by Robert MacGimsey (1898 - 1979)
Sweet little Jesus boy
Language: English
Sweet little Jesus Boy they made you be born in a manguh. Sweet little Holy Chil’ didn’t know who you wus. Didn’t know you’d come to save us Lawd; To take our sins away. Our eyes wuz bline we couldn’t see, We didn’t know who you wus. Long time ago you wus bawn, Bawn in a manguh low Sweet little Jesus Boy. De worl’ treat you mean Lawd, Treat me mean too, But tat’s how things is down heah: We don’t know who you is. You done tol’ us how We is a tryin’. Mastuh you done show’d us how eb’m when you’s dyin’. Jes seem like we kan do right, Look how we treated you. But please suh forgive us Lawd We didn’t know ‘twas you. Sweet little Jesus Boy bawn long time ago Sweet little Holy Chil’ An’ we didn’t know who you wus.
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Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
The text and music of this song is written in the stereotypical style and dialect of an African-American spiritual, although the author/composer was a white American.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert MacGimsey (1898 - 1979) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert MacGimsey (1898 - 1979), "Sweet little Jesus boy", published 1934 [ medium voice and piano ], New York: Carl Fischer Inc. [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-09-09
Line count: 27
Word count: 146