“Little Bessie” is a sentimental song of the nineteenth century, one of the “dying child” pieces that were a staple of Victorian-era parlor and gospel singing. Its words and tune date to around 1870, though the precise origins are uncertain and the song may be older still.
The lyric is a deathbed scene: a small girl, Bessie, lies dying in her mother’s arms, describing the angels and the heaven she sees before her, comforting her grieving mother even as she slips away. That kind of tender, tearful subject — hard for modern listeners but deeply moving to audiences of its time — kept the song in the tradition long after the Victorian vogue for such pieces had passed.
“Little Bessie” was carried into the country and bluegrass repertoire by acts including the Blue Sky Boys and the Stanley Brothers.
