pancocojams: Mudcat Discussion Forum

Showing posts with label Mudcat Discussion Forum. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Examples Of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" From Mudcat Folk Music Forum

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about the children's singing game and skipping (jump rope) rhyme entitled "On The Mountain stands A Lady" (or similar titles).

This post shares comments from a Mudcat folk music forum discussion threads that provide examples of versions of this children's recreational rhyme/song. This discussion thread began in 2000 and is still open for comments (as of May 5, 2026).

The Addendum of this post showcases a video of Irish girls in the 1970s singing and playing recreational games. A variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" is shown at around 9.30 to around 10.09 of that video.

Read that entire Mudcat discussion thread for other comments such as those that refer to the history of these rhymes and their possible connection to folk songs such as "No John No".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-history-of-on-mountain-stands-lady.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents an excerpt about this singing game and rhyme from two bluegrassmessanger.com website. The second website indicates that the earliest documented example of "On The Mountain stands A Lady" is from 1846 with some sources for that song dating from 18th century Britain.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-part-ii.html for Part II of this pancocojams post. That post presents a 2025 Facebook post about a 2012 Isle of Man sound file by Violet Corlett of "On The Mountain Stands A Lady". Some comments from that post's discussion thread are also included in this pancocojams post. These comments include memories of that skipping rhyme mostly from the 1940s - 1970s with one commenter sharing her memory of singing this rhyme while skipping rope in the 1980s.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

The Addendum to this post provides a general list of the locations that the selected commenters gave for where they lived when they sang this rhyme.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-jump-rope-rhyme.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part A of that post showcases a YouTube video example and some text (word only) examples of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" recreational rhymes from various online sources.

Part B of that post showcases a YouTube video example of "There Stands A Lady On A Mountain" circle game and the lyrics for that example.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this YouTube video and thanks to the producers of that video and its online publishers.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post departs from this pancocojams blog's mission of showcasing the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world.

While some singing games and recreational rhymes that are showcased on pancocojams have been documented to come from Black Americans or from other Black people, all of the examples from those folk genres-such as "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" did not come from those populations.

These examples of and information about "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" are showcased on pancocojams because I'm interested in and like these genres of folk culture. Also, I like learning about the history of songs and rhymes and discovering how some elements of old songs and rhymes are retained in "new" songs and rhymes.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC FORUM ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S RHYME "ON A MOUNTAIN STANDS A LADY" (or similar titles)

Numbers added for referencing purposes only.

From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23699

1.Subject: On a mountain stands a lady

From: GUEST,Sean Mac Ruaraidh
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:52 AM

"Hi,

Just the lyrics will do - I don't really expect to get any chords.

1. I require a full version of Childrens song - or is this all of it ?

'On a mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man'

2. My dad's been singing a song that appears to be coming straight from his subconcious - i.e. starts to sing it when he is driving. Only words I have are :-

'Old Uncle Albert was dancing with bears, dancing with bears, dancing with bears'

Thanks,

Sean MacRuaraidh."
-snip-
Here's a note from that folk music forum's moderator
" "Dancing With Bears" replies moved to this thread (click).

-Joe Offer-"
-snip-
That click command leads to this Mudcat discussion thread:
Lyr/Chords Req: Waltzing with Bears

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=14244

**

2. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain / Dancing Bears
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:09 AM

"The first song is a variant of "Oh no, John, no" and/or "Madam will you walk". As kids we used to sing:

On yonder hill there stands a lady

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

And a nice young man, you know

But I've heard so many versions, that I can't properly remember how it continued.

Wassail! V"

****
3. Subject: ADD: On the hillside stands a lady
From: Jimmy C
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:21 AM

"The little girls in Belfast and probably other places used to sing a skipping song that went:

On the hillside stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is a fine young man

Lady, Lady, touch the ground

Lady, Lady spin around

Lady, Lady, touch your shoe

Lady, Lady, go right through.

During the singing of the second part the skipper would have to spin, touch her shoe etc, without getting tangled in the rope. If successful she would pass on and rejoin the line, if not she had to take the end of the rope and do the turning, this went on until everybody got a chance to skip. My sisters would sing it often, I suppose there are other verses but I can't recall any."

**
4. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Canada
Date: 20 May 10 - 02:26 AM

"For skipping we would sing (in the 1960s in northern Canada)

On a Mtn stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is ice and snow

So come in my lady, lady, lady

So come in my lady,

While I go out to tea

(this was an invitation for one girl to skip in and take the rope and the other girl to skip out)"

**
5. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Desideratum1731
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 02:11 PM

"We girls sang it when skipping in the 40s and 50s in London. Two girls turned the rope while singing: 'On the mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man. So come in my XXXX dear, XXXXX dear, XXXXX dear, so come in my XXXXX dear before I run away. Either a boys name or a girl's name would be called to take their place skipping over the rope."

**
6. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Darowyn
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 04:37 AM

"I know a much longer version which goes to the tune used as the theme to the old TV series "The Liver Birds".

Everybody sings

Stands a lady, on the mountain

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

All she wants is a nice young man"

the 'young man' then sings (to different tune)

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

lady,

No!

'young man'

What if I buy you a nice arm chair,

to sit in the garden when you take the air?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

lady,

No!

'young man'

What if I buy you a silver spoon,

To feed your baby in the afternoon?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

lady,

No!

'young man'

What If I buy you a nice straw hat,

With long green ribbons hanging down the back?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

lady,

Yes!

Everybody (another different tune)

Off to church love, off to church love, farewell!

Home from church love, home from church love, farewell!

Young man+ all the boys

What's for breakfast love, What's for breakfast love, farewell!

lady,+ all the girls

Bread and butter and watercress. Bread and butter and watercress.

Bread and butter and watercress, and you shall have some!

Young man

What's for dinner love, What's for dinner love, farewell!

lady,

Bread and butter and beetles. Bread and butter and beetles.

Bread and butter and beetles, and you shall have some!

