Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 06:31 PM

Otha Turner is unique.
The post by Joe (author unknown), answers the question by Dani, there is no copyright.

Does the tune appear earlier somewhere than the 1908 Circle copyright?

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden dow
From: Arbuthnot
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 05:37 PM

LOL everybody knows about my memory - but I remember a seminal version by Rev. Robert Wilkins - if that wasn't on a 78, Rev Wilkins was 78!

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: PoppaGator
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 04:23 PM

Gulliver beat me to the punch: I love to point out that these two songs ~ one a genuine old spiritual typically sung at funerals, and the other a more recent C&W/gospel composition about a funeral ~ share the same melody.

I had been familiar with both songs for many years before someone pointed this out to me. I like to sing verses from both songs in the same performance; someone almost always comments, "I had no idea,,,"

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 05:52 PM

The best known of the group is generally known as Glory, Glory, Hallelujah. Common verses (and see agingcynic, above):

All my sickness will be over
When I lay...

All my troubles will be over
When I lay ...

I will meet my mother (or other)
When I lay....

Lord, I'll feel so much better
When I lay ...

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 05:33 PM

The tune of the Saint Helena spiritual is nothing like that of the circle song.

(I should have noted that all of the spirituals in Ballanta-(Taylor) are printed with their tunes).

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: GUEST,Gulliver
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 04:18 PM

It has the same melody as Will the Circle Be Unbroken.

Don

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: agingcynic
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:40 PM

i learned a version several decades ago -- from a mississippi john hurt record, i dimly recall

had verses with these themes:

no more sorrow, no more sadness, since i lay my burden down

gonna sing songs with those angels, since i lay my burden down

gonna sit down and talk with Jesus, since i lay my burden down

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:12 PM

Mississippi Fred McDowell sang:

I'm gonna meet my lovin' mother,
when I lay my burden down
I'm gonna meet my lovin' mother
when I lay my burden down.
Glory, glory, mmm, when I lay my burden down
Glory, glory, when I lay my burden down.

Subject: Lyr. Add: GLORY, GLORY, HALLELUJAH
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 01:32 PM

There are several related spirituals and gospel songs. Here is one from the South Carolina Islands.

Lyr. Add: Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
St. Helena Island Spiritual

1
Glory, glory, hallelujah,
when I lay muh burden down
Glory, glory, Hallelujah,
when I lay muh burden down
2
I'm goin' to climb Jacob's ladder
When I lay muh burden down
I'm goin' to climb Jacob's ladder
When I lay muh burden down.
3
I wonder what mother's goin' to do dat day
When I lay muh burden down
All she got to do is watch and pray
When I lay muh burden down.
4
I wonder what mother wants to stay here for
When I lay muh burden down
Dis ole world's no friend to her
When I lay muh burden down.

No. 66. Nicholas George Julius Ballanta-(Taylor), 1924, Saint Helena Island Spirituals, G. Schirmer, Inc. New York

It seems to me others of the group have been posted; I will try looking through my old posts.

Subject: RE: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden dow
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:30 PM

Hi, Dani-
Well, it was included in the Anthology of American Folk Music, so it's certainly significant.
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry for the song:

Since I Laid My Burden Down

DESCRIPTION: Gospel song, describing singer's plans to meet with his mother and with Jesus, shake hands with angels, walk and talk in glory "since I laid my burden down."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (recording, Elders McIntorsh & Edwards' Sanctified Singers)
KEYWORDS: death nonballad religious Jesus
FOUND IN: US(SE,So,MW)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Asch/Dunson/Raim, p. 70, "Since I Laid My Burden Down" (1 text, 1 tune)
RECORDINGS:
Roy Acuff & his Smoky Mountain Boys, "When I Lay My Burden Down" (OKeh 05587/Conqueror 9433, 1940; Conqueror 9667, 1941)
Bessemer Sunset Four, "When I Lay My Burden Down" (Vocalion 1488, 1930)
Rev. Clayborn, "When I Lay My Burden Down" (Vocalion 1458, 1930; rec. 1929)
Roosevelt Graves, "When I Lay My Burden Down" (Paramount 12974, 1930; rec. 1929)
Elders McIntorsh & Edwards' Sanctified Singers, "Since I Laid My Burden Down" (OKeh 8698, 1929; rec. 1928; on AAFM2, Babylon)
Turner Junior Johnson, "When I Lay My Burden Down" (AFS 6608 B3, 1942; on LC10, LCTreas)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (tune)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Glory, Glory Halleluiah
Since I Laid My Burthen Down
File: ADR70

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Subject: Origins: glory glory (when I lay my burden down)
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:19 PM

I learned this from recordings of Otha Turner and the Afrossippi Allstars: http://othaturner.com/

A friend is wanting to use a version of it in a documentary, and I wonder if you all know more about it. Citations I've seen list it as trad, but I would like to help him make sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory,_Glory,_Hallelujah_(Lay_My_Burden_Down)

By the way, it's a great song to sing, and it made me go learn some about the fife and drum tradition; fun sound.

Dani