The Black American Sources For The Children's Song "Who Did Swallow Jonah?"

Cedarmont Kids, Mar 20, 2014

Music video by Cedarmont Kids performing Who Did (Swallow Jonah)?. (C) 1995 Cedarmont Kids **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post presents information that documents Black American sources for the children's song "Who Did Swallow Jonah?". A YouTube video of that song is also showcased in this post along with two lyric versions of that song. The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to the unknown composers of this song. Thanks also to all those who are associated with this showcased video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. **** INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "WHO DID SWALLOW JONAH?" From https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/FSWB386B.html 
"DESCRIPTION: "Who did (x4), Who did swallow Jo-Jo-Jonah?... Who did swallow Jonah down?" "Whale did... swallow Jonah whole." "Noah in the arky... bailed." "Daniel... in the lion's den." "David... killed Goliath."

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1899 (Barton-Old Plantation Hymns); 1893 (Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-Religious Folk Songs Of The Negro* - Hampton Institute) (see notes)

KEYWORDS: Bible religious humorous

FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE)

[…]

ALTERNATE TITLES:

Daniel in the Den of Lions

The Whale Did, I Know He Did

[…]

NOTES

The index to the 1893 edition [of Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-Religious Folk Songs Of The Negro-Hampton Institute] has "Peter on the Sea" on page 88 (Thomas P. Fenner and Frederic G. Rathbun, Cabin and Plantation Songs (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1893)). I have not seen page 88. – BS"
-snip-
"Ap" = Appalachia [region of the United States]

SE"= Southeast [region of the United States]
-snip-
* The word "Negro" is no longer used as a referent for Black Americans (African Americans). The United States Census stopped using "Negro" in its 2010 report. However, many Black Americans and other people had stopped using that referent in the late 1990s if not before then.  

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TWO LYRIC VERSIONS OF "WHO DID SWALLOW JONAH?"

These lyrics are given in no particular order and are given numbers for referencing purposes only

SONG LYRICS #1
From https://missionbibleclass.org/songs/english-songs/old-testament-songs/who-did-swallow-jonah-song/
"VERSE 1

Who did, who did, who did, who did
Who did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah?
Who did, who did, who did, who did
Who did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah?
Who did, who did, who did, who did
Who did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah?
Who did swallow Jonah, up?

VERSE 2

Fish did, fish did, fish did, fish did
Fish did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah
Fish did, fish did, fish did, fish did
Fish did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah
Fish did, fish did, fish did, fish did
Fish did swallow Jo, Jo, Jonah
Fish did swallow Jonah, up!

ADDITIONAL VERSE:

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the li, li, li,li
Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the li, li, li, li
Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the li, li, li, li
Daniel in the lions den"
-snip-
This versions confirms with the earliest documented versions of this song which have the words "the fish did" and not "the whale did". However, the words "the whale did" are used in most contemporary versions of this song because they conform with the Biblical story of Jonah and the whale. Also, it appears that most contemporary versions of this song that I've come across have the words "Who did swallow Jonah down (instead of the word "up" as it is found in this mission bible class version.) 

I haven't read or heard the earliest versions of this song [as given in the fresnostate folkloric archives cited above] so I don't know what words were used in those examples.  

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SONG LYRICS #2
From https://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/who-did-swallow-jonah-lyrics
"Lyrics for 'Who Did Swallow Jonah?'

Who did, who did,
Who did, who did,
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo,
Who did, who did,
Who did, who did,
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo,
Who did, who did,
Who did, who did,
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo,
Who did swallow Jonah,
Who did swallow Jonah,
Who did swallow Jonah down?

Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo,
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo,
Whale did swallow Jonah,
Whale did swallow Jonah,
Whale did swallow Jonah down.

Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum,
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum,
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum,
Gabriel blow your trumpet,
Gabriel blow your trumpet,
Gabriel blow your trumpet loud.

Noah, Noah,
Noah, Noah,
Noah in the
Arky, arky,
Noah, Noah,
Noah, Noah,
Noah in the
Arky, arky,
Noah, Noah,
Noah, Noah,
Noah in the
Arky, arky,
Noah in the arky,
Noah in the arky,
Noah in the arky bailed.

Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li,
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li,
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li,
Daniel in the lion's,
Daniel in the lion's,
Daniel in the lion's den.

Peter, Peter,
Peter, Peter,
Peter on the
Sea, sea, sea, sea,
Peter, Peter,
Peter, Peter,
Peter on the
Sea, sea, sea, sea,
Peter, Peter,
Peter, Peter,
Peter on the
Sea, sea, sea, sea,
Peter walking on the,
Peter walking on the,
Peter walking on the sea.

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