> Leon Rosselson > Songs > Dig My Grave

Dig My Grave

[ Roud 15633 ; Ballad Index FSWB350B ; trad.]

A group of men from Andros Island sang Dig My Grave in an August 1935 field recording made by Alan Lomax and Mary Elizabeth Barnicle. It was included in 1999 on the Rounder anthology Bahamas 1935 in the Alan Lomax Collection / Deep River of Song series.

The Galliards (Robin Hall, Jimmie Macgregor, Shirley Bland and Leon Rosselson) sang this Bahamian spiritual in 1962 on Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor’s Decca album A Rovin’.

Chaim Tannenbaum sang lead vocals on Dig My Grave on Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s 1998 CD The McGarrigle Hour. The sleeve notes commented:

A Bahamian rhyming spiritual learned from a favourite Sam Charter anthology, this song played a special part in Kate and Anna’s shows for many years as a showcase for Chaim’s extraordinary singing.

This video shows them in a June 1984 TV concert recorded at the Red Creek Inn in Rochester NY:

Jon Boden got Dig My Grave from the McGarrigles’ album and sang it as the 30 October 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Lyrics

Chaim Tannenbaum sings Dig My Grave

Go and dig my grave both long and narrow,
Make my coffin neat and strong.
Go and dig my grave both long and narrow,
Make my coffin neat and strong.

And it’s two, two to my hand,
It’s two, two to my feet;
It’s two, two to carry me,
Lord, whenever I die.

My little soul’s going to shine like a star,
My little soul’s going to shine like a star,
My little soul’s going to shine like a star,
Lord, I’m bound for Calvary.

Jon Boden sings Dig My Grave

Go and dig my grave both long and narrow,
Make my coffin deep and strong.
Go and dig my grave both long and narrow,
Make my coffin deep and strong.

Well it’s two, two to my hand,
And it’s two, two to my feet;
And it’s two, two to carry me,
Lord, whenever I die.

My little soul’s gonna shine like a star,
My little soul’s gonna shine like a star,
My little soul’s gonna shine like a star,
Lord, I’m bound for Calvary.

Go and dig my grave both long and narrow,
Make my coffin deep and long