I have been tryin a great long while,
Lord, I jus’ got over on yo’ side.
Lord, I jus’ got over-er,
Lord, I jus’ got over,
Lord, I jus’ got over-er,
I jus’ got over on yo’ side.
I pray’d an’ I pray till I come over,
Lord, I jus’ got over on yo’ side.
So also he “weeps” and he “mourns” and “cries” till he “gets over on the Lawd’s side.” Then he sings “O de sunshine,”
O the sunshine, O the sunshine,
O sunshine in my soul this mornin’,
Yes the sunshine, the sunshine,
Yes sun shine in my soul.
Down in the valley, down on my knees,
Sunshine in my soul,
There I met that heavenly breeze,
Sunshine in my soul.
Ole devil like a snake in the grass,
Sunshine in my soul,
He’s always in some sister’s path,
Sunshine in my soul.
While the song is also sung at times with more dialect, it lends itself more readily to the above form. Very much mixed and somewhat similar to those already given is “Bless the Name.”
I’ve got to go to judgment, I don’t know how soon,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name,
I’ve got to go to judgment to hear my sins,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name.
My Jesus fed me when I’s hungry, gave me drink when I’s dry,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name,
My Jesus clothed me when I was naked,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name.
In the same song and with the same tune are sung the shorter lines that follow. The chorus is often sung “Lor’ bless the name”, and is a form of the phrase “Bless the name of the Lord.” It is used as a refrain after each line or it may be omitted.
Mary wept and Martha mourned,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name,
Jesus Chris’ laid the corner of stone,
Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name.
Mary wore the golden chain,
Every link was in Jesus’ name.
You may talk about me just as you please,
I’ll talk about you when I git on my knees.
God made man an’ man was sure,
There was no sin an’ his heart was pure.
God made Adam an’ Adam was first,
God made Adam out o’ the dust o’ the earth.
The old slave songs also had other interpretations of man’s creation which differ slightly in particular from the last stanza quoted. One form occurs in
God made man an’ he made him out o’ clay,
Settin’ on de golden altar,
An’ he put him on de earth but he did not stay,
Settin’ on de golden altar.
A favorite chorus for the old spiritual was: “What you gwine do when de lamp burns down?” So there was also another version of the weeping of Mary and Martha: