ADD: All My Sins been Taken Away/Mary Wore 3 Links

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL MY SINS BEEN TAKEN AWAY
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 10:13 PM

ALL MY SINS BEEN TAKEN AWAY

Well, all of my sins (all of my sins)
Been taken away (been taken away), (repeat)
All of my sins am taken away,
Glory hallelujah sung in Jesus' name,
All of my sins been taken away, taken away.

Sister Mary wore (Sister Mary wore)
Three links of chain (three links of chain),
Sister Mary wore three links of chain,
An' every link was Jesus' name,
All of my sins been taken away, taken away.

Aurilla and Frances Horne, Livingston, Al.
Both verses appear in several spirituals and gospel songs. See Keep your Hands on the Plow, in the DT, and a variant of the same song, posted by Amos (Thread: St. Pat's Day in the Mudcat Forum, 19 Mar 00, message ID 197791) for Mary wore...; also Sandburg's American Songbag.
John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip. Click on Links at top of page and go to Lomax Collection for notes and sound.
@religion @gospel @spiritual

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 10:35 PM

Another verse:
Mary weep and Martha mourn,
Mary weep and Martha mourn,
Oh, Mary weep and Martha mourn,
Gabriel stood and blowed his horn,
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 10:52 PM

Sorch-- source?

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 10:57 PM

I can't remember. I'll look at albums tomorrow and see if it's there. I learned it as "3 Links of Chain", southeastern Kansas, late 1950's, early '60's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 11:30 PM

More.........

Mary Don't You Weep sheet music, more lyrics
This Wicked Race Harry Belafonte lyrics, related?
Morning Train
Looks like "Gospel Plow" is also related, see this page, scroll down.
I also remember another verse, now that I am thinking about it:

Well, I doan know but I bin told (x3)
Well, I doan know but I bin told,
the streets of Heaven are paved with gold,
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
That shows up in one of the above clickies...sort of. That is what jogged my memory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 11:40 PM

Mary Wept and Martha Moaned appears in Grissom, Negro Sings a New Heaven, which I don't have.

Subject: Lyr Add: SIS MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 12:41 AM

In Newman I. White, American Negro Folk-Songs (1928; reprint ed., n.d., n.p., pp. 60-63), there're 8 versions (A to H) recorded (words only; 7 are from Alabama, 1 from N.C.). Newman says, "No local title given." The following is the version A, reported from northern Alabama, 1915-1916, MS. of G.E. Lumpkin:

SIS MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN

Sis Mary wore three links ob chain,
Sis Mary wore three links o' chain,
Sis Mary wore three links o' chain,
Glory, glory, to his name,
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

 Chorus
All my sins er taken away,
All my sins been taken er way,
All my sins been taken er way,
Glory, glory, to his name,
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

I'm gwine er way on the mountain,
I'm gwine er way on the mountain,
I'm gwine er way on the mountain,
Glory, glory, to his name,
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

Sis Mary had one baby child,
Sis Mary had one baby child,
Sis Mary had one baby child,
And every time that child would cry
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

O! you oughter been there when I come through,
O! you oughter been there when I come through,
O! you oughter been there when I come through,
I believe ter my soul you'd er shouted too.
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

O! Mary, Mary de Mag-delene,
O! Mary, Mary de Mag-delene,
O! Mary, Mary de Mag-delene.
She washed her feet and she washed 'em clean,
All my sins been taken er way, taken er way.

In Alton C. Morris, Folksongs of Florida (University of Florida Press, 1950, 1990, pp. 168-169; with tune), there's another version, which "the white people of Florida have borrowed," recorded from the singing of Mr. John Richardson, Jacksonville, who learned the song from his father:

ALL MY SINS BEEN TAKEN AWAY
(MARY WORE THREE SILVER CHAIN)

Mary wore three silver chain;
Oh, Mary wore three silver chain;
Mary wore three silver chain;
Each chain bore the Saviour's name.
All of my sins been taken away, taken away.

Oh, Mary weeped, and Martha moaned;
Oh, Mary weeped, and Martha moaned;
Oh, Mary weeped, and Martha moaned;
You better let God's chillun alone.
All of my sins been taken away, taken away.

