Get On Board, Little Children

DESCRIPTION: "The gospel train is coming, I hear it just at hand... Get on board, little children (x3), There's room for many a more." The train will carry all who wish to board, and "the fare is cheap."
AUTHOR: possibly John Chamberlain
EARLIEST DATE: 1866 (The Jubilee Harp, Advent Christian Publication Society, p. 366, #638)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad train
FOUND IN: US(SE) West Indies(Bahamas) Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (11 citations):
Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-ReligiousFolkSongsOfTheNegro-HamptonInstitute, p. 131, "Git on Board, Little Children" (1 text, 1 tune; p. 134 in the 1901 edition)
Cohen-LongSteelRail, pp. 619-624, "The Gospel Train Is Coming" (2 text plus a text of "The Gospel Train (IV)"; 1 tune for each of the two songs)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 529, "The Gospel Train" (2 texts plus a fragment; the "C" fragment is this piece; "A" and "B" are "The Gospel Train (II) and (III)")
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 529, "The Gospel Train" (1 tune plus a text excerpt)
Pottie/Ellis-FolksongsOfTheMaritimes, pp. 16-17, "The Gospel Grail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Edwards-BahamaSongsAndStories 5, "Git On Board" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chappell-FolkSongsOfRoanokeAndTheAlbermarle 82, "Get On Board, Little Children" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scarborough-OnTheTrailOfNegroFolkSongs, pp. 254-255, "De Gospel Train Am Leabin'" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 361, "Get On Board, Little Children" (1 text)
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, p. 65, "Git On Board, Little Children" (1 text, 1 tune)
JournalOfAmericanFolklore, Elsie Clews Parsons, "Spirituals and Other Folklore from the Bahamas," Vol. 41, No. 162 (Oct-Dec 1928), Anthems: Cat Island #11 p. 460, ("I got a daughter name' Nancy") (1 text)
Roud #13948
RECORDINGS:
Alphabetical Four, "Get On Board Little Children" (Decca 7594, 1939; rec. 1938; on AlphabFour01)
Sam Block, "Freedom Train" (on VoicesCiv)
Harry C. Brown, "De Gospel Train Am Comin'" (Columbia A-2255, 1917; rec. 1916)
Rev. Clayborn, Guitar Evangelist, "The Gospel Trains Coming" (Vocalion 1082, 1927; rec. 1926)
Rev. Mose Doolittle, "Get On Board" (Victor 20295, 1926)
Dunham Jubilee Singers, "Get On Board" (Columbia 14676-D, 1933; rec. 1931)
Fannie Lou Hamer, Bob Moses, "Get On Board" (onSingFreeCD)
Kanawha Singers, "The Gospel Train" (Brunswick 365, 1929)
Moore Spiritual Singers, "Get On Board" (Bluebird B-8095, 1939)
Norfolk Jubilee Quartette, "Get On Board, Little Children, Get On Board" (Paramount Oriole Male Quartette, "Get On Board Little Children" (Oriole 893, 1927)
Willie Peacock, "Get On Board, Children" (on VoicesCiv)
Clara Smith, "Get On Board" (Columbia 14183-D, 1927; rec. 1926; also issued as E8938, n.d.)
Sons of Israel, "Gospel Train" (Kingsport 901, n.d.)
Southern Plantation Singers, "Get On Board Little Children" (Vocalion 1414, 1929; rec. 1928)
Tuskegee Institute Singers, "Get On Board" (Victor 18446, 1918; rec. 1916)
12268, 1925; Herwin 92009 [as Southland Jubilee Singers], 1926)
T-Bone Walker, "Get On Board, Little Children" (Capitol 133, 1943; rec. 1942)
Williams Jubilee Singers, "Gospel Train is Coming" (Columbia 14457-D, 1929)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Cindy (I)" (tune)
cf. "My Station's Gonna Be Changed" (lyrics)
cf. "I Want To See Jesus" (lyrics)
NOTES [109 words]: Gail Greenwood points out that a number of sources credit this (as "The Gospel Train") to John Chamberlain (1821-1893). This includes an old (but undated) printed "ballet." It is not clear whether he was responsible for the music. Cohen mentions this attribution but without comment on its value.
The title in the ballet is "Rail Road Hymn."
Thanks to Jim Dixon for pointing out the 1868 printing in The Jubilee Harp, which lacks the "little children" phrase but is clearly the same song. - RBW
The civil rights versions of this song have been altered so little from the original spiritual that, in my judgment, they don't warrant a "SAME TUNE" tag. -PJS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: FSWB361A

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