I Wonder As I Wander

(arr. by John Jacob Niles) 

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall
And the promise of the ages it then did recall

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sly (?) or a bird on the wing
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing
He surely could have seen it, 'cause He was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

--------------
from iNet discussion:

Yes, that's where I first heard it. My dad is a big fan of Joan Baez's earlier works. 

John Jacob Niles seems to have composed this song in the 1930s.
Like several of his other compositions, he made up a story about its folk origin.

Regardless of whether Niles made it up, and then made up a back story to authenticate it,
or collected it in the way he said, or picked it up in some other way, the fact remains,
it's a hell of a good song. Good enough for folk, even.

(1) Does "on'ry" stand for "ordinary" or "ornery"?
(2) Is there any dialect in the world in which "like I" would be considered normal speech? 

(1) The former.
(2) East Anglia, to my certain knowledge; and I think parts of the West Country.
Very likely parts of Newfoundland, too; wouldn't know about rural USA.

'On'ry' very common for Ornery. Heard in many parts of the States and in western Canada.