Young man

What's for supper love, What's for supper love, farewell!

lady,

Bread and butter and RATS. Bread and butter and RATS.

Bread and butter and RATS, and you shall have some!

Then everyone runs about screaming for a while, then they all come back into the circle to start again.

My class of eight year olds used to play this in Leeds in the early 80's, and the fact that I remember it accounts for the reason that I made a birthday cake for one of my grandsons that was decorated with bread and butter and beetles one year. Two years later his little brother asked me "When you make my birthday cake granddad, will you put bugs on it please?"

Cheers

Dave"

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 11 - 09:49 PM

"my mother used to sing...on a mountain stands a lady who she is i do not know...all she wants is gold and silver...all she wants is a fine young beau- which makes more sense because it rhymes"

**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 09:28 PM

"My mom sang it much different:

On the mountain, stands a lady,

Who she is I do not know

All she wears is gold and silver

All she needs is a punch in the nose

So I'm calling *( insert name here)* dear,

*Katie *dear,

*Katie* dear

So I'm calling Katie dear, when I go out to play.

Good day!"

**
9. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Jul 13 - 05:53 PM

"As a skipping song in the 1950s we sang "On a hill there stands a creature..."

I always loved that image. A dragon? A lady griffin? A she-bear?

Joy"

**
10. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Shay
Date: 14 May 14 - 02:34 AM

"When I was a kid in the 1990s we used to sing:

on nmountain stands a lady

who she is i do know

all she wants is gold and silver

all she needs is a punch in the

So out goes *name of kid who was jumping*

and in goes *name of the next kid in line*

then we would start again."

**
11. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Popsicle
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 12:49 PM

"We sang this version in Ireland in the 1950's:

There's a lady on the mountain, who she is I do not know.

All she wants is Gold and Silver and a nice young man I know.

Take your partner, take your partner, go to the church love, kneel down love, say your prayers love, come home love.

Open the gates and let me through!

Not 'til you show you're black and blue!

Here's my black and here's my blue!

Now open the gates and let me through!

This was sung in a circle of girls and 2 would pair off outside the circle and follow the actions of the song (kneeling, praying, etc.) and show their right leg for the black and their left leg for the blue. After that they could join the circle."

**
12. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 03:53 PM

"You'll find it in here along with other kids street songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpXTFy3zlw&list=WL&index=3
-snip-
That hyperlink led me to the documentary film that is given immediately below.

****
ADDENDUM - VIDEO : Dusty Bluebells 1971 Belfast kid's songs.

arfer, Jun 8, 2014

Belfast children's street songs filmed in 1971. Some charming performances.

Comments are turned off
-snip-
Unfortunately, the automatic transcript for this YouTube video is very poor. Also, no list of the featured songs and rhymes is provided. I'm reluctant to compile such a list because I'm not familiar with some of the songs and I'm not familiar with the Irish accent.
-snip-
A brief clip of that documentary film can be found elsewhere online, including
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theirishsettlers/posts/1388066094906249/ "The Irish Settlers" published by Mary Moriarty, April 24, 2021.

That post is entitled "A Trip Down Memory Lane—showing some Songs and Games" shows the portion from the film in which two children do a hand clap routine while chanting part of the rhyme "Long Legged Sailor" and the portion of the film where girls jump in a long rope while singing part of "On The Hillside Stands A Lady", a variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady".

Captions for parts of both of those rhymes are given in that Facebook post (and not in that YouTube video). Here's the captions that were given for the "On The Hillside Stands A Lady" rhyme:
"On the hillside stands a lady
Who she is I do not know
Lady lady tip the ground
Lady lady give a burl around
Lady lady show your shoe
Lady lady run right through"
-snip-
As shown in that video, "tip the ground" = "touch the ground" and "give a burl around" = "turn around".
-snip-
This portion of that rhyme is very similar to Comment #3 in this Mudcat discussion thread compilation that is given above in this pancocojams post.

****
This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Friday, April 17, 2026

Comments About The Traditional Ghanaian Children's Song "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") From A 2008 Mudcat Folk Music Discussion Thread

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series about the traditional Ghanaian children's song "Kye Kye Kule". That children's song title and those lyrics are usually written as "Che Che Kule" and pronounced "Chay Chay Koolay" in the United States.

This post presents my editor's note about the history of and the meaning of the lyrics for the traditional Ghanaian "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") children's song and game. selected comments from the discussion thread that I started in 2008 about the children's song* "Che Che Kule" on the online Mudcat folk music forum. I've added brief notes after a few of those comments to provide information, clarifications, or updates. *A number of the comments in that Mudcat discussion thread refer to the African or African/Latin records or performances of "Che Che Kule". However, those comments aren't included in this pancocojams compilations.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/some-ghanaians-comments-about-ghanaian.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents online comments from Ghanaians about the children's song "Che Che Kule" with a focus on their memories about that song and their interpretations of the words to this song. (Part II includes the comments from Ghanaians that are found in Part I of this pancocojams series).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/children-in-various-countries-singing.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases seven videos of children in various countries singing the Ghanaian children's song "Che Che Kule"

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of the traditional Ghanaian children's song "Kye Kye Kule". Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/che-che-kule-origin-lyrics-videos.html for the 2012 pancocojams post "Che Che Kule - Origin, Lyrics, & Videos" In addition to presenting information about the children's song/game version of "Che Che Kule", that post includes information and video examples of the Osibisi's 1969 Ghanaian Highlife record "Che Che Kule" and Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe's 1969 Salsa record of that song. Along with additional YouTube videos, that 2012 pancocojams post includes examples of two American girls' foot stomping cheers ("Jay Jay Cool Lay" and "J.J. Kool Aid" that were inspired by the Ghanaian children's song/game "Che Che Kule".

That 2012 pancocojams post has a total of 31 comments (including my replies to visitor comments) as of April 17, 2026.

