Thursday, September 17, 2020

Two African American Spirituals That Were Sources For Nina Simone's Song "Oh Sinner Man"

 Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents text examples of an early version of the African American Spiritual "Oh Sinnerman" and an early version of the African American Spiritual "No Hiding Place Down Here". Both of these Spirituals are probable sources of Nina Simone's jazzy  version of "Oh Sinner Man".  

The lyrics to that version of "Oh Sinnerman" are also included in this post along with one YouTube example of "Nina Simone singing "Oh Sinnerman" and two YouTube examples of "No Hiding Place".  

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these Spirituals. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in these YouTube examples. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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THE EARLIEST PRINT VERSION OF THE SPIRITUAL "OH! SINNERMAN"
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=38494#2019915
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oh sinner man
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 07:53 PM


Chorus:

Oh! sinner, Oh! sinner man...

Oh! sinner, Oh! which way are you going?

 

1.

Oh! come back, sinner, and don't go there,

Which way are you going?

For hell is deep and dark despair,

Oh! which way are you going?

2.

Tho' days be dark and nights be long,

Which way are you going?

We'll shout and sing till we get home,

Oh! which way are you going?

3.

'Twas just about the break of day,

Which way are you going?

My sins forgiv'n and soul set free,

Oh! which way are you going?

Gilbert Clifford Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," Hinds, Noble and Eldredge, Publishers, NYC. P. 97, with score. No notes provided. This seems to be the earliest version in print. There are many songs about the sinner, but not about 'where are you going, (or) running.' Nina Simone... The Weavers and others of the 1950's-60's made the song popular. Often combined with "No Hiding Place."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL "NO HIDING PLACE DOWN HERE"
From 
http://www.godsongs.net/2016/04/theres-no-hiding-place-down-here.html
"There's No Hiding Place Down Here

This gospel song is a traditional Afro-American spiritual, originally collected in 1907 and first printed in 1915.

It is based on Revelation 6:15-17, which tells of the futility of human attempts to hide from the wrath of God in mountains and rocks.

It was made popular by a 1955 recording by Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes. Other recordings have been made by artists including the Carter family, who also added additional verses.

More recent publications include The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook, edited by Wayne Erbsen, and published in 2006 by Native Ground Books & Music,

[…]

Lyrics

There's no hiding place down here,

There's no hiding place down here,

Oh I ran to the rock to hide my face

The rock cried out, ""No hiding place""

No hiding place down here.

 

The rock cried out, "I'm burning, too."

The rock cried out, "I'm burning, too."

Oh the rock cried out, "I'm burning, too

I want to go to Heaven the same as you."

There's no hiding place down here.

 

Sinner man he stumbled and he fell,

Sinner man he stumbled and he fell.

Oh, the sinner man stumbled and he fell

Wanted to go to Heaven but he had to go to ... Well,

There's no hiding place down here.

 
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YOUTUBE EXAMPLE: 
Nina Simone - Sinnerman (FULL) + LYRICS

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2LoYdvyoi9U" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Isambay, Mar 20, 2012

Oh Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Where you gonna run to? All on that day

Well I run to the rock, please hide me I run to the rock,please hide me I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord All on that day But the rock cried out, I can't hide you The rock cried out, I can't hide you The rock cried out, I ain't gonna hide you guy All on that day I said, Rock, what's a matter with you rock? Don't you see I need you, rock? Lord, Lord, Lord All on that day So I run to the river, it was bleedin' I run to the sea, it was bleedin' I run to the sea, it was bleedin' All on that day So I run to the river, it was boilin' I run to the sea, it was boilin' I run to the sea, it was boilin' All on that day So I run to the Lord, please hide me Lord Don't you see me prayin'? Don't you see me down here prayin'? But the Lord said, go to the devil The Lord said, go to the devil He said, go to the devil All on that day So I ran to the devil, he was waitin' I ran to the devil, he was waitin' Ran to the devil, he was waitin' All on that day I cried - POWER!!!!!!! (Power to da Lord) [8x] Bring down, (Power to da lord), [4x] POWER!!! (power to da lord) [12x] (Instrumental) Oh yeah, Woh yeah, Woh yeah Well I run to the river, it was boilin' I run to the sea, it was boilin' I run to the sea, it was boilin' All on that day So I ran to the Lord I said, Lord hide me, please hide me please help me All on that day He said, child, where were you when you oughta been prayin'? I said,Lord, Lord, hear me prayin' Lord, Lord, hear me prayin' Lord, Lord, hear me prayin' All on that day Sinnerman you oughta be prayin' Oughta be prayin', Sinnerman Oughta be prayin', All on that day I cried - POWER!!!!!!! (Power to da Lord) [12x] Go down (Power to da Lord) [3x] POWER!!!!!!! (Power to da Lord) [3x] Power, Power, Lord Don't you know I need you Lord Don't you know that I need you Don't you know that I need you Power, Lord! -snip- I reformatted these lyrics to enhance their readability.

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YOUTUBE EXAMPLES OF "NO HIDING PLACE DOWN HERE"
Example #1: The Gospel Harmonettes-No Hiding Place Down Here

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lsHcx9JWswE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Songs Of Conviction And Deliverance, Sep 9, 2011

Dorothy Love-Coates sings a Gospel Harmonettes Throw Back

this song was also on the Movie Ghost
-snip-
Here are two comments from this sound file's discussion thread:
1. NOrleansbro, 2013
"Heard this song in the movie Ghost with Whoopi Goldberg. When Patrick first met Whoopi's--the fortune-teller scammer. This song was playing. I knew right away it was Dorothy Coates' raw powerful voice. My favorite Coates' song is "Strange Man". As a kid, my mom played all the great gospel music in our home."

**
2. colsome miah, 2018
"And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich and mighty  and very free or bondsman hid themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains fall on us and hide us off the face of him that sits on the throne for  the great day  of his wrath is come and who will be able to stand?  Revelations 6:15-7"

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Example #2:  Kelvin Towers and The Coahoma Community Choir sing, "No Hiding Place Down Here"

 <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2a6xg6l6GL4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

JerusalemTempleCOGIC, Oct 11, 2011

Kelvin Towers and The Coahoma Community Choir sing, "No Hiding Place Down Here" at Jerusalem Temple COGIC "MY" Conference in Leland, MS  10-8-11

Recorded by: Rachel A. Dixon    

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