We're Coming, Sister Mary

DESCRIPTION: The singer recalls a cold night in winter when he was with (his young wife) Mary when a voice came through the window, "We are coming, sister Mary." (The performance is repeated for two nights), and the singer finds Mary dead
AUTHOR: original music: Henry Clay Work (Words by Work and/or Edwin Pearce Christy)
EARLIEST DATE: 1853 (sheet music published by Firth, Pond & Co. of New York)
KEYWORDS: death dream supernatural
FOUND IN: US(MA,MW,So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Cazden/Haufrecht/Studer-FolkSongsOfTheCatskills 84, "We're Coming, Sister Mary" (1 text plus the lyrics found in the sheet music, 1 tune)
Musick-JAF-TheOldAlbumOf-William-A-Larkin 15, "Sister Mary" (1 text)
Stout-FolkloreFromIowa 50, pp. 68-69, "We Are Coming, Sister Mary" (1 text, 1 tune)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #2511, pp. 169-170, "We Are Coming Sister Mary" (1 reference)
Dime-Song-Book #7/72, p. 68 and #7/64, p. 7, "We are coming, Sister Mary" (1 text)
cf. Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan, p. 483, "We Are Coming, Sister Mary" (source notes only)
ST FSC084 (Partial)
Roud #4861
File: FSC084

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