****
GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE "KYE KYE KULE" CHILDREN'S SONG "Kye Kye Kule" is a traditional Ghanaian (West Africa) children's song and game. The title "Che Che Kule" is usually given to the children's version of this song, the Salsa versions, the Ghanaian Highlife versions, and other versions of this song outside of Ghana, West Africa

The words "Kye Kye Kule" and "Che Che Kule" are from the Twi (Akan) language of Ghana. These words are pronounced "Chay Cha.y Koo-lay".

There's no documented date for the origin of the traditional "Kye Kye Kule" song/game. However, online anecdotal records place this song as more than one hundred years old. Since the Ghanaian music band Osibisa's 1969 Ghanaian Highlife recording of "Che Che Kule" and since Pueto Rican musicians Willie Colon's and Hector Lavore's 1969 Salsa record "Che Che Kule", that song has been popularized throughout the world. The "hands on your head, hands on your shoulder etc. lyrics are NOT the translation of the traditional lyrics for "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule"). Instead, I believe that those movements were influenced by the American children's rhyme

"Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes" imitative movements are highlighted in the song "Kye Kye Kule" that is featured in the 1979 Folkways Records "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa" (song and record notes)* .The "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa" vinyl record features Kojo Fosu (Ghanaian song collector, musician and singer) and Mrs. Edwina Hunter (African American music teacher, vocalist, and writer of the record's notes).

That record was published by the very highly regarded NewYork City based Folkways Records which undoubtedly helped raise awareness about its publication in the United States and elsewhere In my opinion, that 1979 "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa" (song and record notes) should be regarded as the prototype for the "head and shoulders" etc. body gestures performance activity that has been linked since 1979 to the "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") children's song throughout the world.

However, it should be mentioned that, although the record's notes about Kye Kye Kule highlight the now standard "hands on heads, hands on shoulders" imitative body gestures as a performance activity while singing Kye Kye Kule, the writer (Edwina Hunter) of those record notes emphasizes that that body gesture activity was just one way of performing that song. Also, in her record notes, Edwina Hunter encourages children to be more improvisational in their imitative performances while singing "Kye Kye Kule".

*Click https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/FW77855.pdf for an excerpt of the notes for that 1979 record.

**** SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SONG "CHE CHE KULE" FROM A MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC DISCUSSION THREAD

I started that Mudcat discussion thread on January 26 2008 when I was an active member of that online folk music form. The last comment that was added to that discussion was in November 11,2014. However, that Mudcat discussion thread is still open for comments as of the date of this pancocojams post (April 17, 2017).

I added numbers to these selected comments for referencing purpose only. With the exception of #1, these numbers don't respond to these comments' order in that discussion.

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=108069

1. Subject: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:59 AM

" "Kye Kye Kule" {pronounced "Chay Chay Koo-lay"} is a Ghanaian children's song.

"Kye Kye Kule" is one of a handful of African folk songs that I'm aware have been included in American music textbooks for elementary school children. That's how I learned this song. Kye Kye Kule may have been included in American music textbooks because of the textbook publishers nod to multiculturalism and because the words to this West African song are relatively easy to pronounce. In addition, Kye Kye Kule may have been selected for inclusion in these music books because children love to do movements with songs, and the custom in Ghana-and now in the USA and elsewhere is to perform this song with easy to do movements.

I've been fortunate to receive information about Kye Kye Kule from talking directly and online to several persons from Ghana, West Africa. As a matter of fact, I'm pleased that it was through my exchange of emails with Quarcoo after he wrote to my website http://www.cocojams.com to share information about Kye Kye Kule, that Quarcoo learned about, and subsequently joined Mudcat. Here's a big shout out to Mudcat member Quarcoo!

As a means of enhancing access to information about Kye Kye Kule for Mudcat members and guests {including those who may find this thread while using this song's title}, I will repost from my website versions of Kye Kye Kule that I've collected. I'll also repost information that I have learned about this song from Quarcoo, and from other folks. In addition, I'll also repost on this thread an example of an African American foot stomping cheer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that I believe was inspired in the folk etymology tradition by the African song "Kye Kye Kule".

Please join in this presentation of information and this discussion by posting any additional versions of Kye Kye Kule that you know, and any other information about this song. I'm particularly interested in knowing whether this song is taught in music classes and/or included in children's music textbooks where you live.

This thread may also be used to post lyrics and information about other African children's songs.

Thanks in advance for your participation in this thread!"
-snip-
My cocojams.com website was online from 2001 to 2014 when I voluntarily deactivated it.

The words for two foot stomping cheers that were inspired by the "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") are found in that Mudcat discussion thread and in several pancocojams posts including the 2012 pancocojams post about "Che Che Kule" whose link is given above.

Note: The Mudcat discussion thread comment includes a typo for the words for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania cheer. The correct spelling should be "Jay Jay cool lay".

Suffice it to say here that some of the words to those cheers were folk processed forms of the words "Che Che Kule/ Che Che kofisa". Also, the tunes for those cheers were up-tempo, percussive versions of those Ghanaian children's songs that i have heard.

****

2. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 10:10 AM

"Here's the words to Kye Kye Kule that a Ghanaian man whose name I don't remember shared with me {Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1980s}:

Kye kye kule.

Kye kye kofi sa x2

kofi salanga x2

Salatilanga x2

kum ayede , kumayede , kumayede

-snip-

Here is the version of the song that I found in a music book used by the Pittsburgh Public School District in the mid 1990s:

Che Che Kule

Che Che Kofisa

Kofisa Langa

Langa te Lange

Kum Adende

Kum Adende. Kum.

-snip-

Here's the lyrics of this song that I received from another Ghanaian man who I met {Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2004}:

Kyekule,

Kyekyekule.

Kyekye kofi sa x2

Kofi salanga x2

Salatilanga x2

kum ayede , kumayede , kumayede"

3. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 10:25 AM

"Here's an excerpt of the email that Quarcoo sent to cocojams.com * about Kye Kye Kule in response to my questions to him about this song:

"I made some enquiries about this song. It is a Ga game but because of our school system which promotes ethnic fusion it has become a national thing. My dad couldn't really tell me the meaning of the words, but said that the words: "Salanga" is a name used by northerners [members of ethnic groups who live in the Northern part of Ghana] (could be Dagomba, Frafra or Gonja) so Kofi Salanga is a northern boy. And when singing the song,with the pronouncement of every sentence you touch your body in ascending and descending order. When you start "kyekye kule" (you touch your shoulders with both hands and those responding kyekye kule will do likewise, continue to your waist, knees and the toes) and this continues till you reach your toes and then you start all over again.

