Standing in the Need of Prayer

DESCRIPTION: "It's me, Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer." "Not my mother, not my father, but it's me, Oh Lord, sanding in the need of prayer." "Not my brother, not my sister, but its me...." (Others whom it is not may be listed as desired)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (recording, Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-ReligiousFolkSongsOfTheNegro-HamptonInstitute, pp. 183, App.IX, "'Tis Me" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Curtis-Burlin-NegroFolkSongs-TheHamptonSeries (II), pp. 49-56, "'Tis Me, O Lord" (1 text with variants, 1 tune with variants)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 637, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (2 texts plus mention of 1 more)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 637, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (2 tunes plus text excerpts)
Gainer-FolkSongsFromTheWestVirginiaHills, pp. 222-223, "It's Me, O Lord" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cox-FolkMusicInANewfoundlandOutport, p. 198, "It's Me O Lord" (1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 350, "It's Me, Oh Lord" (1 text)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, pp. 488-492, "Ezekiel, You and Me" (1 heavily composite text, 1 composite tune; the first verse is "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel," the second is from "Keep A-Inchin' Along," the third is "Standing in the Need of Prayer," the fourth is "Chilly Water" [Roud #15312], the last probably derived from "Sowing on the Mountain")
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 289, 388, "it's Me, O Lord, Standing in the Need of Prayer"/"It's not my brother, nor my sister, but it's me, oh Lord, Standing in the Need of Prayer" (notes only)
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, p. 56, "Standin' in the Need of Prayer" (1 text, 1 tune)

Roud #11833
RECORDINGS:
Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" (Paramount 12070, 1923)
Hall Johnson Negro Choir, "Standin' in de Need of Prayer" (Victor 36020, 1930)
Southern Four, "Standin' in the Need of Prayer" [medley with "Shout All Over God's Heaven {All God's Children Got Shoes}"] (Edison 51364, 1924)
West Virginia Snakehunters, "Standin' in the Need of Prayers" (Brunswick 119, 1927/Supertone S-2072, 1930)

File: FSWB350A

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