With longing for that mother who used to carry him upon her back to the dewy fields, where she, setting her babe upon the springing grass at the end of the row, began her daily task with the hoe, returning now and then to give him of her breast; for her whose beaming eyes turned back until the coming of the night, when she again held him in her arms, the slave sang in bitter tears. Her tender help was gone. Father's smile was no more.[54] "My mother's sick an' my father's dead, Got nowhere to lay my weary head." "My mother an' my father both are dead ... Good Lord, I cannot stay here by myself. I'm er pore little orphan chile in de worl', I'm er pore little orphan chile in de worl' ..."[55] "My mother'n yo' mother both daid an' gone, My mother'n yo' mother both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe. My folks an' yo' folks both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe. My brother an' yo' brother both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe."[56] With great hope the slave sang: "Gwine to see my mother some o' dese mornin's, See my mother some o' dese mornin's, See my mother some o' dese mornin's, Look away in de heaven, Look away in de heaven, Lord, Hope I'll jine de band. Look away in de heaven, Lord, Hope I'll jine de band."[57] To express his sorrow and his longing for relief from the burdens of his condition the slave sang: "One more valient soldier here, One more valient soldier here, One more valient soldier here, To help me bear de cross."[58] "My trouble is hard, O yes, My trouble is hard, O yes, Yes indeed my trouble is hard."[59] "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, Nobody knows but Jesus. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, Glory halleluyah! Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down! O yes, Lord! Sometimes I'm almost to de groun'! O yes, Lord! What makes old Satan hate me so? O yes, Lord, Because he got me once, but he let me go; O yes, Lord!"[60] "Ever since my Lord done set me free, Dis ole worl' been a hell to me, I am de light un de worl'."[61] "Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, All God's children have a hard time. "Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, My Lord had a hard time too."[62] "I'm a-trouble in de mind, O I'm a-trouble in de mind. I'm a-trouble in de mind, What you doubt for? I'm a-trouble in de mind."[63] "I'm in trouble, Lord, I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble, Lord, Trouble about my grave, Trouble about my grave, Trouble about my grave. Sometimes I weep, sometimes I mourn, I'm in trouble about my grave; Sometimes I can't do neither one, I'm in trouble about my grave."[64]