"Mary Wept an' Marthy Moaned" in Grissom (pp. 34-35, with tune) seems to be a different song:

MARY WEPT AN' MARTHY MOANED

Mary wept an'-a Marthy moaned,
Mary wept an'-a Marthy moaned,
Mary wept an'-a Marthy moaned,
 Round a willuh tree.
 Round a willuh tree.
 Round a willuh tree.

Who's-a been heah since I've been gone?
Who's-a been heah since I've been gone?
Who's-a been heah since I've been gone?
Good Lawd done come an' gone.
Good Lawd done come an' gone.

I don' wan-tuh live an' die in sin,
I don' wan-tuh live an' die in sin,
I don' wan-tuh live an' die in sin,
Good Lawd delivuh me.
Good Lawd delivuh me.

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL MY SINS BEEN TAKEN AWAY
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 11:00 AM

See above.

~S~

Subject: Add: (MARY WORE THREE SILVER CHAIN)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 11:01 AM

See above.

~S~

Subject: Add: MARY WEPT AN' MARTHY MOANED
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 11:03 AM

See above.

This and the preceding two posts added to aid DT harvestors and forum searchers later, by putting song titles differing from the thread title in the subject line.

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Dec 01 - 04:06 PM

ADD: MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN

1.
Mary wore three links of chain (3 times)
Ev'ry link bearin' Jesus' name;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
2.
Mary weeped and Martha mourned (3 times)
Gabriel stood and blowed his horn:
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
3.
I don't know but I've been told, (3 times)
The streets in heaven are paved with gold;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
4.
Can't you hear dem hosses' feet? (3 times)
Slippin' an' slidin' on de golden street?
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
5.
My feet got wet in de midnight dew, (3 times)
An' de mornin' star was a witness too;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
6.
Ahm go'n' home on de mornin' train, (3 times)
All don't see me go'n' to hear me sing:
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

Verses 4 and 5 don't appear in other versions.
The American Songbag, Carl Sandburg, 1927, p. 474-475, with music.
@religion @spiritual

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Dec 01 - 04:19 PM

Also see JORDAN DEEP AND JORDAN WIDE, threadid 41123

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 10:20 PM

Did anyone search and post )if not already posted) the ones Sorcha mentioned above?

All the rest of the above is indexed. Posting index soon.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: All My Sins been Taken Away
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:55 PM

Many verses in common among versions of these spirituals.
See thread 49184 for Mary and Martha spirituals, including "Pharaoh' Army and Bow Low, Mary. Mary Martha
See thread 7873 for Mary Don't You Weep and allied. Mary Weep

Subject: Lyr Add: Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 03:10 AM

I went to an Andrew Calhoun house concert this evening, and one of the songs he sang was "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain," which he had found in Sandburg's 1927 American Songbag (page 474). I promised a friend the lyrics, so I might as well post them here, too.

MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN

Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
Mary wore three links of chain,
Mary wore three links of chain,
Mary wore three links of chain,
Ev'ry link bearin' Jesus' name;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Mary weeped and Martha mourned,
Gabriel stood and blowed his horn;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

I don't know but I've been told,
I don't know but I've been told,
I don't know but I've been told,
The streets in heaven are paved with gold;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

Can't you hear dem horses' feet?
Can't you hear clem horses' feet?
Can't you hear dem horses' feet
Slippin' and slidin' on de golden street?
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
An' de mornin' star was a witness too;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
I'm go'n home on de mornin' train,
All don't see me go'n to hear me sing:
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

Sandburg's notes: One of the sublime creations of the negro race in America...mystic, simple, poetic, elusive, tinted with the shadings of the light that never was on land or sea..."I'm" is "Ahm," "wore" is "woh," and so on.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: ADD: All My Sins been Taken Away/Mary Wore 3 Links
From: GUEST,Brad Sondahl
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:18 AM

I remember a verse from some 78 source
I got drunk, got thrown in jail
I got drunk, got thrown in jail
I got drunk, got thrown in jail
Ain't got no money to go my bail,
All my sins are taken away, taken away.