|
Don't You Let Nobody Turn You Around/Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around/Keep on Walkin'/
Traditional Old-Time, Gospel and African-American Spiritual;
ARTIST: American Negro Songs (by John J. Work, 1940 - page 89)
CATEGORY: Traditional Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; Blind Willie McTell recorded the song first in April 1935 for Decca. There's a chance Jimmy Davis, who recorded it under the title "I Ain't Gonna Let Ol' Satan Turn Me Round" in 1936 Davis, picked it up from him or someone who also knew the song. It was recorded by Fairfield Four as "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" backed by "Standing in The Safety Zone," on Dot in 1947-1948.
RECORDING INFO: Don't You Let Nobody Turn You Around
Work, John W. / American Negro Songs and Spirituals, Dover, Bk (1998/1940), p 89
Silver Light Gospel Singers. Art of Field Recording, Vol. 1, Dust to Digital DTD 08, CD( (2007), trk# 2.01 [1971/05/06]
Fairfield Four Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around Bullit 1948
http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/12091
RECORDING INFO: Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around
Carawan, Guy & Candie / Sing for Freedom, Sing Out, sof (1990), p 62
Winds of the People, Sing Out, Sof (1982), p 32
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 58
Freedom Singers. We Shall Overcome, Mercury MG 20879, LP (1963), trk# b.01
Lester, Julius. Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, Folk Era FE 1419, CD (1994), trk# 1.09 [1994]
Pete Seeger, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" (on Selma)
Jimmie Davis "I Ain't Gonna Let Ol' Satan Turn Me Round" (Decca 5235, 1936)
OTHER NAMES: "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around," "Keep On a-Walkin'" "I Ain't Gonna Let Ol' Satan Turn Me Round"
SOURCES: Folk Index; Ballad Index; WFMU
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Scott-BoA, pp. 374-375, "Keep On a-Walkin'" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 303, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round" (1 text)
cf. Greenway-AFP, p. 234, "Don't Turn Around" (1 text, probably a union adaption of this song)
NOTES: This traditional spiritual was adapted by the Civil Rights movement in Albany (Georgia) by Reverend Ralph Abernathy during the summer of 1962 when mass arrests and demonstrations erupted for the second time. He taught it one night to a mass meeting of the Negro community at Mount Zion Baptist Church. It immediately caught on and became widely used in the demonstrations. A nationally televised CBS documentary showed spirited students rhythmically clapping and singing "ain't gonna let Chief Pritchett turn me 'round" while the policemen picked them up, two to a student, and carried them into the paddy wagons. "...anybody who thinks this town is going to settle back and be the same as it was, had got to be deaf, blind, and dumb."
-an African-American woman in Albany, Georgia
It was first printed in White's 1927, Forty Negro Spirituals as "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around."
Blind Willie McTell recorded the song first in April 1935 for Decca. Jimmy Davis, who recorded it under the title "I Ain't Gonna Let Ol' Satan Turn Me Round" in 1936adapted it from McTell or someone who also knew the song. It was recorded by Fairfield Four as "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" backed by "Standing in The Safety Zone," on Dot in 1947-1948. Besides it's popularity in the 1960's it was a rock hit for Steve Miller.
AIN'T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME 'ROUN'- Traditional
Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'roun'
Turn me 'roun'
Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'roun'
I'm gonna wait until my change comes.
Don't let nobody turn you 'roun'
Turn you 'roun'
Don't let nobody turn you 'roun'
Wait until your change comes
I say I'm gonna hold out
Hold out, hold out
I say that I'm gonna hold out
Until my change comes
DON'T YOU LET NOBODY TURN YOU ROUND John J. Work, 1940
CHORUS: Don't you let nobody turn you round,
Turn you round, turn you round;
Don't you let nobody turn you round,
Keep the straight and the narrow way.
'Twas at the river of Jordan
Baptism was begun
John baptized the multitude,
But he sprinkled nary one
CHORUS
The Baptists they go by water,
The Methodists go by land;
But when they get to heaven,
They'll shake each other's hand.
CHORUS
You may be a good Baptist,
And a good Methodist, as well;
But if you ain't the pure in heart,
Your soul is bound for hell.
CHORUS
|