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Church Bells/I Know My time Ain't Long
Spiritual/Piedmont Blues
ARTIST: from Kid Prince Moore- Decca circa 1936
SHEET MUSIC:
Richard MattesonYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTkqQgDvrsE
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: Early 1900s; Kid Prince Moore Decca circa 1936
RECORDING INFO: Church Bells
Kid Prince Moore Decca circa 1936
OTHER NAMES: "Don't You Hear the Church Bells A Tollin'?" "I Know My Time Ain't Long"
RELATED TO: "You Better Run" "I Know My Time Ain't Long" "New Buryin' Ground"
SOURCES: Juneberry's Easy Listening Room
NOTES: Key Bb; Common Time- irregular pattern (Moore adds an extra repeat- 4th line) "Church Bells" is a spiritual of unknown origin collected from Kid Prince Moore who was one of the last Piedmont blues artist to record there when Decca closed their recording studio in late 1938. Moore was a fantastic and unique thumb style guitar player. Another spiritual he did was "Sign of Judgement." Apparently based out of Charlotte NC, he also recorded a session with Shorty Bob Parker.
Church bells tollin' is found in other blues and sprituals. I know one version:
When you hear the church bell tollin'
When you hear the church bell tollin'
When you hear the church bell tollin'
Somebody's gone way down below.
The chorus of the popular jubilee song from 1884 "Climbin' Up The Golden Stairs" begins:
Don't you hear them bells a-ringin'?
Other spirituals use the term, "Church bells tonin'." This might be what Moore is singing. There's also a resemblance to the Norfolk Jubilee Singers, "You Better Run," the last line of which is, "you better run, 'Cause you know your time ain't long." Selah Jubilee Singers call it "I Know My Time Ain't Long" which is the identical tag Moore uses.
The song is closely related to some "New Burying Ground" songs:
New Burying Ground- Sensational Nightingales
Oh, I wonder can you hear, those church bells tollin'
I wonder can you hear, those church bells tollin'
I wonder can you hear, those church bells tollin'
Way over yonder, way over yonder, way over yonder
In the new burying ground
I wonder can you see, those hearse wheels rollin'
I wonder can you see, those hearse wheels rollin'
I wonder can you see, those hearse wheels rollin'
Way over yonder, way over yonder, way over yonder
In the new burying ground
Here are two excerpts of the closely related song, "I Know My Time Ain't Long." The first is found in The Negro and His Songs: A Study of Typical Negro Songs in the South By Howard W. Odum, Guy B. Johnson. Reprinted from 1909:
The hearse wheel rollin' an' graveyard openin', openin', openin',
The hearse wheel rollin' an' graveyard openin', openin', openin',
The hearse wheel rollin' an' the graveyard openin', Lawd,
I know my time ain't long, my time ain't long.
I FEEL LIKE MY TIME AIN'T LONG- Our Singing Country No. 1310. Vera Hall) Livingston, Ala., 1937.
Oh, de hearse keep a-rollin' somebody to de graveyard,
Oh, de hearse keep a-rollin' somebody to de graveyard,
Oh, de hearse keep a-rollin' somebody to de graveyard,
O Lord, I feel like my time ain't long.
Another version was published in John Work's 1907 book, Folk Songs of the American Negro, titled "I Feel Like My Time Ain't Long."
CHURCH BELLS- Kid Prince Moore Decca circa 1936
http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/mo14019t11.mp3
[Guitar intro]
Don't you [G]hear the church bells a tollin'?
Don't you [C]hear the church bells a [G]tollin'?
Don't you [D]hear the church bells a [G]tollin'?
Don't you [C]hear the church bells a [G]tollin'?
Lord I know my [D]time ain't [G]long.
Don't you hear the preacher preachin'?
Don't you hear the preacher preachin'?
Don't you hear the preacher preachin'?
Don't you hear the preacher preachin'?
Lord I know my time ain't long.
[guitar solo]
Don't you see the hearst wheels a-rollin'?
Don't you see the hearst wheels a-rollin'?
Don't you see the hearst wheels a-rollin'?
Don't you see the hearst wheels a-rollin'?
Lord, I know my time ain't long.
Hearst wheels a-rollin', somebody to the graveyard,
Hearst wheels a-rollin', somebody to the graveyard,
Hearst wheels a-rollin', somebody to the graveyard,
Hearst wheels a-rollin', somebody to the graveyard,
Lord, I know my time ain't long.
Can't you see, time is changin'
Can't you see, time is changin'
Can't you see, time is changin'
Can't you see, time is changin'
Lord, I know my time ain't long.
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