Lyr Req: My Lord, How Long? (spiritual)

09 Nov 08 - 03:17 AM (#2488868)
Subject: Lyr Req: My Lord, How Long? (spiritual)
From: Joe Offer

Garrison Keillor sometimes sings this song:

MY LORD, HOW LONG?

My Lord, how long?
My Lord, how long?
My Lord, how long?
This poor sinner's suffering.

It won't be long,
It won't be long,
It won't be long,
This poor sinner's suffering.

Is it traditional, or is it Keillor's creation? I'm sure there must be other verses; and it's a "zipper" song, so it's not hard to make up new verses - but does anybody know anything about this song or its sources, and and does anybody know other verses?

Thanks.

-Joe-

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09 Nov 08 - 07:30 AM (#2488932)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Lord, How Long? (spiritual)
From: Willa

Perhaps it's from this one.
MY FATHER, HOW LONG?

cho: My father (mother, etc.), how long,
My father, how long
My father, how long
Poor sinner suffer here.

And it won't be long
And it won't be long
And it won't be long
Poor sinner suffer here.

We'll soon be free (3x)
De Lord will call us home.

We'll walk de miry road (3x)
Where pleasure never dies.

We'll walk de golden streets
Of de New Jerusalem.

My brudders do sing
De praises of de Lord.

We'll fight for liberty
When de Lord will call us home.

Several negroes were jailed for singing this in Georgetown, SC, t the outbreak
of the Civil War.

>From Slave Songs of the United States, Allen Ware & Garrison (1867)

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09 Nov 08 - 08:00 AM (#2488957)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Lord, How Long? (spiritual)
From: The Borchester Echo

Or this:

How long, dear Saviour, O how long
Shall this bright hour delay?
Fly swift around ye wheels of time
And bring the promised day.

Lo what a glorious sight appears
To our believing eyes
The earth and eas are passed away
And the rolling skies.

From the third heaven where god resides
That holy happy place
The Nnew Jerusalem comes down
Adorned with shining grace.

Attending angels shout for joy,
And the bright angels sing
Mortals behold the sacred seat
Of our descending king.

His own soft hand shall wipe the tears
From every weeping eye
And pains and groans and griefs and fears
And death itself shall die.


Tune: Northfield (Jeremiah Ingalls - I think)
Words: Isaac Watts

No 155 in some Sacred Harp book whose title I failed to transcribe in the days when I was not so careful with attribution.

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09 Nov 08 - 01:50 PM (#2489144)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Lord, How Long? (spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Almost certainly the spiritual from Allen, Ware and Garrison. Already posted in the DT.

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