This Little Light of Mine

DESCRIPTION: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine (x3), Ev'ry day (x4), Gonna let my little light shine." The singer thanks God for gifts given every day, warns that there is no hiding from sin, and urges all to let their lights shine.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1939 (LoC recording by Doris McMurray, TX)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Warren-EveryTimeIFeelTheSpirit, pp. 95-96, "This Little Light of Mine" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 352, "This Little Light of Mine" (1 text)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 180, 514, "This Little Light of Mine" (notes only; it is not clear if the reference is to this song or to the Sunday School song mentioned in the NOTES)
DT, LITEMINE
RECORDINGS:
W. Emmons & Mt. Olive Soul Stirrers, "This Little Light of Mine" (Fortune 1318, n.d.)
Pete Seeger, "This Little Light of Mine" (on PeteSeeger27)
Betty Mae Fikes, "This Little Light of Mine" (on VoicesCiv)
Rutha Harris, Betty Mae Fikes et al, "This Little Light" (onSingFreeCD)
Doris McMurray, "This Little Light o'Mine" (AFS 02648b01, 1939)
Montgomery Improvement Association High School Trio, "This Little Light" (on SingFreeCD)
St. Paul Baptist Choir, "This Little Light of Mine" (Capitol 1069, 1950)
SNCC Freedom Singers, "Freedom Chant/Oh, Freedom/This Little Light of Mine" (on VoicesCiv)
Clara Ward Singers, "This Little Light of Mine" (Savoy 4038A, rec. 1952)
NOTES [65 words]: I've heard another song by this name floating around in Sunday School classes. Mercifully, I have forgotten it, but it clearly wasn't a traditional song by origin, although camp usage may have made it one. The camp texts I've seen, however, tend to be this song. - RBW
Clearly the Montgomery recording wasn't the earliest date for this song, but it's the earliest one we've found so far. -PJS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: FSWB352C

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