The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #116137   Message #2512221
Posted By: Richie
10-Dec-08 - 09:18 PM
Thread Name: Origins: The authors of the 'Carter Family songs'
Subject: Lyr Add: NO DEPRESSION (IN HEAVEN)
No Depression in Heaven also known as "No Depression" is a song that was first recorded by the original Carter Family in 1936 during the Great Depression 1929-1938). The song is based on the 1936 "No Depression in Heaven" by James David Vaughan and was published in his songbooks.

James David Vaughan (1864-1941) was a music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company.

Vaughan was born in Giles County, Tennessee on December 14, 1864, the son of George Washington and Eliza (Shores) Vaughan. He died February 9, 1941.

Vaughan is generally considered to be the founder of the genre now known as "Southern Gospel" music. He started the James D. Vaughan Music Publishing Company in 1902 and in 1910, he was the first to establish a professional quartet and put them on the road for the purpose of selling songbooks. The Vaughan School of Music was formed in 1911. Numerous gospel performers would study there in the following years. In 1912, Vaughan began the Vaughan Family Visitor, an influential publication across the South during the early 20th century.

In 1922, Vaughan founded one of the first radio stations in Tennessee, WOAN, where he broadcasted Southern Gospel music until 1930. He also founded the first record company based in the South, Vaughan Phonograph Records. Vaughan was also involved in local politics, serving as mayor of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee from 1923 to 1927, a position his brother Charles Wesley and son would hold after him.


NO DEPRESSION (IN HEAVEN)- CARTER FAMILY (1936)
This song was recorded by The Original Carter Family for Decca (De 5242) in New York, NY, Monday, 8 Jun 1936 (another take remained unissued). It was re-recorded (for radio transcription use) on Wednesday, 10 Jun 1936.

For fear the hearts of men are failing,
For these are latter days we know.
The Great Depression now is spreading,
God's word declared it would be so.

CHORUS: I'm going where there's no depression,
To the lovely land that's free from care.
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble,
My home's in Heaven, I'm going there.

In that bright land, there'll be no hunger,
No orphan children cryin' for bread,
No weeping widows, toil or struggle,
No shrouds, no coffins, and no death.

This dark hour of midnight nearing
And tribulation time will come.
The storms will hurl in midnight fear
And sweep lost millions to their doom.