req/ADD: songs by Lotus Dickey (1911-1989)

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Pair in a Paradise' Lotus Dickey
From: Janie
Date: 04 May 07 - 11:47 PM

I'm being lazy (busy, actually). I can catch most of the words on the "Soup Kitchen's" recording of this song, but

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pair in a Paradise' Lotus Dickey
From: Janie
Date: 05 May 07 - 12:41 AM

Oops. Nevermind. I'll be back with most of lyrics and a request for help clarifying some of them. Didn't mean to hit submit and lost what I had transcribed already.

Janie

Subject: Lyr Add: PAIR IN A PARADISE (Lotus Dickey)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 May 07 - 01:15 AM

Well, hey, and the rest of us aren't busy, is that what you're saying, huh. Well, I think you'd do a great job singing this song, so let me give you a start. I have trouble with some of it, too. Maybe we'll get it right if a number of us work on it.
Now, if we had lots of money, we could get the Lotus Dickey songbook here (click) - CDs, too.
-Joe-

---

PAIR IN A PARADISE (working copy)
(Lotus Dickey)

Heaven and earth by the Lord were created,
Sun and the moon and the stars all related,
Two in a garden, a beautiful maiden,
A Pair in a
Paradise
Bare there were they.


[CHORUS]
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
A Pair in a
Paradise
Bare there were they.

Fruit-bearing trees in the garden were planted,
Nothing was lacking; no, nothing was scanted;
Perfect for two of them, holy, enchanted,
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Of all the fruit growing there they'd partaken,
'Cept for the one that the Lord had forbade them,
Lest they [bring on?] dying, that man and maiden,
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
[CHORUS]

Then in the garden there spoke an adviser,
"Why doth thou listen to all of God's lies," for
"Eat," said the serpent, "to be but the wiser."
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Satan the serpent was oh, so deceiving,
He, though his cunning was led to believing,
Ate it did Adam, soon to be grieving,
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
[CHORUS]

Hiding in shame, Adam's growing awareness,
There for their nakedness, there for their bareness;
Cloaked by the Lord, and then sadly embarrassed,
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Sin there in Eden then had its beginning,
Sought by the lie or the Lord to be winning,
Death brought instead to the world with the sinning,
A pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
[CHORUS] (twice)



Transcribed by ear from Bare There Were They, the 2004 CD by the Missing Person Soup Kitchen Gospel Quartet.

Sexiest damn gospel song I ever heard. And Becky Kimmons (of Soup Kitchen) is the sexiest damn gospel singer I ever heard.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pair in a Paradise' Lotus Dickey
From: Janie
Date: 05 May 07 - 07:33 PM

From the same CD, I get pretty much the same words with the same question marks.

Where you have... Lest they 'bring on' dying I was wondering if it was 'befall dying' neither one sounds quite like what Becky is singing.

Next verse, I'm pretty sure she sings

why doth thou listen to all the God's lies
For he, said the serpent, would be the wiser.


Janie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pair in a Paradise' Lotus Dickey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 May 07 - 09:48 PM

I think we need some help on this, Janie. Anybody else want to make a contribution?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pair in a Paradise' Lotus Dickey
From: Janie
Date: 06 May 07 - 12:49 AM

In the liner notes, Soup Kitchen suggest they learned the song from a field recording of Lotus Dickey. It may be that the field recording and the recording by Becky, Bill and Will are the only two recordings. Which may mean, in terms of Mudcat, that only FSGW folks, or Catter's who have attended the Augusta workshops or Getaways when Soup Kitchen was there may have heard the song.

    When I searched the DT and forum for Lotus Dickey, there were only a few threads. I'm not familiar with a lot of his material, but what I have heard are pretty remarkable songs.

    Since neither the song title or Lotus Dickey have drawn anyone else to the thread, I'm wondering if adding Soup Kitchen to the title might elicit some help. You know that Rita and some of the other FSGW people have to have learned the song.

    'Course, changed the thread title to 'Bare There Were They' would probably also result in more imput, nekked ladies and all thet, ya know:^?

Subject: RE: Req: Pair in a Paradise (Dickey/Soup Kitchen)
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 07 May 07 - 01:51 PM

I'll have to find my copy of the Lotus Dickey songbook at home. The book comes with (came with?) 4 cassettes--recordings of everyting in the book, and these may be the "field recordings" referred to above.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: Lyr Add: PAIR IN A PARADISE (Lotus Dickey)
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 07 May 07 - 10:06 PM

PAIR IN A PARADISE
(Lotus Dickey)

Heaven and Earth by the Lord were created,
Sun and the moon and the stars so elated,
Two in a garden, a beautifully mated
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.


[CHORUS]
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.

Fruit-bearing trees in that garden were planted,
Nothing was lacking, no nothing was scanted;
Perfect for two, a completely enchanted
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Of all the fruit growing there they'd partaken
Saving for one that the Lord had forbade them
Lest they be a-dying, that man and maiden,
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

[CHORUS]

Then in the garden there spoke an advisor:
"Why doth thou listen to all of these lies for?
Eat," said the serpent, "to be but the wiser."
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Satan the serpent was oh so deceiving.
Eve though his cunning was led to believing;
Ate, as did Adam, soon to be a-grieving,
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

[CHORUS]

Hiding in shame at a growing awareness
There of their nakedness, there of their bareness,
Clothed by the Lord, then, a sadly embarrassed
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

Satan in Eden then had his beginning,
Sought with the lie o'er the Lord to be winning,
Death brought instead to the world through a sinning
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.

