Heard on The Judges: "over GEOGRAPHICAL LOC"

Mark Mandel thnidu at GMAIL.COM
Wed May 14 19:02:52 UTC 2008


I'm just a-goin' over Jordan,
I'm just a-goin' over home.
   "Wayfaring Stranger" (a spiritual)

The song, including these lines and specifically "over home", is
attested at least as of 1858. See
http://supersearch.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23495#624401  :

>>>BEGIN QUOTE>>>

Subject: Lyr Add: GOING OVER JORDAN (WAYFARING STRANGER)
From: Burke
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 06:52 PM

GOING OVER JORDAN (Wayfaring Stranger)
8s & 9s

1. I am a pilgrim and a stranger,
While wandering through this world of woe;
But there's no sickness, death, nor sorrow,
In that bright world to which I go.

CHORUS:
I'm going there to see my father,
I'm going there to see my Lord;
I'm just a going over Jordan,
I'm just a going over home.

...

From: Beaver, John., The Christian Songster, Dayton, Ohio: Printing
establishment of the United Brethren in Christ, 1858. Text only, no.
23, p. 34. Reproduced in: Garst, John F., "Poor Wayfaring
Stranger--Early Publications." The Hymn, v. 31, no.2 (1980): p.97-101.
@religion @hymn @spiritual

<<< END QUOTE<<<

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 1:14 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> These uses of "up home, down home" are new to me. But "over home"
> seems fine, though not necessarily with so specific a meaning, of
> course. ;-)
>
> -Wilson

Mark Mandel

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