All my Trials Lord

This is a Gospel / spiritual song which looks forward to a death as a time when life's difficulties are over. Allegedly it is based on a "Bahamian" lullaby which tells of a mother on her death bed, comforting her children about her impending death. Alternative titles include "Bahamian Lullaby" and "All My Sorrows."

The author and composer are unknown.

It was first released in 1956 on Bob Gibson's album Offbeat Folksong. Even at this stage, nothing was said about the original of the song. Subsequently it has been recorded by a wide variety of folk-artists, who have treated it as public domain

The biblical references and religious imagery mean it is usually regarded as a religious song or hymn, although it has not been published in a hymn-book.

Downloads

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PowerPoint
slides

A number of choral (SATB) arragements are available

Examples

Family with traditional-style band:

Folk trio with guitar accompaniment:

Solo singer, guitar accompaniment:

Choral arrangement with piano:

Lyrics

Hush little baby, don't you cry
You know your mama was born to die
All my trials, Lord, soon be over

Too late, my brothers
Too late, but never mind
All my trials, Lord, soon be over

I've got a little book that was given to me
And every page spells liberty
All my trials, Lord, soon be over

There is a tree in Paradise
And the pilgrims call it the Tree of Life
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

River Jordan is chilly and cold
Well it chills the body and not the soul.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

If religion were a thing that money could buy
The rich would live and the poor would die
All my trials, Lord, soon be over

Too late my brothers
Too late but never mind,
All my trials Lord, soon be over.
All my trials Lord, soon be over.

All my trials Lord, soon be over.

ABC Notation

About ABC notation

X:1

T:All my trials

M:4/4

L:1/4

K:D

z A/2A/2 D/2D/2 E/2E/2| F G A/2A/2 B| =c4-| =c3 c| d A A2-| A A/2A/2 A A|\

B4-| G4| F4-| F3 F| F/2 E E/2- E2-| E4| E4-| E3 F| E/2 D/2- D3| z d d A|\

d/2 d/2- d3| z A A B| A/2 D G/2- G2-| G4| F4-| F3 F| F/2 E E/2- E2-|\

E4| E4-| E3 F| E/2 D/2- D3-| D3 z|