The Grateful Dead version of this traditional 'lowering down' funeral song originates from a recording by Joseph Spence and the Pindar Family which was released in 1965. The title used on that recording, as on many others, is I Bid You Good Night. This song appears to share a common ancestry with the song Sleep On Beloved from North East England.
Part of the liner notes for the Waterson:Carthy album provide information about Sleep On Beloved:
"In the 1960s, the Incredible String Band renamed a song called 'I Bid You Goodnight' which they learned from Jody Stecher's recordings of the great Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence and his family, the Pindar family, and the song became, for some folkies, one of those great standards. A year or two ago, John Howson visited Staithes to record the Fisherman's Choir, and was accompanied by Maggie Hunt who, at the same time, was interviewing the individuals involved. During conversations, Mr Willie Wright sung a snatch of the Sankey hymn 'Sleep On Beloved' which he described as a lowering down song at funerals, and which was clearly the same song as 'I Bid You Goodnight' but in an earlier form, and when Norma heard it she went to see Willie, who kindly provided her with the other verses. When we sang the song to Jody Stecher, he was enormously pleased, not least because its function as a funeral song in the Bahamian fishing community was identical to that in its North Yorkshire counterpart."I Bid You Goodnight and Sleep On Beloved appear to have developed from the hymn The Christian's "Good Night" written by Ira Sankey and Sarah Doudney probably towards the end of the nineteenth century. The music can be heard by loading the following web page; http://tch.simplenet.com/htm/goodnite.htm
The first lines, or part of the first lines, of the hymn "Sleep on beloved sleep on take thy rest lay down thy head upon the Saviours breast we loved thee well but Jesus loved thee best" have at times been a commonly used memorial inscription on gravestones. The words of the hymn are given at the bottom of this page.
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Fox Hollow Vol VII: 1972, Various Artists (Jane Voss), 1972The words of the hymn The Christian's Goodnight are as follows;
Sleep on, beloved, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon the Savior's breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best
Good night! Good night! Good night!Calm is thy slumber as an infant's sleep;
But thou shalt wake no more to toil and weep;
Thine is a perfect rest, secure and deep
Good night! Good night! Good night!Until the shadows from this earth are cast,
Until He gathers in His sheaves at last;
Until the twilight gloom be over past
Good night! Good night! Good night!Until the Easter glory lights the skies,
Until the dead in Jesus shall arise,
And He shall come, but not in lowly guise
Good night! Good night! Good night!Until, made beautiful by love divine,
Thou, in the likeness of thy Lord shalt shine,
And He shall bring that golden crown of thine
Good night! Good night! Good night!Only "Good night," beloved--not "farewell!"
A little while, and all His saints shall dwell
In hallowed unison indivisible
Good night! Good night! Good night!Until we meet again before His throne,
Clothed in the spotless robe He gives His own,
Until we know even as we are known
Good night! Good night! Good night!
