{"id":1315,"date":"2011-05-16T13:39:29","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T20:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/?page_id=1315"},"modified":"2021-04-03T21:58:57","modified_gmt":"2021-04-04T04:58:57","slug":"folkish-songs-for-worship","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/?page_id=1315","title":{"rendered":"Folkish songs for worship"},"content":{"rendered":"

See also on this site:
\nRise Up Singing<\/em> as a UU hymnal<\/a>
\nFolkish hymns in SLT<\/em> and STJ<\/em><\/a>
\nShape note hymns in SLT<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Amazing Grace to a different tune<\/strong><\/p>\n

The tune New Britain was attached to the hymn “Amazing Grace” well after it was written. Here’s another tune that got attached to “Amazing Grace”; it comes with a chorus as well.<\/p>\n

Amazing Grace to the tune Jewett<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Tree Wassail<\/strong> — Traditional English<\/p>\n

For the Christmas season.<\/p>\n

Intro: Lily, white lily, o lily-white pin [meaning, a bright silver pin]
\nPlease to come down and let us come in.
\nLily, white lily, o lily-white smock
\nPlease to come down and pull back the lock.<\/p>\n

Refrain:
\nFor it’s our wassail, jolly wassail
\nJoy come to our jolly wassail.
\nWell they may bloom and well they may bear
\nThat we may have apples and cider next year.<\/p>\n

1. Master and mistress, oh are you within?
\nPlease to come down and let us come in.<\/p>\n

Refrain.<\/p>\n

2-4. There was an old farmer who had an old cow
\nBut for to milk her he didn’t know how
\nHe put his old cow all in his old barn
\nAnd a little more liquor won’t do us no harm
\nHarm me boy harm, harm me boys harm
\nAnd a little more liquor won’t do us no harm.<\/p>\n

Refrain.<\/p>\n

Outro: Lily, white lily, o lily-white pin
\nPlease to come down and let us come in.
\nLily, white lily, o lily-white smock
\nPlease to come down and pull back the lock.<\/p>\n

Tag: Oh, the ringles and the jingles, and the tenor of the song goes:
\nMerrily — merrily — merrily;
\nOh, the tenor of the song goes:
\nMerrily;–<\/p>\n

(spoken) Hatfuls and capfuls and three bushel bags’ full
\nAnd little heaps under the stairs
\nHip, hip, hooray!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Breathing In, Breathing Out<\/strong> — Thich Nhat Hanh<\/p>\n

No longer stored here; song is under copyright.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Bright Morning Stars<\/strong> — Traditional European American<\/p>\n

No longer stored here; the version of the song I know may be under copyright.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Consensus Song<\/strong> — Beth Corrigan<\/p>\n

Written by Beth at a UU young adult conference in 1997. Arranged by DH.<\/p>\n

Consensus (3x)
\nYou sit around and talk about it, sit around and talk about it, sit around and talk about it,
\nTrying to reach…<\/p>\n

Consensus (3x)
\nYou sit around and talk about it, sit around and talk about it, sit around and talk about it,
\nTrying to reach…<\/p>\n

But if you dig in your heels, and stick to your guns, and don’t budge an inch,
\nYou don’t have to reach….<\/p>\n

Yaddah (30x)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Country Life<\/strong> — Trad. English<\/p>\n

No longer stored here.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Evening Breeze<\/strong> — Anonymous<\/p>\n

No longer stored here.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Friendly Beasts<\/strong><\/p>\n

No longer stored here.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Funga Alafia<\/strong> — Nigerian?<\/p>\n

Lots of different transciprtions of this out there, and lots of alleged translations. Makes me wonder about the actual origins, but it’s a great song.<\/p>\n

Funga alafia, a’che, a’che
\nFunga ilaya, a’che a’che
\nFunga alafia, a’che, a’che
\nFunga ilaya, a’che a’che<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Get On Board<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the African American tradition. This is a Universalist version of the song which emphasizes the inherent worth of everybody. The chorus comes from Bryan Baker; verses one and three from The Book of American Negro Spirituals<\/em>; verses two and four from white bluegrass singers.<\/p>\n

Chorus:<\/em><\/p>\n

Get on board, everybody,
\nGet on board, everybody,
\nGet on board, everybody,
\nThere’s room for many-a more.
\nGet on board, everybody,
\nGet on board, everybody,
\nGet on board, everybody,
\nThere’s room for many-a more.<\/p>\n

1. The freedom train is comin’,
\nI hear it just at hand,
\nI hear them car wheels movin’,
\nAnd rumblin’ through the land.<\/p>\n

