Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: Mo the caller
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 05:40 AM

The way Azizi desribed Miss Crystsal singing 'A preacher went down' was how we did it. The leader sings a line, everyone echos it, sings the next, echo; all sing those 2 lines faster (no echo); two part chorus; someone else leads another verse that they remember or invent.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: Azizi
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 07:10 AM

Btw, the "Paul & Silas bound in jail" line was used in a verse of the African American Civil Rights song {Freedom song} called "Hold On":

Paul and Silas bound in jail
With no money to forgo their bail
Keep your eye on the prize
And hold on

-snip-

See http://www.cocojams.com/freedom_songs.htm for a version of this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: semi-submersible
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 04:59 AM

When Mom was a girl on a bus headed for camp, they began with:

Oh the Deacon went down to the cellar to pray.
He fell asleep and he stayed all day.

The next verse I remember from Mom led naturally into the chorus:

Oh, I grieved my Lord, and I went astray:
I left the straight and narrow way.
[Repeat the verse, faster and without pauses, then chorus:]

I ain't a-gonna grieve my Lord no more.
[Repeat chorus twice fast, then once slow.]

Other verses included:

Oh, you can't get to heaven with powder and paint
'Cause they make you look like what you ain't.

Oh you can't get to heaven on a trolley car
Cause the goldurned tracks aren't laid that far.

Then their bus driver improvised a verse. A teacher named Glen, with a couple of students left over after the bus filled, had started out following the bus in his own vehicle but had dropped behind at the last gas station. The driver sang:

Oh, you might get to heaven in the Jeep with Glen.
You might get to heaven, but I don't know when.

The kids loved it.


I never doubted that "grieve my Lord" meant "make Him sad." Since "I am not going to grieve him any more" is perfectly clear English, from a literate point of view Nigel's explanation seems more economical than Azizi's. This is certainly the case in the "day by day" verse: I hurt my Lord daily by transgressing. I won't do it any more.

However, Q, I think you suggested that in the lyrics of old African-American spirituals God is never the one feeling the grief. If true, this would convince me Azizi had it right: the oral version preceded the more literate interpretation (and explanatory verses). Did I understand you correctly, and have your further researches supported this assertion?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 01:17 PM

semi-submersible, I don't worry overmuch about it.
To those of us who have sung the 1001 or more verses, around the campfire and at other gatherings, marching along, etc., well-lubricated with beer, coke, or just good spirits, it makes no nevermind.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: clueless don
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 08:52 AM

I'm going to bet that this has already been cited, if not in this thread than in some other. But for completeness, here is a verse I remember from my Boy Scout days:

Oh you can't get to Heaven [Oh you can't get to Heaven]
On Superman [On Superman]
For the Lord he is [For the Lord he is]
a Batman fan [a Batman fan]


Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 09:51 AM

It sounds terrible now, but back in the 60s we used to sing,
"A nigger went down to the cellar...."

We really meant nothing by it and were sincere in our oath to be a friend to all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: Steve Howlett
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 09:58 AM

There's been one a bit like it above, but we used to sing

Oh you'll never get to Heaven
In a Ford Coupe
'Cos the Lord's got shares
In Chevrolet

Each line was repeated by the others on the bus. (We always sang it on the bus on school trips.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
From: GUEST,Donna of Minnesota
Date: 10 Sep 10 - 12:11 PM

This was very interesting. When I was in grade school in the 1950's in rural Minnesota, we took the school bus. An older girl (she must have been in third grade when I was in second), Patty B., used to lead us in this song as a call and response also. I had never heard this song anywhere else. Including girl scout camp or church camp. I also thought the song was 'I ain't gonna GREET my Lord no more'. Grieve does makes more sense although at that time I figured since it was about not getting to heaven 'greet' did work all right. I especially remember the lines (which seemed quite risque at the time),

Oh you can't get to heaven (Oh you can't get to heaven)
In a strapless gown (In a strapless gown)
'Cause the Lord's afraid ('Cause the Lord's afraid)
It might fall down (It might fall down)

Then it was sung faster and louder without the response, with the last line being 'I ain't gonna greet my Lord no more.