I'm Going Home

- Dock Reed

Tom Feldmann - National Reso-Phonic guitar/vocals

Jed Germond - Pedal Steel

Paul Liebenow - Upright Bass

Jed Staack - Drums

Lyrics

I’m going home on the morning train (3x)

If you don’t see me you will hear me sing (3x)

All of my sin was taken away, taken away (3x)

Just about the time I thought I was lost (3x)

The dungeon was shooken and my chains fell off (3x)

All of my sin was taken away, taken away (3x)

Up on the cross at Calvary (3x)

Jesus died that we may be free (3x)

All of our sin is taken away, taken away (3x)

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"I'm Going Home on the Morning Train" appears on Negro Folk Music of Alabama, Vol. 5: Spirituals.

Dock Reed sang. No accompaniment, just vocal, making this song both fun and challenging because I had to create the music for it. I took a few liberties.

#1 - I sing all the lines 3x, not just the first.

#2 - I changed the last verse

Reed's last verse was:

Sister Mary wore, three lengths of chain
Sister Mary wore, three lengths of chain
Sister Mary wore, three lenghts of chain and every link was my Jesus name
All of my sin is taken away, taken away
  

I changd it to:

Up on the cross at Calvary (3x)
Jesus died that we may be free (3x)
All of our sin is taken away, taken away (3x)

I wanted to give the reason for why Reed sings ,"All of my sin is taken away".

Dock Reed was an Alabama farmer who is noted as being deeply religious and never sang any "sinful" songs. He was often called upon to lead songs in church's and in the homes of neighbors.

He was 60 years old when he recorded the songs for this album, which was released in 1950. Reed's cousin, Vera Ward Hall joined him on most of the songs and he is usually overshadowed by her fame, due to Hall's large body of work recorded for the Library Of Congress.

Not much is known of Reed. Both Reed and Hall were first recorded by John Lomax in 1937 and Reed continued to record through the 1950's, appearing on several Library Of Congress anthology albums.

I can't locate a date of birth, but since he was 60 at the recording of this release in 1950, one would place his birth somwhere in the late 1890's.

More info on Dock Reed