Judas- Mayberry Thomas (TN) 1933 Niles A
"The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles" (1961), Niles collected three versions of the religious ballad "Judas," each with a different melody.
"JUDAS"- Mayberry Thomas (TN) 1933 Niles
(Niles No. 16 A)
1. 'Twas in the merry month of May,
The Easter time was near,
Our Jesus to dear Judas said:
"I fear my time is near, is near,
I fear my time is near."
2. "How near, how near, how near, my Lord,
How near your time, how near?"
"Thou knowest well, dear Judas,
Thou knowest well, I fear, I fear,
Thou knowest well I fear."
3. "Go take thou pieces of silver,
Go take thou pieces of gold,
Go take them to Jerusalem
Where bread and meat is sold, is sold,
Where bread and meat is sold.
4. "Nor tarry long upon the way,
Nor seek out folk or foe,
But take your silver pieces
And to the market go, market go,
And to the market go."
5. Now Judas had one sister,
An evil sister she,
She hated gentle Jesus
For His Christianity-ee-ee,
For his Christianity.
6. "Thou shouldst be stoned, Judas,
With large stones and with small,
Thou shouldst be stoned for trusting
This false prophet of all, of all,
This false prophet of all."
7. Now Judas took a little rest,
He took a nap of sleep,
He laid his head in his sister's lap,
And there he slept so deep, so deep,
And there he slept so deep.
8. When Judas woke from sleep and rest,
He sought his sister dear:
"Pray help me find my silver,
'Tis lost, 'tis lost, I fear, I fear,
'Tis lost, 'tis lost, I fear."
9. Then quickly up spoke Pilate,
Then quickly up spake he:
"Come sell the prophet Jesus,
Come sell him unto me, unto me,
Come sell him unto me."
10. "I will not sell my Jesus,
Unless it be for meat,
To feed my hungry brethren
Who have no meat to eat, to eat,
Who have no meat to eat."
11. "Oh, silence, Peter, silence,
Silence, for well I know,
Three times thou wilt deny me,
Afore the cock doth crow, doth crow,
Afore the cock doth crow."
Both text and dorian tune said to have been collected from Mayberry Thomas, Knoxville, Tennessee, in August, 1933. Niles observes, "Mayberry Thomas admitted that in his youth, some verse not unlike the text of his ballad about Judas were sold on broadside sheets by colored preachers in the neighborhood of Chattanooga. He also said that a teacher of shape-note hymn singing named Pushmire once taught the song of Judas and sang it with great energy and noise."