08:26 PM

Here's another gospel song from my family's collection, but I'm not sure where they heard it. I can't find anything similar in the DT and would welcome other comments.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
(Ipcar Family Collection)

O, Satan tempted woman.
Woman tempted man;
If it ain't been for the Grace of God
We'd all be dead an' damned -

Chorus:

Ain't dem hard trials,
An' tribulations,
Ain't dem hard trials,
We're bo'n to leave dis world!

You run dis way, you run dat way,
You run from do' to do';
You ain't go' de Grace of Jesus in yo' soul;
Debil goin' to catch yo' sho'. (CHO)

Methodis, Methodid, is ma belief,
Methodis will I die;
I been bo'n in de Methodis Church
Go'n to stay on de Baptis' side. (CHO)

Fox has a hole in de groun',
De bird has a nes' in de air;
Everything has a hiding place,
But we po' sinners has none. (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 08:51 PM

39212 thread has several versions; there are many. The verse Methodist, Methodist occurs in several songs.
Your version definitely is descended from the Fenner, 1874-collected spiritual in that thread (posted by Dicho). Hard Trials

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 08:46 AM

Excellent, Guest Q! I should have done a more thorough search in the DT. I was wondering about the last verse above which doesn't end in a rhyme, whether it was inaccurately transcribed:

Fox has a hole in de groun',
De bird has a nes' in de air;
Everything has a hiding place,
But we po' sinners has none. (CHO)

However, the Fenner version doesn't rhyme either (only has a 3-line verse):

De fox hab hole in de groun'
An' de bird hab nest in de air,
But we, poor sinners, hab none.

I'm fond of rhyming for what it's worth and was gratified to see H.T. Burleigh's arrangement:

O, de foxes dey hab holes in de groun',
An' de birds hab nests in de air,
An' ev'ry thing has a hidin' place,
But us po' sinners ain't got nowhere.

This is really fun to explore!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 09:11 AM

Damn! I missed a line in the first verse. I guess I'll ask a Joe Clone to patch it up. The verse should run:

O, Satan tempted woman,
Woman tempted man;
If it ain't been for the Grace of God
We'd all be dead an' damned -

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 01:57 PM

The fox-bird line in Fenner does seem to be missing a line. I will check and see if I can find more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 08:21 PM

Thanks, Joe Clone, for the patch above. After all women have earned their place in gospel singing and should be suitably reflected in the lyrics.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Haruo
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 02:05 AM

You can get what many would consider a rhyme of sorts by inverting your first two lines:

Bird has a nes' in de air,
De fox has a hole in de groun';
Everything has a hiding place,
But we po' sinners has none. (CHO)

Personally, I don't rhyme "groun'" with "none", but it's not at all farfetched for some folks.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 03:47 AM

GUEST,Q, you're right. One line is missing. Hampton and its Students. By Two of its Teachers, Mrs. M. F. Armstrong and Helen W. Ludlow. With Fifty Cabin and Plantation Songs, Arranged by Thomas P. Fenner (1874) is digitalized and available online. "Hard Trials" is on pp. 213-4.

De fox hab hole in de groun',
An' de bird hab nest in de air,
An' ebry t'ing hab a hiding-place,
But we, poor sinner, hab none.
Now aint dat hard trials, great tribulation,
Aint dat hard trials I'm boun' to leabe dis world.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Trials and Tribulations-Origin?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 08:12 AM

Good catch!

Charley Noble