"And He Never Said a Mumblin' Word" (also known as "They Hung Him on a Cross", truncations to as little as "Mumblin' Word" and sometimes "Crucifixion" or "Easter") is an American spiritual folk song.
The song narrates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, detailing how he was nailed to the cross, "whopped up the hill", stabbed in the side, bowed his head and died, all the while keeping a dignified silence: "He never said a mumblin' word".
Like all traditional music, the lyrics vary from version to version but maintain the same story.
The song's author and origins are unknown. It is noted in John and Alan Lomax's American Ballads and Folk Songs, published in 1934, 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", another spiritual. (SEE: http://jopiepopie.blogspot.nl/2015/07/were-you-there-when-they-crucified-my.html)
In 1926 William Arms Fisher made an arrangement for voice and piano, which was published by the Oliver Ditson Company
(o) Roland Hayes 1927 (as "Crucifixion")
Recorded May 4, 1927 (trial recording for the Victor label)
(c) Roland Hayes (1939) (as "Crucifixion")
In October 1939 Hayes re-recorded the song. This time for the Columbia label
Released in February 1940 as part of a 78-rpm album titled "A Song Recital" by Roland Hayes (Columbia album set M-393)
Listen here:
In 1953 Hayes re-recorded it and published his arrangement of the song as part of the song cycle Life of Christ. Later performers also often credit this arrangement.
Listen here at 8 minutes and 30 sec in the next YT
A different arrangement of this spiritual was recorded in 1927 by the Norfolk Jubilee Quartette
(c) Norfolk Jubilee Quartette (as "He Just Hung His Head And Died")
Recorded October 1927
Released in 1929 on Paramount 12734
Listen here:
The 1926 William Arms Fisher arrangement (SEE ABOVE) was recorded in 1931 by John Morel
(c) John Morel (1931) (as "The Crucifixion")
Released on Parlophone R 1011
Listen here:
Folklorists John and Alan Lomax collected the song whilst on a visit to Camp C at Louisiana State Penetentiary in the 1933, where they also discovered blues musician, Leadbelly, who later recorded several versions of the song from 1945 onwards.
(o) prison blacksmith (1933) (as "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word")
Recorded July, 1933 in Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, La.
Matrix 116-A-2
Vocals by a prison blacksmith. (His version is also mentioned in John and Alan Lomax's American Ballads and Folk Songs, published in 1934).
The same month July 1933 the Lomaxes recorded the song in Mississippi State Penitentiary
(c) group of Negro convicts (1933) (as "And He Never Said a Mumblin' Word")
Recorded July 1933 in Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
Matrix 1856 B01
Listen here:
(c) Golden Gate Quartet 1941 (as "He Never Said A Mumblin' Word")
Recorded December 3, 1941 in New York City
Released on Okeh 6529 and Columbia 30042
Listen here:
(c) Leadbelly (1945) (as "They Hung Him On A Cross")
According to Leadbelly, the song originated from "down south" and he claimed to have learned it from his mother, Sallie Brown.
At least three versions of the song are known to have been recorded by Leadbelly. 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 a 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".
Listen here (at 1 min and 35 sec in the next YT):
(c) Leadbelly (1948) (as "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word")
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 were featured on Leadbelly's Last Sessions vol 1 on Folkways
Listen here:
(c) The Jury (1989) (as "They Hung Him On A Cross")
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 Leadbelly; "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 Leadbelly'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."
Listen here:
An arrangement of "Crucifixion" by John Payne was published by G. Schirmer Inc.
and recorded by Marian Anderson.
Marian Anderson already recorded a version in 1938, which was not released.
Marian Anderson recorded this title again on July 1, 1941 as master CS-066353, with piano accompaniment Franz Rupp.
And again in 1951 with Franz Rupp's piano accompaninent
(c) Marian Anderson (1951) (as "Crucifixion")
with Franz Rupp: piano
Recorded May 14, 1951
Listen here:
And here's some beautiful footage of Marian and Franz Rupp at the piano
(c) Josh White (1952) (as "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word")
Recorded March 15, 1951 in London
Josh White, voc, g; Chick Laval, g; Jack Fallon, b
Listen here:
(c) Vera Hall and Dock Reed (1953) (as "Look How They Done My Lord")
Released in 1953 on the Folkways album "Spirituals with Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward"
Listen here:
(c) Sensational Nightingales (1956) (as "See How They Done My Lord")
Recorded in 1955
Released March 1956 on Peacock 5-1761
Listen here:
(c) The GoldeBriars (1964) (as "A Mumblin' Word (He Never Said)")
Listen here:
(c) Roger McGuinn 1996 (as "Easter")
Byrds founder Roger McGuinn recorded two versions of the song. In 1996, he made an mp3 quality recording available for free via his Folk Den website. On the website, McGuinn uses the title "Easter" (from the opening line "On Easter morn he rose").
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