Mississippi John Hurt Since I Laid My Burden Down

Mississippi John Hurt’s “Since I Laid My Burden Down” is a stand out Gospel tune that he delivers in his own uniquely wonderful style. His singing is a joy to hear and very uplifting.
This tune sounds easy to play but as you get deeper into the arrangement the subtleties and command he has of the guitar is deceptive. In bar six of every verse he uses his fretting hand thumb to play the 4th beat G note on the 6th string to accommodate the slide of his fretting hand little finger the 1st string 3rd fret to the 5th fret and back to the 3rd fret. He changes this to playing the 4th string open D notes instead in verse 4. Good luck with that! You could just play the open D’s until you can manage the ‘thumb trick.’
Insights:
This style of playing has to have a rock steady alternating bass (usually dampened lightly with the palm of your picking hand). This is the foundation for the melody and singing. The notes fall on beats 1, 2, 3 & 4 on strings 6, 5 & 4 and in most cases do not deviate from this structure in a 4/4 time signature except the playing of the 3rd string open G note. Also, they are very repetitive so not that hard to learn.
The melody notes are usually played on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd strings and will have combinations of being on the beat (played at the same time as thumb) and off the beat (syncopation) between the bass notes. To combine the two elements will come easier for some than others but is so rewarding when you can combine the two together (a bit like rubbing your tummy and patting your head simultaneously - only a bit harder)!
I have transcribed down strums with the thumb with an arrow but also notated pick and finger together notes as well as it was difficult to hear the difference in some passages under the singing.
Enjoy.