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Don’t Leave Me, Lord
Traditional Spiritual
ARTIST: The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 By Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1899. Reprinted in Religious Folk-songs of the Negro: As Sung at Hampton Institute By R. Nathaniel Dett 1927.
SHEET MUSIC: http://books.google.com/books?id=KsaBwK8f6DIC&pg=PA31&dq=%
22Don%E2%80%99t+leave+me,+Lord%22&hl=en&ei=ZFErTPWDM8T48AaZ493UCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=re
sult&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Don%E2%80%99t%20leave%20me%2C%20Lord%22&f=false
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
DATE: 1899; Reprinted 1927
RECORDING INFO: Don’t Leave Me, Lord
Religious Folk-songs of the Negro: As Sung at Hampton Institute By R. Nathaniel Dett
OTHER NAMES: "Don’t Call De Roll Till I Get There"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Religious Folk-songs of the Negro: As Sung at Hampton Institute By R. Nathaniel Dett
NOTES: "Don’t Call De Roll" is a traditional spiritual from The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 By Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1899. It was reprinted in Religious Folk-songs of the Negro: As Sung at Hampton Institute by R. Nathaniel Dett in 1927.
Along with the sheet music The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 had this information with the song which gives insight info the African-American church worship service:
Watch Meeting
"THE service of which we shall attempt to give a description is one that is held in reverence by our people, and in writing about it we do it with the greatest respect for it sacredness, and with no thought of sacrilegeousness. Aronnd it cluster many sweet recollections of the past.
Watch service among the colored people is usually observed on New Year's eve night. Before the time for the service to commence—sometimes two or or three days ahead, the more devout begin to make themselves ready for the occasion by fasting and prayer and a constant looking forward to the night, thus getting themselves in a spiritual frame of mind for the blessings toward which they look.
There is no great haste on the part of the audience or congregation to assemble at the meeting house at any particular hour, but as soon as a sufficient number is present to begin an "awakening," some old brother or sister as the spirit may move him or her will start a shout or spiritual either by lining out a line or two at a time and singing it with the others, or by leading a solo part and having the audience join in the chorus—a favorite hymn for this purpose is Don't Leave Me, Lord.
After this hymn has been sung the audience has increased in number and the sisters and brothers have begun to "warm up." "De grace of God has begun to flow from breast to breast." A very audible murmuring and groaning can be heard. There is a perceptible swaying to and fro of the bodies of the more emotional ones, and now and then an exclamation of "Tank de Lord!" or, "I am free, 'tank God." A prayer, long and loud is sent up to " de th' one of grace." The Lord is appealed to in vehement strains to come down and be present in their midst.
"Don't leave me behind" appears as a response line as early as 1858. From Moss-Side by Marion Harland - Page 65 ( Mary Virginia Terhune - 1858):
A hymn was given out, two lines at a time, by Isaac, who stood in the centre of the assembly, and sung with decorous gravity. A prayer succeeded it, by which we were not greatly profited, no intelligible word reaching us. Then came a chorus, ringing energetically through the night, and our pulses leaped to the fantastic, but exciting measure:—
" Swing low the chariot, Lord,
Swing low the chariot, Lord,
Don't leave me behind!"
The singers entered enthusiastically into the spirit of the song, swaying with its swell and fall, rising to their feet, and uplifting hands and eyes, as if to stay the flight of the fiery chariot.
Don’t Leave Me, Lord- Hampton Institute 1899
CHORUS: Don't leave me, Lord, don't leave me, Lord,
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
Don't leave me, Lord, don't leave me, Lord,
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
1. Jesus, Jesus is my frien’
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
He will go with me to de en'
Lord, don't leave a me be- hin'.
CHORUS:
2. No use talkin' what yer gwine t' do,
Lord, don't leave a me be- hin'.
Don't 'tend t' 'ny my God for you,
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
CHORUS:
3. I don't wan' t'stumble an' I don't wan' t' stop,
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
I don't wan' t' be no stumblin' block,
Lord, don't leave a me behin'.
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