616. No Hidin' Place

616
No Hidin'-Place

A

From Newman I. White, Durham, July 1922, as learned from Lucius
Chai)in, Richmond, Virginia, in 1919. Phonograph recording, Durliam,
1922. The following text, witli two additional stanzas, was published

 

656 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

without music in White ANFS 121-2. W'liite's headnote points out that
stanza 3 has been imported from 'Mary Wore Three Links of Chain'
(q.r. in the present collection), calls attention to commonplaces from
other spirituals in the song, and cites several printed collections con
taining versions of it.

1 \\'ent (Idwn the rocks to hide my face,
Went down the rocks to hide my face,
Went down the rocks to hide my face.
The rocks cried otit no hidint,^-place.
No hiding-place down there.

2 Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Stumps her toe and discovers Moses.
No hiding-place down there.

3 Sister Mary wears a golden chain,
Sister Mary wears a golden chain.
Sister Mary wears a golden chain.
And every link's in heaven's name.
No hiding-place down there.

4 Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell,
Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell,
Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell ;
The gates f\e\v open and in he fell.
No hiding-place down there.

 

From an anonymous contributor ; without date or address. Defective
text.

1 Judgment day is not far away.

Sinner man, what you goin' to do that day ?

O rocks in the mountains, rocks in the mountains.

Fall on lue.

2 Go on to the rocks for a hiding-place.
O . . . .

3 Rock cried out no hiding-place;
Sinner man, you can't hide here.
O . . . .

4 Sinner man, what voti goin' do that day?
O . . . .

 ----------------------

616
No Hidin' Place

 

'No Hidin' Place.' Sung by Newman I. White in Durham and recorded in
July 1922. Refer to editorial notes in III 655-6. The chorus is identical with
that of F-530; the intervallic progressions of the stanza are related to those
of the second stanza of the latter version. For additional texts cf. ASoWS 13 ;
SSGSI I 143 and 151; NSNH 44; also Bible, Revelation vi 15-16.

F-529


Went dovpn

 

to the rocks

 

to hide

 

my

 

face,-


Went down to the rocks

 

hide

 

to

 

my

 

face,-

 


Went down to the rocks to hide my face. The

 


rocks cried out no

 

hid

 

ing place, No hiding-

 


place down there.

 

No hid - ing place,

 


no hid - ing place, No hid - ing place down there. —

For melodic relationship cf. **Botsford I 39-40, last four measures of
stanzas and choruses are identical; *ANS 149, our last four measures of
stanza and chorus are the same as the last two there; BANS i 74, our last
four measures of stanza and measures 8-9 there.

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aaibb^cddic (4,4,2,2,4,2,2,4)
= aaimm^nooin, strophe plus bar plus bar: compound structure. The tonal
center is the lowest tone.

A(I)
'Sinner Man.' Sung by Newman I. White, Durham, in 1921 or 1922. This
is a second version contributed by the late Dr. White.

F-S30

 

Oh, sm - ner man, on get your fill,-


Oh, sinner man, come on get your fill.

Oh, I went to the rocks to hide my face. The

rocks cried out no hid - ing - place, No hid - ing -

place down there. No hid - ing - place, no hid - ing place,
Stanza 2

No hid - ing - place down there. Oh, I went down the rocks to hide my face.

Oh, I went down the rocks to hide my face,

 

For melodic relationship of. **Botsford i 39-40; *ANS 149, last two
measures with our last four.

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aa^bb^cddic (4,4,3,2,3,2,2,4)
= aaimminoo^n = compound structure : strophe plus bar plus bar. The
tonal center is the lowest tone.