Kyekye kule on national t.v (called Ghana T.V or GTV) was a children's programme, and it was so popular that I never for once missed an episode. It was hosted by an old teacher. It was filled with several other Ghanaian games"...

-snip-

"Ga" is the name of an ethnic group in Ghana, West Africa. The Northern region is one of 10 regions in Ghana. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana and other websites for more information about Ghana, West Africa.

* Any material sent to www.cocojams.com may be used by me in other publications including reposting that material on websites such as Mudcat. That said, I have sent a private message to Quarcoo letting him know that I am reposting excerpts of his Cocojams email on this Mudcat thread. Btw, I just recently heard from Quarcoo. He is well, and he indicates that he plans to resume posting on Mudcat.

****
4. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Kweku
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 03:20 AM

"Gvart, about the pronounciation of the word "che" it sounds more like saying "chain" without the "in". so it is more of like saying "cha--i--ee" or like saying "chase". But please I am not a linguistic expert so I might be able to write it the right way for you to pronounce it.

And Azizi, in Ghana "kye" is an Akan spelling."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note April 17, 2026:
This comment is part of an exchange about how the word "che" in "Che Che Kule" is pronounced.

Notice that Quarcoo changed his screen name to another form of the traditional Ghanaian day name "Kwaku" (meaning "male born on Wednesday").

Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Quarcoo (Kweku) stopped writing on Mudcat and cocojams.com and I lost touch with him. Thank you. again, Quarcoo. I wish you well.

**
5. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 11:02 AM

"Here's some information that I wrote down from my casual conversations on two separate occassions {in the 1980s and in 2004} in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with two men who were born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. I can't vouch for whether the information about the meaning of the song is accurate and/or whether the song is {was} performed the same way throughout the entire nation of Ghana. However, there is no doubt that the name "Kofi" which is part of the song Kye Kye Kule is a Ghanaian day name meaning "male born on Friday".

Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_name and other websites for information about Ghanaian day names.

"In the 1980s, I met a Ghanaian man from the Ewe ethnic group, and asked him about the Kye Kye Kule song. This man, whose name I don't recall, told me that with the exception of the "Kum" at the end, the lyrics that I recited for him were basically as he had sung it in his childhood. Though most of these words didn't mean anything, I was told that "Kofi" is an Akan (Ghanaian) word that means "male born on Friday" and "langa" means a person of low status, "an unclean person". This chant was recited as prelude to a hide & go seek game. One person is chosen to be Kofi, the langa. Kofi chases other people and, by touching them, he would make them unclean too.

In 2004, I asked another Ghanaian man I had met the same questions. Nana Kwesi Afriya, from the Asante (Ashanti) ethnic group, confirmed the information previously given about the meaning of "Kofi" and "langa". However, Nana Kwesi said that school girls and boys chanted this as part of a ring game in which one person {Kofi, whether male or female}, walked around the ring and at the end of the chant tapped someone. Those two then ran around the circle and tried to be the first one to sit in the vacant spot. The loser became 'Kofi"."

-repost from http://www.cocojams.com/games_children_play.htm
-snip-
This website is no longer active.
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: April 17, 2026:
The second description of the play activity for "Che Che Kule" that is given above is the same as the way the children's game "Duck Duck Goose" is played in the United States.

****
6. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 11:38 AM

"I've also found "Kye Kye Kule" in a number of other American children's music books. Usually the books indicate that the song is to be performed as a rhythmic head & shoulder touching game in the same manner as "Head & Shoulders, Baby 1, 2, 3".

In the Pittsburgh area in the 1990s, the highly regarded African American performing arts group, the Shona Sharif African Drum & Dance Ensemble often performed this song. The group asked for volunteers (children and adults) from the audience to come on stage to perform this song. The lyrics were taught as a call & response song in which the performers first touched their head, then touched both of their shoulders, then moved their hips from side to side, and finally jumped up or hop[p]ed on one foot on the last word "Kum". Of course, when the audience members leave the stage, the professional dancers used the song to "get down" {meaning they performed some real exciting African dance moves}."

****
7. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 15 May 09 - 02:22 PM

"Here is an email about "Kye Kye Kule" that I received today from a Ghanaian woman, Abena Gyebi:

"Sorry, cocoyam, You see I have always known the Ghanaian children's song Kye kye kule. The Kum adende or Kum aye dei was always part of it. I do not believe it is a later addition; I mean I'm into my fifties and I've always known it with the Kum. Maybe it's because the people you talked to were male. I guess when we as girls were playing kye kye kule they were busy playing football or so.(Or hunting rats?-:)

'Kum' apart from its Akan meaning - to kill- is also the sound made when something falls heavily on the ground,like a child falling or something dropping.

The other version of the game was,instead of running behind the circle and tapping someone on the shoulder, one bent down and dropped a piece of cloth behind one of those sitting in the circle. It was supposed to be done so artfully that the one with the piece of cloth did not notice it.The singing and clapping then got more exciting as the runner got closer and closer to where she had dropped the piece of cloth. If the sitting person still did not notice the cloth, she got a 'boo' or a smack on the shoulder for being inattentive. On the other hand, if she got alerted, she would then run as fast as possible chasing the first runner until the first runner took her place in the circle. Then she would take over the kye kye kule and look for another person behind whom she would drop the piece of cloth. This version of kye kye kule was an adaptation of another children's game we called 'anto akyire'"

-snip-

Abena Gyebi is correct that the only Ghanaians who have given me information about this song are males. I'm very grateful that she has shared this performance information and information about the meaning of the word "Kum" in that song."

