The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #131   Message #1342875
Posted By: Joe Offer
30-Nov-04 - 12:57 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Jacob's Ladder
Subject: RE: Request for Jacob's Ladder info.
The Traditional Ballad Index identifies four "Jacob's Ladder" songs. Here's their entry for Jacob #1:

Jacob's Ladder (I)

DESCRIPTION: "I am (we are) climbing Jacob's ladder... And I won't be troubled any more. As soon as my feet strikes Zion's walls, I won't be troubled any more." "Goin' to see my father/mother/sister/brother in the kingdom...." Alternate end: "Soldiers of the cross."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1901 (Dett)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE) West Indies(Bahamas)
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Dett, p. 118, "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder (Jacob's Ladder)" (1 text, 1 tune; p. 118 in the 1901 edition)
BrownIII 536, "Jacob's Ladder" (3 texts, but only the "B" text could be this, and even it might be something else)
BrownSchinhanV 536, "Jacob's Ladder" 3 tunes plus text excerpts)
Combs/Wilgus 320, p. 190, "Jacob's Ladder" (1 text)
Lomax-FSNA 235, "Jacob's Ladder" (1 text, 1 tune, plus a union/liberal parody)
Fuson, p. 204, "Hide Thou Me" (1 text, probably a mix, with the form of "Rock of Ages (II -- Hide Me Over Rock of Ages" but verses from "Jacob's Ladder"); p. 213, "I Am On My Way" (1 text)
SharpAp 212, "Jacob's Ladder" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 358, "Jacob's Ladder" (1 text)
DT, JACOBLDR*
ADDITIONAL: Elsie Clews Parsons, "Spirituals and Other Folklore from the Bahamas" in _The Journal of American Folklore_, Vol. 41, No. 162 (Oct-Dec 1928 (made available online by JSTOR)), Anthems: Cat Island #24 p. 463, ("Oh gwine ter climb up Jacob ladder") (1 text)

Roud #2286
RECORDINGS:
Armstrong & Highley, "Climbing Jacob's Ladder" (Paramount 3291, 1932)
Chumbler Family, "Jacob's Ladder" (Columbia 15481-D, 1929)
Maddox Bros. & Rose, "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" (4-Star 1473, n.d. but post-WWII)
Frank & James McCravy, "Jacob's Ladder" (Victor 21188, 1928) (OKeh 45128, 1927) (Brunswick 192, 1928)
Pete Seeger, "Jacob's Ladder" (on HootenannyCarnegie) (on PeteSeeger47) (on PeteSeeger26)

CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Don't You Weep After Me" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Jacob's Ladder (V)" (lyrics, theme)
NOTES: In Gen. 28:12, Jacob dreams of a "ladder" (ramp/stairway) from earth with its top "reaching to heaven, and the angels of God climbing up and down it." - RBW
Last updated in version 4.1
File: CW190A

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.


Here are the lyrics we have in the Digital Tradition:

JACOB'S LADDER

l. We are climbing Jacob's ladder (3x)
Soldiers of the cross (brothers, sisters all)
2. Every round goes higher,higher
3. Sinners do you love your Jesus?
4. If you love him, why not serve him?
5. Rise, shine, give God the glory.
6. We are climbing higher, higher

New chorus by Pete Seeger, In Allen (et al) Slave Songs
of the US, l867, Pilgrims Hymnal, Friends Hymnal, and other
sources. WS
note: In the 1930's this was used as a union rallying song, with the
chorus, "Workers of the South"

From "Rise up singing" ed. Peter Blood-Patterson:
@spiritual
filename[ JACOBLAD
WS
OCT98