From the left, Woolman, Barber, and Prewitt stand shoulder to shoulder. Neely stands centered in front of them.

Neely: Easier singing it than to say it, sometimes. Lots of times. A woman I knew, down Trenton, she told me once — when man first walked the earth, living in caves, singing was saying. You didn’t say “good day” then — you sang it. You didn’t say “dinner time” — you sang it, sang it out like a field call. Like a bell.

So we’ll sing it, then. Ain’t exactly what happened but — close enough, sure.

Neely removes his hat and clears his throat. He half-turns and listens for the others to remove their hats, which they do. Neely clears his throat again.

Neely: [singing] Don’t be weary, traveller…

The three: Don’t be weary, traveller…

Neely: Come along home…to Jesus…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: Don’t be weary…traveller…

The three: Don’t be weary, traveller…

Neely: Come along…home…to Jesus…

The three: Come along home to Jesus.

Neely: [spoken] Trav.

Barber: I know, I know.

Neely: You got to bite off that last part better now.

Barber: I know.

Neely: Then do it.

Barber: I know, all right.

Neely: All right. [singing again] My head get wet with the midnight dew…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: Angels bear me witness too…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: [shouted] Trav!

Barber: I know, I know.

Neely: Then do it!

Barber: I got it in my head, Monday, all right. I got it in my head to do it.

Neely: All right then.

Woolman: He wants to tell the story.

Neely: We do tell the story. This is the way.

Woolman: Singing ain’t talking.

Barber: You know it ain’t.

Woolman: Ain’t better.

Neely: You say. I don’t say.

Barber: Oh, we know it.

The three look at each other and chuckle. Neely palms his forehead and sighs.

Woolman: All right, all right — all right. We sing it.

Neely: Oh, don’t do me a favor now.

Woolman: No no, we sing it.

Barber: Sure we sing it.

Neely: [to Prewitt] You got something, low man?

Prewitt: [shakes head]

Woolman: Ain’t saying nothing.

Neely: No, never.

Barber: Nothing, the low man.

Neely: Sing low…

Barber: …talk lower.

Prewitt: [laughs silently]

Barber: Laugh the lowest of all!

All four start laughing.

Neely: All right, all right, all right, now. We ready.

Barber: We ready.

Neely faces front and clears his throat.

Woolman: [stifling laughter] ‘Cept Prewitt want the lead this time.

Prewitt reaches around Barber to smack Woolman on the arm. Barber bites his lip. Neely continues to face forward, setting his jaw.

Barber: [imitating Neely] All right now. We ready.

Woolman: We ready.

Beat.

Barber: ‘Cept for Prewitt.

[The three start laughing again. Neely slowly turns around.]

Woolman: Prewitt ain’t ready! You ready, Prewitt?

Prewitt: [shrugs, laughing]

Neely: Can you get ready, Prewitt? CAN YOU GET READY?

[The three stop laughing.]

Neely: Do you think you can get ready, Prewitt?

Prewitt: [raises eyebrows, nods]

Neely: …Travis.

Barber: Ready, Monday.

Neely: And Jesse.

Woolman: I’ve been ready, Monday.

Neely: Then, now, I turn around. Like I do. Every night.

Neely turns around. The three shake their arms out. Barber and Woolman exchange a look. Barber rolls his eyes.

Neely: [singing] Where to go I did not know…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: Ever since…He freed my soul…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: I look at the world and the world look new…

The three: Come along home to Jesus…

Neely: I look at my hands and they look so too…

All four: Come along home to Jesus.

Neely: [softly] All right, now.

All four: I look at my hands…and they look so too. Come along home. To Jesus.

After a moment, Neely half-turns.

Woolman: I know that’ll do.

Neely: It’ll do. It will.

Barber: We done.

Woolman: I know we done. We sang it.

Neely: Said it too. All right.

Woolman: Prewitt want to do “Dry Bones” next time.

Neely: “Dry Bones” ain’t a nighttime song.

Barber: That’s what I said.

Woolman: What ain’t you said now?

Barber: But maybe we do —

Neely: That ain’t a nighttime song either.

Barber: Maybe I might have said “Standing In The Need Of Prayer.”

Neely: Ain’t a nighttime song either, I’m saying.

Barber: Could be a nighttime song. We could sing it like a nighttime song.

Woolman: Sure we could. Soft.

Barber: Slow and quiet like a nighttime song. Like a regular nighttime song. Stretch it out real quiet.

Neely: Carry it over the fence, you mean.

Barber: Carry it over, rest it down over there, not wake ’em up, like “Reach A My Home.”

Neely: Stretch it out real quiet.

Barber: Real quiet. Then rest it down.

Neely: Like “Reach A My Home,” like “Reach A My Home.” Hmm.

Beat.

Woolman: Prewitt want to do that one, too. And “O Rocks Don’t Fall On Me.”

Barber: “‘Cause I Got One For A Head.”

All four start laughing. Prewitt smacks Barber.

Woolman: I know that’s a nighttime song.

Barber: That’s a nighttime song every night.

Neely: Yeah, yeah, I heard that song before.

Barber: Every night. I’m saying.

Neely: And I heard it. [looks offstage] All right. Let’s go on now.

Woolman: “For A Head.” Oh, sure.

Neely: All right. We go on now.

My name is Monday Neely, and that’s Jesse Woolman and Travis Barber, and Leonard Prewitt’s singing bass. We all died of typhoid fever September 23, 1858.

May 12, 2003

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