“Good News” is a nineteenth-century African American Christmas song in which the birth of Jesus is the good news which produces salvation regardless of race. Here are the lyrics as printed in Honey in the Rock: The Ruby Pickens Tartt Collection of Religious Folk Songs.
God knows I am a Christian
Knows I ain’t ashame
De Holy Ghost is my witness
An’ de angel done sign my name.
Chorus : Wa’n’t that good news, good news
Angel brought tidin’s down
Good news, good news
I’m huntin’ fer de Lord.
Oh, one dark night in December
Christ our Savior was born.
De bright light shine from heaven
Down by Bethlehem’s stable door.
Oh, you may be a white man
White as de dribberlin’ snow
Ef yo’ soul ain’t ankeld in Jesus
To hell you showly go.
Oh. “H” stands fer old hell
You may go dere ef you please
Search old hell wid a fine-tooth comb
You won’ find na’y Christian dere.