2. I see that train a-coming,
\nA-coming round the curve,
\nShe’s loosened all her steam and brakes,
\nAnd strainin’ every nerve.<\/p>\n

3. The fare is cheap and all can go,
\nThe rich and poor are there,
\nNo second class aboard this train,
\nNo difference in the fare.<\/p>\n

4. It rolls across the trestle,
\nIt spans the Jordan’s tide,
\nBehold the union depot,
\nThat’s where this train will ride.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Go Ahead<\/strong> — Trad. African American<\/p>\n

No longer stored here.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Graces<\/strong><\/p>\n

No longer stored here.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Helston Furry<\/strong> — Trad. Cornish May song<\/p>\n

1. Oh, we were up as soon as day
\nfor to fetch the summer home-ah.
\nOh, the summer is a-coming on,
\nand winter is a-gone-ah.<\/p>\n

Cho. With a halantow, sing merry-oh!
\nsing halantow, sing merry.
\nWith a halantow, sing merry-oh!
\nsing halantow, sing merry.<\/p>\n

2. Oh, we’ve been rambling half the night,
\nand almost all the day-ah.
\nAnd now returning back again,
\nwe’ve brought you a branch of May-ah.<\/p>\n

Cho.<\/p>\n

3. Oh, Robin Hood and Little John,
\nthey’ve both gone to the fair-ah.
\nAnd we will to the merry greenwood
\nfor to hunt the buck and hare-ah.<\/p>\n

Cho.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Hold On<\/strong> — Trad.<\/p>\n

1. Paul and Silas bound in jail, had no money for to go their bail.
\nPaul and Silas began to shout, jail doors opened and they walked out.<\/p>\n

Cho.: Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on, hold on!
\nHold on! (hold on, hold on) Hold on!
\nKeep your eyes on the prize, hold on (hold on, hold on), hold on!<\/p>\n

2. The only thing that we did wrong was staying in the wilderness too long,
\nThe only thing that we did right, was the day we begun to fight.<\/p>\n

3. The only chain that I can stand is the chain of a hand in hand,
\nSound’s like freedom’s getting mighty near, hold my hand, got nothing to fear.<\/p>\n

4. One of these days about 12 o’clock, this old world’s gonna reel and rock,
\nOne of these days at the rising sun, weeping and sadness will be done.<\/p>\n

5. Ain’t been to heaven but I been told, everyone there wears a crown of gold,
\nAin’t been to heaven, here’s what I say: we could make a heaven on earth some day.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

(There’s) Honey in the Rock<\/strong> — Trad.?<\/p>\n

As learned from Nick Page. The chorus from Alice Wine of Johns Island, South Carolina. Verses from Nick and oral tradition.<\/p>\n

Refrain:
\nThere’s honey in the rock, for all God’s children,
\nHoney in the rock, honey in the rock.
\nThere’s honey in the rock, for all God’s children,
\nFeed every child of God.<\/p>\n

Verses:<\/p>\n

Cho.: There’s honey in the rock for all God’s children,
\nHoney in the rock, honey in the rock,
\nThere’s honey in the rock for all God’s children,
\nFeed every child of God.<\/p>\n

1. Hypocrite, hypocrite, God despise,
\nTongue so sweet yet s\/he still tells lies<\/p>\n

2. When I’m happy I’ll shout and sing! (Feed every child of God.)
\nMake the earth and heavens ring! (Feed every child of God.)<\/p>\n

2. Heart to heart, and hand to hand,
\nTogether we’ll push to the promised land.<\/p>\n

3. We can have justice if we care,
\nRight is right and fair is fair.<\/p>\n

4. One of these days about twelve o’clock,
\nthis ol’ world’s gonna reel and rock.<\/p>\n

5. If chains hold us down, gotta break the lock,
\nThen we’ll taste sweet honey in the rock.<\/p>\n

Guitar chords:
\nRefrain: Em – – – \/D – Em – \/Em – – – \/G Bm Em
\nVerses: Am – Em – \/ G Bm Em :\/\/<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ll Be All Right<\/strong> — trad. African American<\/p>\n

In their book Sing for Freedom<\/em>, Guy and Candie Carawan call this a variant of “We Shall Overcome.” However, David W. Stowe, in How Sweet the Sound<\/em>, traces “We Shall Overcome” back to a gospel song arranged by Charles Tindley and printed in a song collection compiled by C. Austin Miles titled Songs of the Gospel<\/em>. “I’ll Be All Right” may represent a separate evolution of an earlier song that was popular in African American churches in the late 19th C. Some of the verses below come from a 1946 food and tobacco workers strike in Charleston, S.C.<\/p>\n

