Origins: There Is a Balm in Gilead

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords: Balm in Gilead
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 10:25 PM

Miscellaneous Notes-
"There Is a Balm in Gilead"-
Cyberhymnal, with midi- http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/i/tisabalm.htm
Balm in Gilead

African American spiritual-
R. N. Dett, "Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro," 1927, p. 88, with score . Also in "Songs of Zion," etc.
Although sung (and recorded) by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the song is not included in my copy of "The Songs of the Jubilee Singers," but it is in Dett's book (Hampton Institute); the Fisk Institute is credited for some 25 of the songs in the book.

3rd verse- cannot preach; cannot pray; a mistake in the Silbers' Folksinger's Wordbook.

Listed in African American Spirituals Permathread. Many comments in thread 97666: Balm in Gilead

Subject: ADD Version: Balm in Gilead
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 05:11 PM

Balm In Gilead

Chorus:
There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul.
There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul.

Verses:
Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work's in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

If you can preach like Peter,
If you can pray like Paul,
Go home and tell your neighbor,
"He died to save us all."

 G   Em   G   C   G D7
  G   D7   G   D7
  G   Em   G   C   G D7
  G   D7   G
  
  G   C   Bm
  C   G   C   D G D7
  G   C   E7
  Am  G C  D6  D7  G

Source: Folksinger's Wordbook, Silber & Silber, 1973


("cannot" seems to make more sense to me in the Peter & Paul verse)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Balm in Gilead
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 08:44 PM

Here's the entry on this song in E'vry Time I Feel the Spirit (Gwendolyn Sims Warren, 1997)

Gilead, located on the eastern shore of the Jordan River, was a lush and fragrant area, abounding with wildflowers and beautiful forests and glens—in sharp contrast to the stark barrenness of the rest of Palestine. This district was widely known for its precious balm—a soothing, healing ointment— which had great medicinal and aromatic value. Its worth in silver was as priceless as salt in the ancient world. In a well-known Bible story, King David ran to Gilead when he fled from his traitorous son, Absalom, who was trying to take over the throne.
"Is there no balm in Gilead?" is the question the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah posed as he grieved over the sin of the Israelites who had turned their back on God and refused to repent. The enslaved African-Americans found in their new religion the answer, and they sang about it: "Yes, there is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin-sick soul. . . To make the wounded whole." That balm was Jesus Christ. For the afflicted, bruised, and broken soul of the African-American under the horrendous oppression of slavery, the knowledge of Christ brought healing and deliverance.
The text of this still-popular song captures this soothing, timeless mes sage. It says to the Christian: If you're discouraged, if you can't preach like the prophets of old, there is still something for you to do. You can testify to the love of Jesus for all—rich or poor, high or low, black or white.
In performance, the song's rich and comforting harmonies and melodic line and its lyrical cadences, along with its healing message, make "There Is a Balmn in Gilead" a timeless, appealing favorite.

I couldn't find this song in many of the really old source books I have, and I was about to question how old or authentic it is. I did find it in John W. Work's American Negro Songs (1940). Work was a musicology professor at Fisk University, and I believe he followed his ancestors as director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 07:54 PM

Another set of chords (from HERE with midi).

THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD

Refrain:
[F]There is a balm in Gilead
To make the [Bb/F]wound[F]ed [C7]whole;
[F]There is a balm in Gilead
To [F]heal the sin [C7]sick [F]soul.

Some[F]times I feel dis[Bb]couraged,
And [F]think my work's in [C7]vain,
But [F]then the Holy [Bb]Spirit
Re[F]vives my [C7]soul a[Dm][Bb]gain. [D.C]

Refrain

If you can't preach like Peter,
If you can't pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.

Refrain

~Masato

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Balm in Gilead
From: wilco
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 07:46 PM

thanks !!!!

Subject: ADDVERSE: Balm in Gilead
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 07:39 PM

Here you go, wilco. The chords are from Rise Up Singing The lyrics are what I've gleaned from several sources. I hate the idea of chords, actually - this song sounds best a cappella.
-Joe Offer-

BALM IN GILEAD

cho: There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole,
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

D - - - A / D - BmA D

Sometimes I feel discouraged And think my work's in vain
But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.

D EmA D A / D EmA F#m G

Don't ever be discouraged For Jesus is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge He'll ne'er refuse to lend.
[CHORUS]

If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul
You can tell the love of Jesus, He died to save us all*
[CHORUS]


*Go home and tell your neighbor, He died to save us all.

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Each group of chords is a measure. Dashes mean same as previous measure. Slash indicates the end of a line.

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Here are the lyrics from the Digital Tradition. I can't say I've ever heard the "your father is your friend" phrase anywhere.

BALM IN GILEAD

cho: There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole,
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work's in vain
But then the Holy spirit
Revives my soul again.

Don't ever feel discouraged
Your Father is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge
He'll not refuse to lend.

@religion @spiritual @America
filename[ BALMGIL
TUNE FILE: BALMGIL
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

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Here is the entry on this song from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Balm in Gilead

DESCRIPTION: "There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm... to heal the sin-sick soul." "Sometimes I feel discouraged... But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again." "If you can preach like Peter... Go and tell your neighbour...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (recording, Fisk University Jubilee Quartet)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Dett, p. 88, "There Is a Balm in Gilead" (1 text) (1 tune)
MWheeler, pp. 68-70, "I Come Up Out uv Egypt" (1 text, 1 tune, with this verse and several others not found in the common versions of this song; the result is sort of a bluesy spiritual)
Fuson, pp. 199-200, "The Little Shepherd" (1 text, with this chorus and verses of the form "I am a little (shepherd/scholar/watchman/etc.), I (feed my master's sheep), Over the hills and mountains I daily do them keep")
Warren-Spirit, pp. 93-94, "There Is a Balm in Gilead" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 360, "Balm in Gilead" (1 text)
DT, BALMGIL*
Roud #11967
RECORDINGS:
Harry C. Browne, "Balm of Gilead" (Columbia A-2179, 1917)
Campbell College Quartet, "There Is a Balm in Gilead" (OKeh 8900, 1931; rec. 1930)
Fisk University Jubilee Quartet, "There is a Balm in Gilead" (Victor 16487, 1910; rec. 1909)
Beverly Green, "Balm in Gilead" (on BlackAmRel1)
The King's Heralds, "Balm in Gilead" (Chapel CR 23, n.d.)\
Utica Institute Jubilee Singers, "Balm in Gilead" (Victor 21842, 1929)
NOTES: The Book of Jeremiah refers twice to Gilead's balm (Jer. 8:22, 46:11), but there is no real discussion of what it is used for nor why it is unusually effective (if it is; it is perhaps worth noting that, by Jeremiah's time, Gilead had been in foreign hands for about a century, and had been in Israelite rather than Judean hands for two centuries before that). - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: FSWB360A

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Subject: Chord Req: Balm in Gilead
From: wilco
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 07:22 PM

Anyone got the chords for this one. Thanks!!!!