I Wonder As I Wander

DESCRIPTION: "I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus our savior did come for to die." Jesus comes for "poor ornery/ordinary people," is born to Mary in a "cow's stall," is celebrated in the skies; we are assured he could have had anything he wanted
AUTHOR: John Jacob Niles (?), based on at least one traditional stanza
EARLIEST DATE: 1934 (sheet music); collected from tradition by 1940 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: religious Jesus childbirth poverty
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 600, "I Wonder As I Wander" (1 text)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 600, "I Wonder As I Wander" (1 tune plus a text excerpt)
ADDITIONAL: Ian Bradley, _The Penguin Book of Carols_ (1999), #36, "I Wonder As I Wander" (1 text)
Roud #15015
NOTES [47 words]: Given that this song says that Jesus could have had anything he needed, I can't help but note an irony: In the entire Bible, Jesus really makes only one request *for himself*: "My father, if it is possible, take this cup from me" (Matt. 26:39, etc.)
The request was not granted. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.1
File: Br3600

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