Ballads & Songs of Southern Michigan-songbook

A Collection of 200+ traditional songs & variations with commentaries including Lyrics & Sheet music

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366         Ballads and Songs of Michigan
151 THE UTILE FAMILY
For references and two texts of this song see Cox, pp. 407-408. See also Carter, JAFL, XLVI, 43-44; Eddy, No. 121; Hudson, JAFL, XXXIX, 174-175; and Scarborough, pp. 195-196. All these texts are very similar. The present version was sung in 1934 by Mrs. Sol Riley, Kalkaska.
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There was a lit - tie fam* - ly that lived in Beth - a -
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i There was a little fam'ly that lived in Bethany; Two sisters and a brother composed this family; With singing and with praying, like angels in the sky, Both morning and at ev'ning they raised their voices high.
2    They were poor and without money; their kindness were
the same; Their doors were always open to Jesus and his friends. But while they lived so happy, so poor, so good, and kind, Their brother was afflicted; he sickened down and died.
3    The Jews went to the sisters, put Lazarus in the tomb, They prayed unto their Father this loving friend to save; When Jesus heard those sayings all in the distant land, So swiftly did he travel to join this lonely band.
4   When Mary saw him coming, she met him on the way; She told him how her brother had died and passed away;