****
8. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,Lolly
Date: 20 Jul 09 - 04:36 PM

"omg my mum taught me this when me and my sisters were so young and i still remember. We were born in England but mum was raised in Ghana n shes ewe..but i dont remember the kum at the end. either way thankz 4 ur post azizi brought back happy memories!!! nw im goin 2 remind my sisters n laugh:)"

****
9. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 06:43 PM

"Im from ghana and I have to say that Kofi is a ghana name and alot of the words in the song i can understand. I have been singing this song since I was a child. My mother knows it, my grandmother knows it and my great grand mother knows It. I recently caught the spanish verson on the radio and started singing along right away. I was very surprised someone else from another part of the world had made a song with my childhood play song. The song has been around for a least a few centuries Its not surprising that there have been different versions made"

****
10. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,guest (lonesome d stringband)
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 06:06 PM

"I felt bad about reupping this old thread but noticed it's happened occasionally previously. I really need to sign up for this site. At any rate, just letting you guys know about the terrific Antibalas version of the Colon/Lavoe joint. Antibalas are nominally an Afrobeat band (and in any event are consistently excellent) and their Makossa arrangement more or less brings the chant at its center back home in a different form (even though Makossa is Cameroonian, and I'm not even sure how much of a makossa this arrangement is, but... you get the picture.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ20WrymXIs

I learned the chant in elementary school as well as a kid in the late 1970s in suburban Philadelphia (T/E school district). I recall learning it from a visiting arts troupe but have no idea who. I also think whoever was teaching it to us mistransliterated some of the syllables as we both distinctly recalled the last line as sounding more like 'CHI a ye ye' - but we did follow it with counting it to ten like in some of the videos of Ghanaian schoolkids available on Youtube.

Good blog entry on the subject I came across today: http://lapelanga.com/che-che-cole-0 "

****

11. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,Hi
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 03:54 PM

"I am an assistant teacher for the Somerville Community schools after school program in somerville, MA. We have an african druming club for the k-2nd graders. They learn rhythm, beat, and culture of african drumming and song. currently i am sitting in on the computer to their club time and they are learnign their song from the instructor. They sounds great! :)

He says one line and they repeat after him. They love it and i love it! it is so catchy and fun! He told us all about how it is from Ghana and was a popular childrens song.

Just thought that you would find this great!

Somerville is lovated 5 minutes from Cambridge, MA and 10 minutes from Boston, MA"

****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Monday, December 15, 2025

How I Became A Member Of Mudcat Folk Music Forum & Some Observations About Mudcat

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents a reprint of an essay that I first published on January 22, 2024 in the pancocojams post entitled "An Overview Of Mudcat's Folk Music Discussion Forum (With Added Observations by Former Mudcat Member Azizi Powell)". https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/01/an-overview-of-mudcats-folk-music.html

In addition to that essay, this post presents a reprint of the first comment that I published on Mudcat folk music forum as a guest.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to Mudcat for the lessons and the information I learned there and the positive relationships I formed there.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/12/why-i-was-motivated-to-launch-this.html for the related post "Why I Was Motivated To Launch This Pancocojams Blog & Astrological Placements For The First Pancocojams Post (August 29, 2011)"

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I'm revising this essay about how I became a member of Mudcat folk music forum as part of my effort to document, to work through, to better incorporate what I need to and to let go of the rest of that experience.

I'm publishing these comments on this blog in large part because doing so will help me find them and also because these comments may be of interest to other people.

I also plan to publish a pancocojams post about the major astrological planetary placements for the date of the first post that I published on this pancocojams blog. Although I don't intend to publish a post on the major astrological planetary placements for those Mudcat dates, I've just realized that the dates that I began commenting on Mudcat folk music forum as a guest and then as a member are very close to the date of my first pancocojams post.

****
HOW I BECAME A MEMBER OF MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC FORUM
by Azizi Powell, January 22, 2024

"I'm an African American woman who was a very active participant on Mudcat folk music forum from September 5, 2004 through much of 2012. After that, I didn't post as much on that forum and I voluntarily stopped posting on Mudcat on November 11, 2014. I did so mostly to concentrate on this pancocojams blog which I began in August 2011.

That said, if people read certain Mudcat discussion threads, it's clear that sometimes I was the target of trolling from certain Mudcat members. I emphasize the fact that I voluntarily left Mudcat in this pancocojams post because I want those people and others to know that I wasn't kicked out of that forum.

Also, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was tired of being the only Black person on Mudcat. I admit that I didn't have to respond to requests to explain things like what did sports commentator Don Imus' mean when he called Black women university basketball players "nappy headed hoes"? But I've learned since then that I didn't have to bear that burden and I'm much happier for letting it go.

As regular visitors to pancocojams are aware, I re-publish a lot of material from Mudcat on pancocojams. I publish this material on pancocojams for folkloric reasons in part because lately-actually for quite some time-Mudcat has been sporadic in its availability and I want to help ensure that its rich treasure trove of material is shared as much as possible.

I always publish material from Mudcat and from other sources with citations and thanks to those commenters who I quote.

I readily acknowledge and sincerely thank certain Mudcat members in particular for role modeling for me and others how to transcribe folk songs from recordings. I also acknowledge and thank certain Mudcat members for teaching me and others through their role model the importance of gathering and documenting not just the text (words) of folk songs (and, and particularly for me, children's recreational rhymes, cheers, and singing games), but also as much information that you can about who, where, when, and how those examples are sung and performed.

As per the Mudcat information page that I can still access by clicking my name in the heading of a discussion thread comment, from September 4, 2004 to November 11, 2014 I posted (wrote and published) a total of 10,171 comments on Mudcat. Many of these posts were on discussion threads that I started about children's rhymes and cheers. My last Mudcat post provided information about and a link to my new blog cocojams2.com.Cocojams2 is a blog that focuses on children's rhymes,cheers, and singing games. Many of those examples were previously found on my multipage cocojams.com website. I voluntarily closed that website because I was having problems with the server company I used. Also, in contrast to the Google blog formats, for cocojams.com I had to rely on the generous assistance of my technical savy friend Lucas Musewe to post anything on cocojams.com and it was difficult for that format to post videos. In contrast, the Google blog format made it (and still makes it) easy for me to post new material, including YouTube videos.

