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Title
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Song Lyrics, Handwritten
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Description
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Written by Jean Smith, a member of Earl's All-Girl Chorus, a Pennington singing group directed by Earl Hubbard. These lyric pages show the repertoire for the chorus and include both religious and gospel songs. 94 sheets of loose paper with handwritten song lyrics, mid-20th century.
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Comprising an index, there are forty-four song titles on the first two pages of Jean Smith’s songbook collection. The curated titles cover gospel, hymns, folk, classical and pop genres. Lyrics suggest that she had a deeply intentional and multifaceted approach to music that blended spiritual devotion, cultural preservation, and versatile artistry.
SONGS - Page 1
"No One Ever Called for Me Like Jesus"
Author: Unknown (traditional Black gospel/spiritual).
"Be Still My Soul"
Lyrics: Katharina von Schlegel (1752, German).
(Hymnary.org, n.d.)
"May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You"
Author: Meredith Willson (1950, from the musical The Big Show).
"Pray On"
Author: Oswald J. Smith (traditional gospel).
"Someday Somewhere"
Author: Unknown (likely 19th-century hymn).
"In the Upper Room"
Author: Multiple authors (Traditional African American spiritual).
"I Know That He Cares"
Author: Unknown (Southern gospel, possibly 20th-century).
"Let the Power of the Holy Ghost"
Author: Traditional Pentecostal/gospel song.
"If You Never Needed the Lord"
Author: Unknown (Black gospel).
"Melody of Love"
Author: Tom Glazer & Bill Harris.
"September Song"
Lyrics: Maxwell Anderson (1938).
(Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, n.d.)
"Hear My Prayer, O Lord"
Author: Henry Purcell (17th-century sacred choral work).
"Barcarolle" (likely "Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour")
Author: Jacques Offenbach (IMSLP: Free Sheet Music, n.d.)
"My Soul Is Satisfied"
Author: Unknown (possibly a 20th-century gospel song).
"O Holy Night" (Cantique de Noël)
Lyrics: Placide Cappeau (1847, French).
"My Buddy"
Author: Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn (1922 pop standard).
(ASCAP - World Leader in Performance Royalties, Advocacy and Service for Songwriters, Composers and Music Publishers, n.d.)
"Tulips and Heather"
Author: Traditional Scottish/Irish folk song (variant of "Wild Mountain Thyme").
"Ivory Palaces"
Author: Henry Barraclough (1915 hymn).
"Danny Boy" (Hymnology, n.d.)
Lyrics: Frederic Weatherly (1913).
"Steal Away" (Library of Congress, n.d.)
Author: Traditional African American spiritual (pre-Civil War).
"It’s Time We Say Goodbye"
Author: Unknown (possibly a regional gospel or folk song).
"Were You There [When They Crucified My Lord]"
Author: Unknown, Traditional African American spiritual.
(Hymnary.org, n.d.)
"I Know the Lord Said"
Author: Unknown (Black gospel, mid-20th century).
"If It Wasn’t for the Lord"
Author: Unknown (contemporary gospel).
"New World on Its Way"
Author: Unknown (may refer to a 1970s folk/protest song).
Subsequently, pages three, four and five contain the full handwritten lyrics to “Danny Boy” and "No One Ever Called for Me Like Jesus" accompanied by personalized written marginalia. These pages appear to be taken from the part of the songbook where Jean used to refer to the specific lyrics of each song, when needed.
Here is what Jean’s curation likely reveals about her perspective. She saw music as a tool for spiritual witness as gospel and hymns seem to mirror the Black church’s tradition of religious freedom to worship. Jean perhaps saw some of her lyrical collection as a cultural bridge embracing choral and classical traditions. In the end, it was also a vehicle that represented universal themes of love, loss, and hope.
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Contributor
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Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
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Date Created
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(c. 1950-1965)
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Creator
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Beverly Mills, daughter of Jean Smith.
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Rights
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Rights assessment is your responsibility. This material is made available for noncommercial educational, scholarly, and/or charitable purposes. For other uses or for more information, please contact [the repository, + contact info].
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Identifier
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2023.1.1.9
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Language
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eng
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Format
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Text
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Extent
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148 pages total, including some blank. handwritten, not bound
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Spatial Coverage
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Pennington, NJ
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Publisher
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SSAAM
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Is Part Of
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2023.1.10
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Subject
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Songs
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Classicism in music
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Gospel music
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Spirituals (Songs)
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Hymns
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Folk music
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Popular music
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Choral music
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Songbooks
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transcription
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INDEX [- PAGE 1]
1. No One Ever Called for Me Like Jesus
2. Be Still My Soul
3. May The Good Lord Bless & Keep You
4. Pray On
5. Someday Somewhere
6. In The Upper Room
7. I Know that He Cares
8. Let The Power of the Holy G.
9. If You Never Needed The Lord
10. Melody of Love
11. September Song
12. Hear My Prayer O Lord
13. Barcorolli
14. My Soul Is Satisfied
15. O Holy Night
16. My Buddy
17. Tulips & Heather
18. Ivory Palaces
19. Danny Boy
20. Steal Away
21. It's time We Say Goodbye
22. Were You there His [xxx]
23. I know the Lords said
24. If It wasn't for the Lord
25. New World On Its Way
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INDEX [- PAGE 2]
26. Little David
27. I'll Be like Him Someday
28. Brahms Lullaby
29. Going Home
30. In the Upper Room
32. Marcheta
33. Chopin Nocturne
34. Shine On Me
35. How Great Thou Art
36. Sleep
37. Santa Lucia
38. Beyond the Reef
39. I'll Fly Away
40. One Little Candle
41. He Knows Just How Much You Can
42. For Me He Suffered
43. Whole World
44. The Virgin At the Crib
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Eb 19 [- PAGE 3]
Danny Boy
Oh danny boy. then pipes
the pysis are calling
From glen to glen and
down the mtnside
The Summers gone and
all the roses falling
Itys you its you must
go and I must
bide But come ye
back when summers
in the meadows or when
the valley's hushed &
white with snow
Its I'll be here in
sunshine or in
shadow. Oh Danny Boy
Oh Danny Boy I love
you so. But when
ye come and all the
flowers are dying
if I am dead as dead
I well may be. ye'll
come and find the
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[PAGE 4]
place where I am lying
and kneel and say
an arie there for me
and I shall hear
tho soft you tread
above me and o're
my grave will
warmer, sweeter be
for you will bend &
tell me that you
love me and I shall
sleep in peace until
you come to me
Repeat: Its I'll
be here in sunshine
etc.
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[PAGE 5]
D flat 5 flats 1
No One Ever Cared For Me Like
Jesus
I would love to tell
you what I think of Jesus
since I found Him my
friend
So strong and true I would
tell you how He changed my
life completely
He did something that no
other friend could do.
Chorus
No one ever cared for
me like Jesus
Theres no other friend
so kind as He
No one else could take
the sin and darkness
from me
O how much He cared
for me.
