“My Warfare Will Soon Be Ended”

Description

"My warfare will soon be ended, My trouble is almost done, My warfare is almost ended, And then I am going home." "God bless the holy people, The Presyterian two (?) Those shouting Methodists (?) And the praying Baptists too."

Supplemental text

My Warfare Will Soon Be Ended
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

From the Frank C. Brown collection, Volume II, #294, pp. 682-683.
Received from Southgate Jones, Durham, North Carolina, in 1920.
Printed as given in Brown, spellings and all.

1 My Warfair will soon be ended
  My trouble is almost don
  My warfair is almost ended
  And then I am going home.

2 God bless the Holy people
  The Presbetiran twoo,
  Those shoutain Meterdos
  And the prayin Babtis twoo.

3 My Warfair will soon be ended
  My trouble is almost don
  My warfair is almost ended
  And then I am going home.

Presumed original:

My warfare will soon be ended,
My trouble is almost done.
My warfare is almost ended
And then I am going home.

God bless the holy people,
The Presbyterians too.
Those shouting Methodists
And the praying Baptists too.

(Repeat first verse.)

Notes

Brown's informant described this as the last words of William S. Shackleford (for whom see the notes on the song with the same title). But it is clearly a generic hymn. Shackleford, a lay preacher, may have sung it at the gallows, but he probably did not originate it; both verses are attested in other religious songs. - RBW

References

1. BrownII 294, "William Shackleford's Farewell Song As Sung by Shackleford" (1 text)
2. ST BrII294 (Full)
3. BI, BrII294