Perhaps ironically, my first post as a member of Mudcat was on a thread about the origin of the song "Kumbaya".https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=65010

For background purposes, here are three complete comments and two partial comments from that particular Mudcat discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. Subject: RE: Kumbaya
From: GUEST,Azizi
Date: 04 Sep 04 - 05:17 PM

"I am a guest of your site and polite guests are supposed to ignore any crap they see or smell, but it makes me puke to read the comments that the song Kumbaya comes from Africaaners,the same people that brought us apartheid.

As a non-Gullah African American, I stand by the position that this spiritual is from the Gullah traditions and means "Come by here".

We {African Americans} need to be better at protecting our heritage from well meaning misstatements and conscious theft.

That being said, I do like reading posts here and am learning more about folk music in the United States and across the Atlantic.

However, it doesn't appear to be very many African Americans or other people of color posting here.

Sometimes race and ethnicity does matter."

****

2. Subject: RE: Kumbaya
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 09:22 AM

"Azizi: Glad to see you posting here. It is true that there are very few (if any) blacks who post on Mudcat. That says less about the interest of white folks in here in black music (because the interest is very high) than it does about the lack of interest of black folks in America in black folk music and blues. I'm kinda checkerboard on this. I have a black gospel quartet and sing in a black Men's Gospel Chorus in church but am white and of Danish descent. My wife is black, and so is half of my family, now.

A few weeks ago, I had a very exciting weekend when my wife's grandaughter and her fiance stayed with us. He is a young black minister from the south who is spiritually on fire, and has a great desire to learn more about music. When he told me that he loves blues, I started mentioning names like Mississippi John Hurt (because the young man is from Mississippi), Reverend Gary Davis and Leadbelly and he had heard of none of them. He had never heard of Robert Johnson, even though just about every white kid in America and England in the 60's and 70's was familiar with his name, if not his music, through performers like Eric Clapton. Now, I'm introducing him to his "roots." In the meantime, I'm trying to find more Scandinavian music to become more familiar with my family hostory's roots.

Songs like Kumbaya (when not played as background music over the speakers in the mall) are finding their way back into the black churches. There is a wonderful new hymnal, African American Heritage Hymnal published by GIA pulbications out of Chicago which has become a regularly used hymnal in the black church my wife and I attend. When the choirs and congregation sing Kumbaya, it takes on a different life.

Anyway, Azizi, why not become a member of Mudcat. We could use your thoughts and perspectives. I'm the only white male member of a church of over 1,500 black members and I feel right at home there. I think you'd find yourself right at home in here.

My gospel quartet will be singing at the NOMAD festival in New Haven in November, and I know we will once again be warmly greeted there.

The three other members of my quartet are black... two grew up in the south, and formed their musical tastes singing in black churches, listening to blues and jump tunes in juke joints, listening to stories from family members who were freed slaves, and listening every week to the Grand Ole Opry. They love bluegrass and old-time music, just as I love black gospel. The third member is from Kingston, Jamaica and has his own reggae band.

Music can transcend all artificial boundaries that man creates.

Jerry"

****

3. Subject: RE: Kumbaya
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 10:47 AM

"Azizi, I also hope you hang around and post from your perspective.

There are the origins of songs, and then there are where they end up. A couple I can think of that are usually known because white folks sing them, but got from black folks are 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore' and 'Sloop John B'. Song origins are interesting to know about, but I think songs 'belong' to whoever sings them. It's good that the songs are kept alive, but I wonder how they sounded when previous caretakers sang them. I hope they still do, but it seems increasingly rare to hear about people who sing songs they learned in and from their own communities."...

****
4. Subject: RE: Kumbaya
From: Azizi
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 05:26 PM

"Thanks for the invite Jerry and Jerri. As you see I have joined the club!

I'm not obsessed with the origins of Kumbaya but I will add that it is composed using common African American characteristics such as repetition, and short 4 line open ended verses such as someone's weeping/praying/singing/shouting etc etc etc.) Also see yourDictionary.com which states that Kumbayah started in the 1920s as a Gullah spiritual song. However, that website also states that the Uncle Remus tales was written in Gullah language, and I'm not sure that's true.

Regarding the need for more African Americans to embrace blues, jazz and other folk music..true true.

While my primary interest is in children's game song, rhymes, and cheers and United States secular slave songs, I am very interested in helping to raise awareness about other Black music genres.

I also love to learn about other musical genres in the USA and elsewhere.

I learned about this website two years ago from someone named Frank, I believe, who visited my website www.cocojams.com because I had included an example of Jim Along Josie. I wasn't ready to join Mudcat then but I have told others about your site and will continue to do so."

****

5. Subject: RE: Kumbaya
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 09:07 PM

Hi, Azizi. Long ago I was Frank.

I would like to get correct information on Kumbaya aka Come by Here, Lord. I have posted the information 'as I know it' but that, of course, is not the last word. Some of the singers of Seeger's time, I think, have put their own spin on the song."...

****
Prior to the above comment exchanges, I posted the following comment on Mudcat:
. https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=52464&messages=60&page=1

Subject: RE: Jim Along Josie: lyrics and origin
From GUEST, Azizi
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 12:35 AM

"I'm writing this to correct information I made some two years ago on my website cocojams.com that I see have found there way here and Lord knows where else. Let me first apologize and offer the following information as a way of making up for any confusion I caused.