[FINAL CHORUS]
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.




Transcribed from The Lotus Dickey Songbook, edited by Nancy C. McEntire, Grey Larsen, and Janne Henshaw, with an introduction by Dillon Bustin; Lotus Dickey Music; Published in association with Indiana University Press © 1995.

From the head note on p. 130:
[Song] 57. Pair in a Paradise

"It may have been called 'Adam and Eve' on 'The Garden of Eden'" says Lotus. "I call it 'Pair in a Paradise.' I sing it to sort of a backbeat." • Composed in 1983, this song can also be found on Lotus Dickey's cassette Got Someone I'm Wild About.


Copied by Charlie Baum

"A Musical evening with Lisa Q. Mount, Friends, Banjo and More" recorded live at the Sautee Nacoochee Center Theatre.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_DTnbL1r0

Subject: RE: Req: Pair in a Paradise (Dickey/Soup Kitchen)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 May 07 - 03:06 AM

Thanks a lot, Charlie (or do I call you Mr. President?)

What do you think of the four cassettes? It is worth my money to get them on CD, Your Excellency, Sir?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Pair in a Paradise (Lotus Dickey)
From: Janie
Date: 13 Jul 07 - 08:01 PM

Somehow, jcharlie, I missed that you had posted the real deal. I just looked the thread to triumphantly post some corrections that I thought I had made out listening to Soup Kitchen. a belated thanks for posting the lyrics.

Janie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Pair in a Paradise (Lotus Dickey)
From: Janie
Date: 27 Jul 13 - 11:23 AM

Found a Berea College recording of Lotus performing this.


Pear (sic) in a Paradise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Pair in a Paradise (Lotus Dickey)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 27 Jul 13 - 12:00 PM

Janie, have you sent off a note to Berea Digital to let them know of their mondegreen?

I've got the songbook and set of tapes, but I've never spent much time with them. I recently moved (now full time from Long Beach!) and have them among the cassettes that I hung on to and mean to get serious about digitizing.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Pair in a Paradise (Lotus Dickey)
From: Janie
Date: 27 Jul 13 - 01:01 PM

No, but that is a good idea Becky. Will do so.

Subject: ADD: David Loved Bathsheba (Lotus Dickey)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Oct 20 - 08:55 PM

DAVID LOVED BATHSHEBA
(Lotus Dickey)

How beautiful was Bathsheba a-bathing by the roof
Where David’s eyes were cast to see amazingly the proof
Of her devastating beauty, offered every opportunity
Of learning her identity; her there to him they took.

From David went Bathsheba, departing home in shame.
Some days did then pass before he heard from her again.
In a moment weak of passion wild had David Bathsheba defiled.
Her message came, “I am with child.” He knew who was to blame.

Though David loved Bathsheba, she was another’s wife,
Ill-fated, oh, he had to be, Uriah the Hittite.
Being one of David’s mighty men, he left him in the ?ghting
In the thickest of the battle and alone to lose his life.

CHORUS
David loved Bathsheba,
Saw an overwhelming beauty, flamed to deep desire within.
David loved Bathsheba,
Beguiled, defiled, with passion wild, then slew to hide his sin.

Fair spake the prophet, Nathan, a parable one day.
“There takes a rich man, a poor man’s only one little ewe lamb away,
Sparing of his own so many, sparing not the poor man any,
What is to be done to that man, David, tell me now, I pray?”

So angrily he answered then, “That man shall surely die.”
“Oh, ye are he,” cried Nathan. “You’ve taken from Uriah.
First you take away his wife and then you take awaY his life from
him.”
David repented, God forgave, but struck the child to die.

To David and Bathsheba was born another son
Who great did then become to be the wise King Solomon,
With the spirit of the Lord was filled, was chosen of the Lord to build
His temple great exceedingly, there in Jerusalem.
CHORUS

FINAL CHORUS
David loved Bathsheba.
Saw an overwhelming beauty, flamed to deep desire within.
David loved Bathsheba,
Beguiled, defiled, with passion wild, then slew to hide his sin.

NOTES: 59. David Loved Bathsheba
Bathsheba was the wife of King David and the mother of Solomon. Before that she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s “mighty men” (2 Samuel 23:13-39). She became David’s wife after David killed Uriah to cover up his affair with her (2 Samuel 11). God's displeasure over the affair is seen when the child they have conceived dies as an infant (2 Samuel 12:14-23). However, Solomon, David and Bathsheba’s fourth child, succeeds David to the throne.

“There"s a lot of words in these Bible songs, you know?” Lotus remarked. “No two words alike. Some songs just repeat the same thing.”

This song can be found on Lotus Dickey’s cassettes The Very First Time and Got Someone I'm Wild About (see Discography).

Source: The Lotus Dickey Songbook, edited by Nancy McEntire, Grey Larsen, and Janne Henshaw (published by Lotus Dickey Music, 1995)

Recording by Lotus Dickey and Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLmSrt6-FMA

Recording by Red Mountain White Trash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU7be0iiRm0