The African American Gospel Song "One Morning Soon" ("I Heard The Angels Singing"), Part I: information & early lyrics

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the late 19th century African American song "One Morning Soon".. This song shouldn't be confused with the African American Gospel song "Soon One Morning".  

 "One Morning Soon" is also given as "I Heard The Angels Singing".

This post presents information about this song and lyric examples from the Mudcat online folk music forum.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-african-american-gospel-song-one_9.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents three examples of YouTube example of "One Morning Soon" ("I Heard The Angels Singing") by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Rev. Gary Davis, and Charlie Wells & The Voices Of Clouds. The lyrics for this Gospel song as sung by Rev. Gary Davis are included in that post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/08/shop-jd-means-dr-cj-johnson-one-morning.html for a 2015 pancocojams post that showcases YouTube sound files of "One Morning Soon" ("I Heard The Angels Singing") by Dr. Cj Johnson, by Bishop J.D. Means, Sr-  and by The Golden Gospel Singers. The lyrics for those versions aren't included in that post.

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EXCERPTS FROM MUDCAT DISCUSSION FORUM ABOUT THIS SONG

[Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only. Ialso added italics to highlight that sentence with the earliest documented date for this song.]  

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41030

1. Subject: Lyr Add: ONE MORNING SOON
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 02:32 PM

"ONE MORNING SOON

 One morning soon, one morning soon, my Lord,
One morning soon, I heard the angels singing.

Angels on high, singing on high, my Lord,
Singing on high, I heard the angels singing.

Singing good news, singing good news, my Lord,
Singing good news, I heard the angels singing.

All in my room, all in my room, my Lord,
All in my room, I heard the angels singing.

All over my head, etc.

Down on my knees, etc.

Jes' before day, Lord, jes' before day, Lord, etc.

One morning soon, etc.

Sung by Mandy Tartt, Sims Tartt and Betty Atmore, Livingston, Alabama. Very attractive simple tune.

American Memory, Lib. Congress site. John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States recording Trip.

@religion @spiritual @gospel.

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2. Subject: Lyr Add: I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 02:26 AM

..."Lydia Parrish recorded this song (titled "I Heard the Angels Singin'")in Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands (1942; U. of Georgia Pr., 1992, pp. 140-141, with music):

I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'

Chorus:

One mornin' soon
One mornin' soon
One mornin' soon
Ah heard the angels singin'.

Lawd, Ah wuz down on my knees
Down on my knees
Down on my knees
Ah heard the angels singin'.

No dyin' there
No dyin' there
No dyin' there
Ah heard the angels singin'.
Ah heard the angels singin' Lawd

Ah heard the angels singin'
Ah heard the angels singin' Lawd
Ah heard the angels singin'.

Well, there's no weepin' there
No weepin' there
No weepin' there
Ah heard the angels singin'.

Lawd, it wuz all 'roun' me shine
All 'roun' me shine
All 'roun' me shine
Ah heard the angels singin'.

Lawd, it wuz all over my head
All over my head
All over my head
Ah heard the angels singin'.

Lawd, it wuz all aroun' my feet
All aroun' my feet
All aroun' my feet
Ah heard the angels singin'.

An earlier related version is in Hampton and Its Studens (1874, p. 246, with music; also in Religious Folk Songs of the Negro, new ed., 1920; AMS, 1973, p. 74):

HEAR DE ANGELS SINGIN'

1

Oh, sing all de way, sing all de way,
Sing all de way, my Lord,
Hear de angels singin'.
We're marchin' up to Hebben, its a happy time;
An' Jesus is on-a de middle line;
Dem-a Christians take up too much time;
Dey're idlin' on dat battle line;
Hear de angels singin'.

2

Now all things well, an' I don't dread hell;--
Hear de angels singin',
I am goin' up to Hebben' where my Jesus dwell;--
Hear de angels singin'.
For de angels are callin' me away,--
Hear de angels singin',
An' I must go, I cannot stay,--
Hear de angels singin'. CHO.--Oh, sing, &c.

3

Now take your Bible, an' read it through,--
Hear de angels singin',
An' ebery word you'll find is true;--
Hear de angels singin'.
For in dat Bible you will see,--
Hear de angels singin',
Dat Jesus died for you an' me,--
Hear de angels singin'. CHO.--Oh, sing, &c.

4

Say if my memory sarves me right,--
Hear de angels singin',
We're sure to hab a little shout to-night,--
Hear de angels singin'.
For I love to shout, I love to sing,--
Hear de angels singin',
I love to praise my Hebbenly King,--
Hear de angels singin'. CHO.--Oh, sing, &c.

~Masato"

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3. Subject: Lyr Add: I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGING
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 09:47 AM

"Another variant from Solomon, Honey in the Rock: The Ruby Pickens Tartt Collection of Religious Folk Songs from Sumter County, Alabama (p. 17; words only):

I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGING

1

One day 'bout noon
One day 'bout noon
One day 'bout noon
I heard the angels singing.

2

Heaven's in my view
Heaven's in my view
Heaven's in my view
I heard the angels singing.

