"Children, Go Where I Send Thee" is a traditional African-American spiritual

Spiritual (music)

Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...

 song. This song is also known as "The Holy Baby" or "Born in Bethlehem." There are many versions of this song, the lyrics below were collected by Jean Ritchie

Jean Ritchie

Jean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...

 from a school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

 for black children in Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

. The verses give a Biblical meaning to each number. This song has been performed by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...

, Nina Simone

Nina Simone

Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...

, Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant

Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...

, as well as by The Weavers

The Weavers

The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...

, The Kingston Trio

The Kingston Trio

The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...

, the Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind....

, Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...

, Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs

Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...

, The Burns Sisters

The Burns Sisters

Folk, pop and rock are given a Celtic slant by Ithaca, New York-based vocalists the Burns Sisters. Accompanied by Rich DePaolo's guitar, Eric Aceto's fiddle and their own guitar and mandolin, the three sisters—Annie, Marie and Jeannie—harmonize with heartfelt spirit...

, Linda Randall, the National Christian Choir, Eddie and Joe, Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

, Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...

, Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald

Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...

, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...

, Scala & Kolacny Brothers

Scala & Kolacny Brothers

Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian women's choir, conducted by Stijn Kolacny and arranged and accompanied by Steven Kolacny on the piano. Formed in 1996 and winning the Belgian 'Choir of the Year'-contest in 2000, they have made five studio albums, starting with On The Rocks in 2002.Most songs...

, Southern Rail, Tina Liza Jones, Hall and Oates, REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...

, The J.B.s,and Kelsea Morton.

Lyrics

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one-by-one
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in the manger
Born, born oh, born in Bethlehem.

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee two-by-two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in the manger
Born, born oh, born in Bethlehem.

Three for the three men riding (or: the Hebrew children)
Four for the four that stood at the door (or: were knocking at the door)
Five for the gospel preachers

Five-fold ministry

Fivefold Ministry is a Christian belief that the five offices of Apostle , Prophet , Evangelist , Pastor and Teacher referred to in remain active and valid offices in the contemporary Christian church.Adherents of this ecclesiology also commonly...

 (or: the five that came back alive)
Six for the six that never got fixed (or: picked)
Seven for the seven that never got to Heaven (originally "the seven that all went to Heaven", probably alluding to Luke 20:27-33)
Eight for the eight that waited (or: stood) at the gate
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine (or: the nine that stood in the line)
Ten for the Ten Commandments
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Twelve for the twelve Apostles

Other versions

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

 also recorded this song, and would frequently perform it live with the Carter Family

Carter Family

The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...

, Carl Perkins

Carl Perkins

Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...

, and The Statler Brothers. The lyrics usually used were:

Twelve by twelve that couldn't get help
Eleven by eleven that couldn't get to heaven
Ten by ten that couldn't get in
Nine by nine that dressed so fine
Eight by eight that stood at the gate
Seven by seven that went on to heaven
Six by six that couldn't get fixed
Five by five that couldn't get by
Four by four that stood at the door
And three by the Hebrew children
And two by Paul and Silas
And one by the little bitty baby, who was born, born, born in Bethlehem

Another version

Twelve for the twelve that went to hell
Eleven for the eleven that couldn't get to heaven
Ten for the ten that couldn't get in
Nine for the nine that dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that went to heaven
Six for the six that couldn't get fixed
Five for the Five ol' virgins
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the three old wise men
Two for Joseph and Mary
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in a manger
Whatcha gonna call that stranger?
We're gonna call him JESUS!
Born, Born, Born in Bethlehem!

GoodWill Baptist church Childrens choir version

Little Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee
Im gonna send thee one by one
one for the little bitty baby
laid down in a manger
wrapped in swaddling clothing
rocked in the cradle by Mary
and was born born oh Lord born in Bethlehem!

REO Speedwagon version from their 2009 Christmas album

Hey, baby, I’m gonna send them ten by ten
Ten’s for the Ten Commandments
Nine for the nine who dressed so fine
Eight for the eight who stood at the gate
And seven for the seven who never got to Heaven
And six for the six who never got fixed
Five for the Gospel Preachers
Four for the four who stood at the door
Three’s for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
And one for the little bitty baby
He was born, (yeah, yeah), born, he was born in Bethlehem.
(was born in Bethlehem)

Roger McGuinn' s version from his Folk Den

Folk Den

Folk Den is a folk music website founded in 1995 by Roger McGuinn, former front man of The Byrds. Hosted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's ibiblio, the site is intended to preserve and promote folk music and offers a new folk song on a monthly basis...

[E] Children go [A] where I [E] send [A] thee
[E] How [A] shall I [E] send [A] thee?
[E] I'm gonna [A] send thee [E] one by one [A]
[E] One for the [A] Little Bitty [A] Baby
[E] Who was born, [A] born, [E] born in [B7] Bethlehem [E]

Two for Paul and Silas
Three for the Hebrew children
Four for the four who stood at the door (Matthew Mark Luke and John)'
Five for the Gospel preachers (Paul and the four others who joined him on his missionary journeys: Silas, Barnabus, Timothy, and John Mark)
Six for the jars where the wine was mixed (Miracle at the wedding feast at Cana)
Seven for the seven who came from Heaven (Seven-fold Spirit of God)
Eight for the eight who sealed their fate (The eight people who entered Noah's Ark)
Nine for the ninety-nine in line (Those waiting while the Good Shepherd sought His one lost sheep)
Ten for the ten commandments
Eleven for the eleven who went to Heaven (The twelve disciples minus Judas Iscariot)
Twelve for the twelve Apostles