I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray

DESCRIPTION: "Couldn't hear nobody pray, I couldn't hear nobody pray, Well, way down yonder by myself I couldn't hear nobody pray." "In the valley... On my knees... Callin' Jesus... So lonesome... In the mornin'... In the evenin'...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (recording, Fisk University Jubilee Quartette)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE,So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-ReligiousFolkSongsOfTheNegro-HamptonInstitute, pp. 202-203, App.X, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (2 texts, 2 tunes; pp. 160-161 in the 1909 edition)
Curtis-Burlin-NegroFolkSongs-TheHamptonSeries (I), pp. 22-31, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text with variants, 1 tune with variants)
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 246, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text, 1 tune)
Work-FolkSongOfTheAmericanNegro, pp. 24-25, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text, 1 tune); pp. 51-52, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 351, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text)
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, p. 59, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #11949
RECORDINGS:
Emory University Glee Club, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (Victor 20594, 1927)
Fisk University Jubilee Quartette, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody" (Victor 16448, 1909)
Fisk University Jubilee Singers, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (Columbia A-1932, 1916); "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (on Fisk01)
Four Blues, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (DeLuxe 1003, 1945)
Paramount Jubilee Singers, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (Paramount 12070, 1923)
Southern Four, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (Edison 50885, 1921)
Vaughan Quartet, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (Vaughan 300, n.d.)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Wreck on the Highway" (words)
cf. "Settin' Down" (lyrics)
NOTES [15 words]: Not to be confused with "Wreck on the Highway," which uses a similar phrase in its chorus. -PJS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: LoF246

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