Firstly, I wrote that Jim Along Josey is included in Thomas Talley's 1922 Negro Folk Rhymes. I was mistaken. The versions I was speaking of are found in Dorothy Scarborough's 1925 book on the Trail Of Negro Folk Songs. That Folklore Associates' edition of Scarborough's book, published in 1963 has three different versions of Jim Along Josie {pps 104-106), one called Jim Along, Josey, one called Hold My Mule, and one that Scarborough notes is "a variant of the Josey song

I also said that a josey was a woman's undergarment. I was wrong. As someone wrote in this thread or another, "Josey" is a woman's coat. See John Russell Bartlett, The Dictionary of Americanisms: New York Crescent Books, originally published 1849. "Joseph, a very old riding coat for women, scarcely now to be seen or heard of-Forby's Vocabulary. A garment made of Scotch plaid, for an outside coat or habit, was wornin New England about the year 1830, called a Joseph by some a Josey.

Olivia was drawn as an Amazon, sitting upon a bank of

flowers, dressed in a green Joseph.-Godsmith, Vicar of Wakefield .

I still believe that is "Josey" was {sometimes}used as dance name. See the lines "Hold my mule while I dance Josey

Hold my mule while I dance Josey

Oh, Miss Susan Brown."

The other two verses given are: "Wouldn't give a nickel if I couldn't dance Josey". and "Had a glass of buttermilk and I danced Josey".

However it may be possible that an earlier name for the "Josey" dance was "Jim Along, Josey." In that case "Jim Along" probably was the equivalent of the phrase "Get a-long", which Scarborough uses in the chorus of this song "Hey, get a-long, get a-long, Josey"..

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Monday, December 8, 2025

Multiple Examples Of African American Spirituals With The Title "Ring Dem (Them) Bells" Or Similar Titles That Include The Word "Bells"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents an excerpt of a Mudcat folk music discussion thread that presents lyrics and information about multiple examples of African American Spirituals with the title "Ring Dem (Them) Bells" or similar titles that include the word "bells".*

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, socio-cultural, and religious purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these Spirituals. Thanks to the collectors of these Spirituals and those who sang these songs for those collectors. Thanks also to all those members and guests of the online Mudcat folk music forum who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
*Full disclosure- I wrote a comment on this Mudcat discussion thread. I was a member of Mudcat forum from September 2004 to November 2014.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/12/elementary-school-choir-performing.html for the related pancocojams post ""Ring Them Bells" (African American Christmas Spiritual also known As "Oh Mary Oh Martha Ring Them Bells")"

****
EXCERPT FROM https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=30625

Pancocojams Editor's Note: These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only. The brackets means that one or more comment/s from this discussion thread aren't included in this excerpt.

1. Subject: ring dem bells
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:13 AM

"request lyrics of ring dem bells"

**
2. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: Sorcha
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:23 AM

"Is this it? Ring Them Golden Bells"
-snip-
The word "Is this it" is a hyperlink that leads to this page and these lyrics:

https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=4970&Title=RING%20THOSE%20GOLDEN%20BELLS

"RING THOSE GOLDEN BELLS

There's a land beyond the river
THat they call the sweet forever
And you'll only reach that shore by faith's decree;
One by one we'll gain the portals
There to dwell with the immortals
Where they ring them golden bells for you and me.

Don't you hear those bells a-ringing?
Don't you hear the angels singing
And it's glory, hallelujah! Jubilee!
In that far-off sweet forever
Just beyond the silent river
Where they ring those golden bells for you and me.

Recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet"

**
3. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: GUEST,chanteyranger
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 11:42 AM

"Or is it the spiritual that goes, "Oh, Mary. Oh, Martha. Oh, Mary ring them bells (repeat). I hear archangels rocking jerusalem, I hear archangels ringing them bells" (repeat), etc. The title of that one is "Rocking Jerusalem." "

**
4. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: GUEST,jaze
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 02:06 PM

"There's also the Dylan-written song "Ring Them Bells" with a line that goes "Ring them bells sweet Martha for the poor man's son." Joan Baez does it on a couple of lps including the live "Ring Them Bells" album."

**
[…]

**
5. Subject: Lyr Add: RING THEM CHARMING BELLS
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 11:30 AM

"It's probably not this one, but it's so pretty I thought I'd share it with those of you interested in the one requested. Or maybe it's a variant. And the source is a treasure itself (see below).

RING THEM CHARMING BELLS

Mary and Martha just gone along

To ring them charming bells. Crying:

CHORUS

Free grace, undying love

To ring them charming bells.

Preacher and the teacher just gone along

To ring them charming bells. Crying:

CHORUS

Way over Jordan roll,

To ring them charming bells. Crying:

CHORUS

SOURCE INFO:

This is from a gem found moldering away, in brand-new condition, at a music store: Oak Publications' 1968: A Folksinger's Guide to Grassroots Harmony. Quoting the cover copy:

"42 songs in traditional folk harmony in a collection of ways to sing them. Transcribed from the singing of the Carter Family, the Mainer Family, the Stanley Brothers, Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston, Rosa and Doc Watson, Pete Seeger and Jack Elliott, The Staple Singers, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, and others. Ed. Ethel Rain and Josh Dunson, ill. Art Rosenbaum."

NOTES APPEARING WITH THE SONG:

"On its appearance in 1959, 'Mickey Miller Sings American Folksongs accompanied by Bess Hawes' (Folkways FA 2393) created a whirlwind of excitement among the small grouping of city people who were interested in traditional music. Mickey and Bess created a rare blend of voices that introduced to many city singers for the first time, the idiomatic harmonic possibilities of Pretty Polly, Now He's Gone, and the song below, Ring Them Charming Bells. Bess Hawes writes:

...this song is sung by both Negro and white congregations in the South today. The term 'charming bells,' incidentally, was likely 'chiming bells' originally; we think this way is much prettier."

The song in 2/2 time and is shown with unison verses and 2-part chorus.

CHORDS (line by line as above):

verses-- A

E, A

A7, D

A, E7, A

chorus-- A

E, A

A7, D

A, D7, A

~Susan"

**

[…]

**

6. Subject: ADD: OH, PETER GO RING DEM BELLS
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 05:42 PM

"OH, PETER GO RING DEM BELLS

(Traditional Spiritual)

Oh, Peter, go ring dem bells,

Peter, go ring dem bells,

I heard from Heaven today.

