Lyrics
It was nineteen hundred and twenty nine,
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
I remember that day pretty well – nineteen hundred and twenty nine.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
By then they were talkin’ ’bout a storm on the islands.
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
My God, what a beautiful mornin’; they were talkin’ ’bout a storm on the islands.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
By then there was three sails leavin’ out the harbor.
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
With mothers and children on board was three sails leavin’ out the harbor.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
Those sails was the Ethel, and the Myrtle and the Pretoria
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
My God, they was bound’ for Andros, the Ethel, and the Myrtle and the Pretoria
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
Right then the Ethel was bound for Stanyard Creek,
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
With mothers and children on board, then the Ethel was bound or Stanyard Creek.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God then the Myrtl was bound for Fresh Creek,
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
My God what a beautiful morning, then the Myrtl was bound for Fresh Creek
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God – Pretoria was out on the ocean,
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
Dashing from side to side in from a wave.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
Right then, when the big sea built up in the northwest
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
Then children come holdin’ onto mothers when the big sea built up in the northwest
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God, then the first sea hit the Pretoria
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
Then mothers come holdin’ onto children when the first sea hit the Pretoria
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God, then it sent her head down a-to the bottom.
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
Then the captain come grabbing for the tiller when it sent her head down a-to the bottom
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God, it was thirty-three souls on the water,
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
Swimming and praying to their Daniel — God — thirty-three souls on the water.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God, then George Brown – he was the captain
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
He shout “My children come pray!” Now, George Brown – he was the captain.
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
My God, he said “Come now, witness your judgment!”
(Response) Run come see, run come see,
He shout “My children come pray! Come now, witness your judgment!”
(Response) Run come see, Jerusalem.
Song Notes
This song is often listed as “Traditional,” but the author is contemporary-ish, if somewhat under-promoted. There is a very good biographical article about Blind Blake here. Originally I transcribed the lyrics of John Townley leading the X-Seamen’s Institute in their version of this song, but in the several years since I first added Run, Come, See to our website a video was added to YouTube of Blind Blake himself singing his lyrics! The lyrics on this page is my transcription of that!
— Dean Calin