They Hung Him on a Cross
Encyclopedia
"He Never Said a Mumblin' Word" (also known as "They Hung Him on a Cross" and sometimes "Easter") is an American
spiritual
folk song.
The song narrates a tale of a man who, though not present at his death, witnesses the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and describes how Christ rose from the dead, was hung on the cross, "whopped up the hill", split in the side, "hung his head and died", was silent whilst dying, and coming back, all for the protagonist. Like all traditional music, the lyrics variate from version to version but maintain the same story.
and John Lomax
collected the song whilst on a visit to Camp C at Louisiana State Penetentiary in Angola
in the early 1930s, where they also discovered blues musician, Lead Belly, who later recorded several versions of the song from 1945 onwards. According to Lead Belly, the song originated from "down south
" and claimed to have learnt it from his mother, Sallie Brown. It is noted; in American Ballads and Folk Songs, an anthology of songs collected by the Lomaxs throughout the 1930s and 1940s; that the song is known throughout Louisiana
, Texas
, Mississippi
and Tennessee
and was titled "Never Said a Mumbalin' Word." However, the song originates back to when the United States endorsed slavery
, assuming the song pre-dates 1865. It is known to be a companion piece to, and possibly holds the same author(s) as, "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)?", another spiritual.
At least three versions of the song are known to have been recorded by the American blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. His earliest version was recorded on February 15, 1945 as part of the Standard Oil Company-sponsored radio show Let it Shine on Me in San Francisco, California
. It was recorded as the final part of medley
along with two other spiritual songs, "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
", featuring children singing along. The song was recorded under the title "They Hung Him on a Cross", whereas his final two recordings of the song, recorded during his last recording sessions ranging from September 27, 1948 to November 5, 1948 in New York with producer Frederic Ramsey, Jr., list the song as "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word." An accapella version of the song and a solo acoustic version of the song were recorded and are featured on Smithsonian Folkways
1994 box set Lead Belly's Last Sessions.
The Jury
Members of American alternative rock
bands Nirvana
and the Screaming Trees
formed a side project known as The Jury in 1989, featuring Kurt Cobain
on vocals and guitar, Mark Lanegan
on vocals, Krist Novoselic
on bass
and Mark Pickerel on drums
. Over two days of recording sessions, on August 20 and 28, 1989, the band recorded four songs also performed by Lead Belly; "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?", an instrumental version of "Grey Goose", "Ain't it a Shame" and "They Hung Him on a Cross"; the latter of which featured Cobain solo. Cobain was inspired to record the songs after receiving a copy of Lead Belly's Last Sessions from friend Slim Moon
, after which hearing it he "felt a connection to Leadbelly's almost physical expressions of longing and desire."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
folk song.
The song narrates a tale of a man who, though not present at his death, witnesses the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and describes how Christ rose from the dead, was hung on the cross, "whopped up the hill", split in the side, "hung his head and died", was silent whilst dying, and coming back, all for the protagonist. Like all traditional music, the lyrics variate from version to version but maintain the same story.
Origins
The song's exact author and origins are unknown. Folklorists Alan LomaxAlan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
and John Lomax
John Lomax
John Avery Lomax was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist and folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk songs...
collected the song whilst on a visit to Camp C at Louisiana State Penetentiary in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
in the early 1930s, where they also discovered blues musician, Lead Belly, who later recorded several versions of the song from 1945 onwards. According to Lead Belly, the song originated from "down south
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
" and claimed to have learnt it from his mother, Sallie Brown. It is noted; in American Ballads and Folk Songs, an anthology of songs collected by the Lomaxs throughout the 1930s and 1940s; that the song is known throughout Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and was titled "Never Said a Mumbalin' Word." However, the song originates back to when the United States endorsed slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, assuming the song pre-dates 1865. It is known to be a companion piece to, and possibly holds the same author(s) as, "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)?", another spiritual.
Known versions
Lead BellyAt least three versions of the song are known to have been recorded by the American blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. His earliest version was recorded on February 15, 1945 as part of the Standard Oil Company-sponsored radio show Let it Shine on Me in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It was recorded as the final part of medley
Medley
-Sports:*Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles*Medley relay races at track meets-Music:*Medley , multiple pieces strung together*"Medley" -People:...
along with two other spiritual songs, "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
", featuring children singing along. The song was recorded under the title "They Hung Him on a Cross", whereas his final two recordings of the song, recorded during his last recording sessions ranging from September 27, 1948 to November 5, 1948 in New York with producer Frederic Ramsey, Jr., list the song as "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word." An accapella version of the song and a solo acoustic version of the song were recorded and are featured on Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...
1994 box set Lead Belly's Last Sessions.
The Jury
Members of American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
bands Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and the Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period...
formed a side project known as The Jury in 1989, featuring Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
on vocals and guitar, Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
on vocals, Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Mark Pickerel on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Over two days of recording sessions, on August 20 and 28, 1989, the band recorded four songs also performed by Lead Belly; "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?", an instrumental version of "Grey Goose", "Ain't it a Shame" and "They Hung Him on a Cross"; the latter of which featured Cobain solo. Cobain was inspired to record the songs after receiving a copy of Lead Belly's Last Sessions from friend Slim Moon
Slim Moon
Slim Moon is the founder of the independent music label, Kill Rock Stars. He also started its sister label, 5 Rue Christine...
, after which hearing it he "felt a connection to Leadbelly's almost physical expressions of longing and desire."
External links
- LiveNIRVANA Sessions Guide to The Jury - a comprehensive guide to The Jury's recording session for the song