Lyrics
(African American Spiritual)
1. It was poor little Jesus, yes, yes,
He was born on Christmas, yes, yes
And laid in a manger, yes, yes.
Wasn’t that a pity and a shame? Lord, Lord,
Wasn’t that a pity and a shame?
2. It was poor little Jesus, yes, yes;
child of Mary, yes, yes;
didn’t have a cradle, yes, yes;
wasn’t that a pity and a shame, Lord, Lord,
wasn’t that a pity and shame?
3. It was poor little Jesus, yes, yes;
they nailed him to the cross, Lord, yes, yes;
they hung him with a robber, yes, yes;
wasn’t that a pity and a shame, Lord, Lord,
wasn’t that a pity and shame?
4. It was poor little Jesus, yes, yes;
he’s risen from darkness, yes, yes;
he’s ‘scended into glory, yes, yes;
no more a pity and a shame, Lord, Lord,
no more a pity and shame?
See also
- Culture: African American Spirituals
- Subject: Christmas
- Harmony: chords i, iv, V
- Meter: 2
- Rhythm:
/ 
- Scale: tetratonic
- Tones: m,l,drm
- Source: American Folk Songs for Children,Ruth Crawford Seeger, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1948
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
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