I wonder where my mother is gone,

I heard from heaven today.

I wonder where brother Moses is gone,

I wonder where brother Daniel's gone,

Dey's gone where Elija's gone,

I heard from Heaven today.

I heard from Heaven today,

I heard from Heaven today.

I thank God, and I thank you too.

Oh, Peter, go ring dem bells,

Peter, go ring dem bells,

I heard from Heaven today.

This is a more traditional version of "Ring Dem Bells." It's very similar to "Peter Go Ring Dem Bells," which you'll find in Johnson & Johnson's The Books of American Negro Spirituals. I found the lyrics here (click) which was much easier than transcribing them from the Johnson book.

I wonder what lyrics Ellington used in his composition. Anybody know?

-Lazy Joe-"

**

[…]

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 11:32 PM

"Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells is in Thomas Fenner, 1874, Hampton Institute (Also in Jubilee Singers, Fisk). It is rendered in authentic dialect in Fenner, not to be confused with minstrels imitation. Collected from a slave who was a blacksmith by a J. M. Waddy"

**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 05:42 AM

"A sheet music version of "Oh Peter go ring dem bells! [and] Swing low sweet chariot" is in American Memory, Library of Congress. It is from Songs of the Original Kentucky Jubilee Singers (San Francisco: Bancroft, A. L., 1884), arranged by Frederick G. Carnes. The chorus is:

Oh Peter go ring dem bells,

Peter go ring dem bells,

Oh Peter go ring dem bells,

I Heard from Hebben today.

And other titles with "ring dem bells" or similar words in American Memory are: "Hark! Don't you hear dem bells a ringing" (2 items); "Ring dem chimin' bells" (2 items); "Ring dem heavenly bells" (2 items); "Gwine to ring dem hebenly bells"; and "Ring dem charmin' bells."

Masato"

**
9. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ring dem bells
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 01:47 PM

"The sheet music also is illustrated on the North Carolina Hampton site, from Thomas Fenner 1874."

**
10. Subject: Lyr Add: MARY AND MARTHA
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Dec 08 - 01:04 PM

"Many variants on "Mary and Martha" ("Ring Those Charming Bells").

This one is similar to "Ring Them Charming Bells," posted above, but it is easier to post the whole rather than point out variant verses.

Lyr. Add: MARY AND MARTHA

Mary and a Martha's just gone 'long,

To ring those charming bells.

Chorus:

Crying:

Free grace and dying love,

To ring those charming bells.

Oh! way over Jordan, Lord,

Way over Jordan, Lord,

To ring those charming bells.

The preacher and the elder's just gone 'long, (3x)

To ring those charming bells.

My father and my mother's just gone 'long, (3x

To ring those charming bells.

The Methodist and the Baptist's just gone 'long, (3x)

To ring those charming bells.

Gilbert Clifford Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," pp. 28-29 with musical score. Hinds, Noble & Eldridge, NY."

**
11. Subject: Lyr Add: OH, PETER GO RING DEM BELLS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Dec 08 - 10:52 AM

"A printed version of PETER, GO RING DEM BELLS with musical notation in 4-part harmony, can be found in Hampton and Its Students by Mary Frances Armstrong and Helen Wilhelmina Ludlow, "with fifty cabin and plantation songs arranged by Thomas P. Fenner" (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1874). These are the lyrics:

OH, PETER GO RING DEM BELLS

1. Oh, Peter, go ring dem bells.

Peter, go ring dem bells.

I heard from Heaven today.

I wonder where my mother is gone.

I heard from heaven today.

CHORUS: I heard from Heaven today.

I heard from Heaven today.

I thank God, and I thank you too.

I heard from Heaven today.

2. I wonder where sister Mary's gone.

I heard from heaven today.

I wonder where sister Martha's gone.

I heard from heaven today.

It's good news and I thank God.

I heard from heaven today.

Oh, Peter, go ring dem bells.

I heard from heaven today.

3. I wonder where brudder Moses gone.

I heard from heaven today.

I wonder where brudder Daniel's gone.

I heard from heaven today.

He's gone where Elijah has gone.

I heard from heaven today.

Oh, Peter, go ring dem bells.

I heard from heaven today."

**
[…]

**
12. Subject: Lyr Add: ROCKIN' IN JERUSALEM
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Dec 08 - 12:01 PM

"chanteyranger on Date: 09 Feb 01 - 11:42 AM referred to the version of this song that I remember from my childhood at a Black Baptist church in New Jersey, 1950s. {Actually I only remember the chorus and the first verse].

Here's the lyrics as found at http://www.metrolyrics.com/rockin-in-jerusalem-lyrics-mahalia-jackson.html

ROCKIN' IN JERUSALEM

Oh Mary, o Martha

Oh Mary, gon' ring them bells

I hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels ringin' them bells

Hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels rinin' them bells

Church gettin higher

(rockin' in Jerusalem)

Church gettin higher

(ringin them bells)

Church gettin higher

(rockin in Jerusalem

Church gettin higher

(ringing them bells)

Oh Mary, o Martha

Oh Mary's gonna ring them bells

Oh Mary, o Martha

Oh Mary's gonna ring them bells

Hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels rining them bells

Hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels ringing them bells

New Jerusalem, New Jerusalem

New_______________

Gon' ring them bells

I hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels ringing them bells

Hear arch angels rockin' in Jerusalem

Hear arch angels ringing them bells

Them bells!

-snip-

I believe that it's important to note that the word "dem" is sung as "them" in this Mahalia Jackson version as well as in the version of the song found on the Negro Spiritual website:

http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/oh_peter_go_ring_them_bells.htm

In my lifelong experience, few African Americans sing spirituals with "dis" and "dems" and few African Americans want to hear spirituals sung that way."

**
13. Subject: Lyr. Add: RING THE BELLS (Diton, SC)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Dec 08 - 12:56 PM

"Lyr Add: RING THE BELLS

SC spiritual

Ring the bells! all God's children, ring the bells!