This was a recording from the 1840’s. Another, in the Social Harp of 1855, p. 52, has the more indigenous reading “I’ll never turn back no more.” See ‘[Never Turn Back (B)]’ in this collection. A negro variant is in Marsh, p. 174. John Powell tells me that Lydia, negro servant in the Powell house in Richmond, Virginia, and a remarkable singer, sings a variant of this tune to the words:
King cried: “no mo’, no mo’, my Lord,
I’ll never turn to go back to E-jup Land no mo’.”
No. 218
[OLD-TIME RELIGION]
Pentatonic, mode 3 (I II III — V VI —)
’Tis the old-time religion,
The old-time religion,
’Tis the old-time religion,
It’s good enough for me.