Lyr Add: Death Is Going to Lay His Cold Icy Hands

Subject: Lyr Add: DEATH IS GOING TO LAY HIS COLD ICY HANDS
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 06:24 PM

See also:

Death Come To My House He Didn't Stay Long, Second Book Of Negro Spirituals

Death Goin' T' Lay His Col' Icy Han' On Me, Befo' De War Spirituals Death's Goin' To Lay His Hand On Me, American Negro Songs

Death's Going To Lay His Hands On Me, Folk Songs Of The American Negro

Death's Gwineter Lay His Cold Icy Hands On Me, Second Book Of Negro Spirituals

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DEATH IS GOING TO LAY HIS COLD ICY HANDS ON ME
Traditional Negro Spiritual

Death is going to lay his cold icy hands on me
Lord! on me
Death is going to lay his cold icy hands on me

One morning I was walking along
I heard a voice and saw no man
Said go in peace and sin no more
Your sins forgiven and your soul set free
One of these mornings I won't be long
You'll look for me and I'll be gone
Yes one of these mornings about twelve o'clock
This old world is going to reel and rock


SOURCE :
Park New Choir, http://parknewchoir.free.fr/

@spirituals

SH

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: DEATH IS GOING TO LAY HIS COLD ICY H
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 11:17 PM

The Park version lyrics are taken from Johnson and Johnson, the Book of American Negro Spirituals, book 2, p. 93.
In the same volume, p. 96-99, is another quite different version with different music ("Rare version").

DEATH'S GWINE-TER LAY HIS COLD ICY HANDS ON ME

O, sinner, sinner, you better pray,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
Or yo' soul will get lost at de judgement day,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.

Some o' dese mornin's bright an' fair,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
I'll take-a my wings an' cleve de air,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.

Cryin', O, lord! Cryin' O my Lord, Cryin' O, Lord!
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.

Yes, I'm so glad I've been redeemed,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me,
I'm ready fo' to cross ol' Jordan's stream,
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me.

Cryin', O, Lord! Cryin' O my Lord! Cryin' O Lord!
Death's gwine-ter lay his cold icy hands on me, on me.

@religion @spiritual

Subject: Lyr Add: COLD, ICY HAND
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 May 02 - 01:15 AM

The "rare version" Dicho posted had been recorded as "Cold, Icy Hand" (not ... Hands) in William E. Barton, "Old Plantation Hymns" (New England Magazine, December 1898, reprinted in Bernard Katz, The Social Implications of Early Negro Music in The United States, Arno/The New York Times, 1969, p. 81; with substantially the same music).

COLD, ICY HAND

1.
O sinner! Sinner! you better pray!
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!
Or your soul be lost at de jedgment day!
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!

REFRAIN:
Cryin', O Lord! Cryin' O my Lord! Cryin', O Lord,
Death goner lay his cold, icy hand on me!

2.
O, sinner, you be careful how you walk on de cross,--
Or your foot may slip an' you' soul be los'.

~Masato