3

Just above my head
Just above my head
Just above my head
I heard the angels singing.

4

All in my room
All in my room
All in my room
I heard the angels singing.

One more variant is recorded in Byron Arnold, Folk Songs of Alabama (1950, p. 160), which I don't see.

~Masato

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4. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ONE MORNING SOON
From: WyoWoman
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:16 AM

"Very nice. I thought this might be "Soon One Morning, (Death Come Walking in my Room ...)" but it's completely different. I'll add this to my repertoire. These are such great songs to get groups of people singing and harmonizing together on.

Thanks, WyoWoman"

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5. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ONE MORNING SOON
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 May 02 - 03:07 PM

"Here are the Lomax fragments in their field notes. I am hearing some different verses in the recording that I don't see in the versions above or in the Lomax notes. Obviously some of these are floating verses frozen in time, that at the time they were frozen were actually being created on the spot.

Singing' come home, etc,

All in my room, etc.

Singin' Good News, etc.

All over my head, etc.

One mornin' soon, etc.

~Susan"

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6. Subject: Lyr Add: I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 07 May 02 - 07:48 PM

"I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'

(Sung by Alma Robinson, who said, "My grandmother, who died in August, 1943 at the age of 82, used to take me on her knee, look up to heaven, and hear the angels sing. It was her favorite song and is mine, too.")

Chorus:

One mornin' soon, one mornin' soon,
One mornin' soon I heard the angels singin'.
Down on my knees down on my knees,
Down on my knees I heard the angels singin'.

Verse 1:

I believe, I believe
I believe, I heard the angels singin'.
My soul King Jesus will receive
I heard the angels singin'.

Chorus 2:

I couldn't keep from cryin', I couldn't keep from cryin'
I couldn't keep from cryin', I heard the angels singin'.
I jes had to moan, I jes had to moan,
I jes had to moan when I heard the angels singin'.

Verse 2:

Some of these morning's bright and fair
I heard the angels singin'.
Goin' ta take my wings and try the air;
I heard the angels singin'.

Chorus 3:

One mornin' soon, one mornin' soon,
One mornin' soon I heard the angels singin'.

 

SOURCE: Byron Arnold, Folksongs of Alabama (University of Alabama Press, 1950, p. 160; with music)

~Masato"

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7. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ONE MORNING SOON
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 May 02 - 09:44 PM

"The Lomax notes, as with many of the songs, are incomplete and sometimes incorrect.

All of the verses of the two versions are incorporated in the first posting, except "Singing come home," which I missed but you caught. Sometimes "Soon one morning" is sung rather than "One morning soon," and this verse is sung twice in one of the versions. The verse "All in my room" is varied in the recording with Allison leading- He leads off with "All 'round my bedside," but then they sing "All 'round my room." He also slightly changes pace, interjecting "My Lawd" in the middle of each first line.

This song should be one of the first to receive a midi. It is simple, and very catchy.

The Lydia Parrish version (Masato, above) must have a somewhat different tune; I have trouble fitting the first line of the verses to the tune used by Vera Hall et. al. I haven't heard the recording. Most of the words published by Arnold fit, but I would guess that there is a tune variation here as well. This is something I have noted with older cowboy songs as well; the tune, if the music is given, varies somewhat from collection to collection. This would be expected with all songs that are transmitted verbally.

The Hampton version is more complex, but belongs here, and shows that this cluster of spirituals has been sung for a long time."

**
8. Subject: Lyr Add: I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 May 02 - 11:07 AM

" "Lawd, Ah wuz" in the Parrish version is something like a prefixed interpolation to "down on my knees." I've found still another seemingly related colorful version (no "one morning soon" lines, though).

I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN'

Who is that yonder all dressed in red?
I heard the angels singin';
It look like the children Moses led,
I heard the angels singin'.
Down on my knees,
Down on my knees,
I heard the angels singin'.
Well, who that yonder all dressed in black?
I heard the angels singin';
It looks like it's de mourners jus' got back,
I heard the angels singin'.
Yes, who's that yonder all dressed in blue?
It looks like the children just come through.

From: Odum & Johnson, The Hegro* and His Songs (1925; Negro Universities Press, 1968, p. 140; text only)

~Masato
-snip-
*a typo for "Negro" - a referent for "African Americans" that is no longer used

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9. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ONE MORNING SOON
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 May 02 - 11:56 AM

"Odom and Johnson say that the song posted by Masato above was "sung with considerable zest." He also says that the above verses sometimes were sung to the chorus,

O what you say, John? (3 times)
De resurrection drawin' nigh.

Like a number of these songs, it is cobbled together from partly remembered spirituals, current gospel and the "inspiration" of the lead singer.

The "dressed in black" appears in "Home in the Rock," (thread 40983) but applied to Israelite children turning back; and the "dressed in red" in several spiritual-gospel songs.

A number of secular jug band and bluegrass songs use a floating verse based on "little girl dressed in red" or "little girl with the red dress on." We could speculate (fruitlessly) that this verse, often used as fill, is rooted in half-remembered religious songs."

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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