Origins: Steal Away (spiritual)

Subject: RE: Origins: Steal Away (spiritual)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 03:17 AM

Not so long ago, I'd post an intro like the post above, with DT lyrics and the Traditional Ballad Index Entry. Within minutes, "Q" (Frank Staplin) would begin posting the versions listed in the Ballad Index. Frank died in 2014, and I miss him. He made an amazing contribution to our collection of songs here. If anyone would like to follow in his footsteps, please do.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Steal Away (spiritual)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 03:14 AM

For the record, here's the version of "Steal Away" that we have in the Digital Tradition:

STEAL AWAY

cho: Steal away, steal away
Steal away to Jesus.
Steal away, steal away home
I ain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me
He calls me by the thunder
The trumpet sounds within my soul
I ain't got long to stay here.

cho:

Green trees a-bendin'
Poor sinner stands a-tremblin'
The trumpet sounds within my soul
I ain't got long to stay here.

@American @spiritual @religion
filename[ STEALAWY
TUNE FILE: STEALAWY
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

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And here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Steal Away

DESCRIPTION: Recognized by the chorus, "Steal away, steal away to Jesus... I ain't got long to stay here." Verses may have to do with the end of the world; the singer reports that "The trumpet sounds within my soul"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1887 (College Songs)
KEYWORDS: religious Bible nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Dett, pp. 111-111,App.VII, "Steal Away to Jesus" (2 texts, 2 tunes; p. 152 in the 1909 edition)
Courlander-NFM, p. 42, "Steal Away" (partial text)
Fireside, p. 298, "Steal Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Warren-Spirit, pp. 84-85, "Steal Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-CivWarFull, pp. 281-282, "Steal Away to Jesus" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 366, "Steal Away" (1 text)
DT, STEALAWY*
ADDITIONAL: Henry Randall Waite, _College Songs: A Collection of New and Popular Songs of the American Colleges_, new and enlarged edition, Oliver Ditson & Co., 1887, p. 33, "Steal Away" (1 text, 1 tune) (p. 127 in the 1876 edition)
Roud #11965
RECORDINGS:
Cotton Pickers Quartet, "Steal Away to Jesus" (OKeh 8878, 1931)
Dinwiddie Colored Quartet, "Steal Away" (Victor 1716, 1902) (Monarch 1716, 1902)
Emory University Glee Club, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Victor 20594, 1927)
Fisk University Male Quartette, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Columbia A2803, 1919)
Fisk University Jubilee Singers, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Columbia 562-D, 1926)
Red Foley, "Steal Away" (Decca 14505, 1949)
Gullah Kinfolk, "Steal 'Way to Jedus" (on USSeaIsland04)
Roland Hayes, "Steal Away" (Vocalion [US & UK] 21003, n.d.; Supertone, 1931)
Rev. H. B. Jackson, "Steal Away" (OKeh 8919, 1931; rec. 1929)
Turner Junior Johnson, "Steal Away" (AFS 6609 A4, 1942; on LC10)
Paramount Jubilee Singers, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Paramount 12072, 1923)
Paul Robeson, "Steal Away" (HMV [UK] B-8103, 1934)
Noble Sissle's Southland Singers, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Pathe 20483, 1921)
Soul Stirrers, "Steal Away" (Aladdin 2001, rec. 1946)
Horace Sprott, "Steal Away to Jesus" (on MuSouth03)
Standard Quartette, "Steal Away to Jesus" (CYL: Columbia, no #, rec. 1894)
Tuskegee Institute Singers, "Steal Away" (Victor 17890, 1916)
Tuskegee Quartet, "Steal Away to Jesus" (Victor 20519, 1927; rec. 1926)
Vaughan Quartet, "Steal Away" (Vaughan 300, rec. 1921.)
Kinsey West, "Steal Away to Jesus" (on BlackAmRel1)
NOTES: Given the song's popularity among Black musicians, and in the Black community, it is hard not to read an "escape from slavery" subtext into the song. -PJS
Last updated in version 4.1
File: CNFM042

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Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 03:18 PM

Lyr. Add: STEAL AWAY
Arr. William Arms Fisher, 1924

Steal away, steal away,
Steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
I ain't got long to stay here!
1.
My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the thunder;
The trumpet sounds within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.
2.
Green trees are bending;
Poor sinner stands a-trembling,
The trumpet sounds within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.
*3.
Steal away, steal away,
Steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
I ain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me;
He calls me by the lightning,
The trumpet sounds within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.

*so marked in score.
Arrangement for piano and voice, pp. 170-171, Ed. William Arms Fisher, "Seventy Negro Soirituals," for low voice, 1926, Oliver Ditson Company.

Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 11:51 AM

"Steal Away," as noted above, was sung by the Jubilee Singers and published in the 1880s. The version in the DT is an accurate posting of the chorus and first two verses, as published in J. B. T. Marsh, (1880s), "The Story of the Jubilee Singers," Revised Edition, 75th thousand, no. 24, p. 147, with musical score. Verses 3 and 4:

3.
My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the lightning;
I hain't got long to stay here.
Cho.-Steal away, etc.
4.
Tombstones are bursting,
Poor sinners are trembling;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul:
I hain't got long to stay here.
Cho.- Steal away, etc.

The main problem with the DT is that it often lacks sources and lyrics are sometimes incomplete; there is no way to put the version posted in context with others. In this case, the lyrics in the DT should be completed and the reference citation added.

"Steal Away" deservedly remains one of the most popular of the old spirituals.

"Deep River," sung by the Hampton Institute singers, perhaps is not as old, but it, too, is characterized by a fine melody and lyrics.
Both spirituals, with scores, are published in Dett, "Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro."

Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 04:54 PM

STEAL AWAY (3)

Cho.
Steal Away, steal away,
Steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away,
Steal away home.
I hain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the thunder;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul;
I hain't got long to stay here.

Green trees are bending,
Poor sinners stand trembling;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul;
I hain't got long to stay here.

My Lord calls me,
He calls me by the lightning;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul;
I hain't got long to stay here.

Tombstones are bursting,
Poor sinners are trembling;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul;
I hain't got long to stay here.

From "Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers," T. F. Seward, no. 24, with music.
The first two verses are close to those in the DT; The last two are not in the incomplete DT version.

Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 05:42 PM

Lyr. Add: STEAL AWAY AND PRAY

O, steal away and pray,
I'm looking for my Jesus;
Steal away and pray,
I'm looking for my Jesus;
Steal away and pray,
I'm looking for my Jesus;
Can't stay away.

Sinners, why don't you pray?
Sinners, Why don't you pray?
Sinners, why don't you pray?
I can't stay away.

Seekers, why don't you pray ? etc.

Mourners, why don't you pray? etc.

Brothers, why don't you pray? etc.

American Negro Songs and Spirituals, J. W. Work, 1940, p. 77 with music. Not listed in Cleveland Index.
@religion @spiritual

"I can't stay away" appears in several spirituals. "I Wish I Had Died In Egypt Land" (Work, p. 157) has the chorus:
O, I can't stay away,
I can't stay away,
I can't stay away,
I wish I had died in Egypt land.

Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 04:39 PM

The above "Steal Away" is very similar to the one in the DT, but may be useful to some singers. In "Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers, as well as in Dett, Religious Folk Songs of the Negro, another verse is added:

Tombstones are bursting,
Poor sinners are trembling;
The trumpet sounds it in my soul;
I hain't got long to stay here.

The chorus is the same as the one in the DT.

Subject: RE: Deep River or Steal Away?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 04:23 PM

Lyr. Add: STEAL AWAY II

O the green trees a-bowin',
An' po' sinner stan' tremblin',
Well, the trumpet soun' in my soul,
An' I ain't got long to stay here.

O steal away, steal away,
O steal away to my Jesus.
Steal away, steal away,
For I ain't got long to stay here.

My Lord is a callin',
Po' sinner he can't answer.
Well, the trumpet soun' in my soul,
An' I ain't got long to stay here.

"...similar to the old versions."
Odum and Johnson, The Negro and His Songs, 1925 (1976). p. 139, no music given.
@religion @spiritual

Subject: Lyr Add: STEAL AWAY TO MAH FATHUR'S KINGDOM
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 04:05 PM

STEAL AWAY TO MAH FATHUR'S KINGDOM

Steal away - steal away,
Steal away to mah fathur's kingdom.
Steal away.
Down in the valley,
Steal away.
Talkin' to my Jesus,
Steal away.
No mo' trouble,
Steal away.
My Lawd with me,
Steal away.
Steal away- steal away,
Steal away to mah fathur's kingdom.
Steal away.

Steal away - steal away,
Steal away to mah fathur's kingdom.
Steal away.
Down in the valley,
Steal away.
Shoutin,' Hallejujah!
Steal away.
free from hard trials,
Steal away.
Jesus walkin' with me,
Steal away.
Steal away - steal away,
Steal away to mah fathur's kingdom.
Steal away.

The Negro Sings a New Heaven, 1930 (1969), Mary Allen Grissom, p. 78-79 with music.
The several falling notes on -way of Steal away, as well as the verses, make this a very different spiritual from the often sung Steal Away.
@religion @spiritual