1. I’ll be all right, well I’ll be all right
\nWell, I’ll be all right some day.
\nAll of my troubles will be over,
\nand I’ll be free at last
\nWell, I’ll be all right some day.<\/p>\n

2. [Love\/God] will see us through, yes love will see us through…
\nWell, love will see us through some day.
\nAll of my troubles will be over,
\nand I’ll be free at last
\nWell, I’ll be all right some day.<\/p>\n

3. I’ll sing my song…<\/p>\n

4. We will overcome…<\/p>\n

5. I’ll be all right…<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Listen, Listen, Listen<\/strong> — Paramahansa Yogananda<\/p>\n

No longer stored here; I learned this song is under copyright.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

May Song<\/strong> — Trad. Cambridgeshire<\/p>\n

1. Arise, arise, you pretty fair maids\/men,
\nAnd take your May bush in, for
\nIf it is gone before tomorrow morn
\nYou will say we have brought you none.<\/p>\n

2. O the hedges and the fields are growing green,
\nAs green as green can be, our
\nGod in heaven watereth them
\nWith the heavenly dews so sweet.<\/p>\n

3. God bless this house and all who live within,
\nYour riches and your store,
\nFor summer springs so fresha nd green and gay,
\nBoth for now and forevermore.<\/p>\n

4. So now we’re going to leave you pretty maids\/men,
\nIn peace and plenty here,
\nWe will return to you another year,
\nFor to drive the winter cold away.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Oh How Lovely Is the Evening<\/strong> — Trad. German round<\/p>\n

In spite of what the sheet music<\/a> says, this appears to have originally been a German round.<\/p>\n

Words for a morning version:<\/p>\n

Greet the new day with our singing, with our singing
\nSet the freedom bells a-ringing, bells a-ringing
\nDing, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Souling Song<\/strong> — Traditional English<\/p>\n

Refrain:
\nA soul, a soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake,
\nAn apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, any good thing to make us merry,
\nOne for Peter, one for Paul, one for the One who made us all.<\/p>\n

Verses:
\n1. God bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too,
\nAnd all the pretty children that round your table go,
\nLikewise the maidens and young men, your cattle and your store,
\nAnd all that dwell within your gates, we wish you ten times more.<\/p>\n

2. The lanes are very dirty, my shoes are very thin,
\nI’ve got a little pocket to put some silver in,
\nIf you haven’t got some silver a ha’penny will do,
\nIf you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you.<\/p>\n

Chords (sounds good in dropped-D):
\nChorus: Em D Em – – D Em – \/ – D Em D Em D Em D \/ Em D Em – – – D Em – \/
\nVerses: Em D Em – – – D Em – \/ – D Em – – – D Em – \/ – D Em – – D Em – – \/ – D Em – – – D Em<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Swimming to the Other Side<\/strong> — Pat Humphries<\/p>\n

Lyrics on Pat Humphries’ Web site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

This Pretty Planet<\/strong> — Tom Chapin et al.<\/p>\n

As learned from Michele Volleque.<\/p>\n

This pretty planet, spinning through space, our garden, our harbor, our holy place.
\nGolden sun going down, gentle blue giant, spin us around.
\nAll through the night, safe till the morning light.<\/p>\n

Chords:
\nD G A D \/ ” \/ ” \/<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Yonder Come Day<\/strong> — Trad. African American or West Indies<\/p>\n

Yondeh come day, day is a-breakin,
\nYondeh come day, o mah soul.
\nYondeh come day, day is a-breakin,
\nSun is a risin, in mah soul!<\/p>\n

As sung at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., during the processional, winter, 2005. World Music Press has published an arrangement by Judith Cook Tucker (with descant and low parts, as well as a percussion accompaniment). Tucker attributes the song as traditional African American from the Georgia Sea Islands; but I have also seen this song attributed to the West Indies.<\/p>\n

On the Mudcat Web site, I found more verses to “Yonder Come Day”; there’s no tune, but the words sure sound the same. I took some of those verses and made some call-and-response verses, using basically the same tune (responses are in parentheses) — Sheet music<\/a>. More verses to Yonder Come Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See also on this site: Rise Up Singing as a UU hymnal Folkish hymns in SLT and STJ Shape note hymns in SLT Amazing Grace to a different tune The tune New Britain was attached to the hymn “Amazing Grace” well after it was written. Here’s another tune that got attached to “Amazing Grace”; it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":456,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1315","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1315"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8324,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1315\/revisions\/8324"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}