Good News Chariot Comin'

Subject: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:03 AM

This thread will feature links to and texts of several versions of the African American spiritual "Good News" (Chariot Comin').

I'll start with a link to a YouTube video that I happened upon this morning of a choir singing this song. I'll also add my transcription of that version of this spiritual.

In addition, I'll add some general comments about singing spirituals in this day & time.

Your participation in this thread is welcomed.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:23 AM

Chariot's Coming"- Raymond Raspberry Singers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuBhSWvQqpQ&feature=related

Summary statement by video poster: Rowoches;
February 23, 2009

"This is a good example of why people considered the Raspberry Singers the male versions of the Clara Ward Singers. Carl Hall, lead (soprano)".


Soloist: Oooh, Good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news chariot comin.
Group: And I don't want it
to leave me behind.

Soloist: I've got good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news chariot comin.
Group: And I don't want it
to leave me behind
Soloist: I heard the voice of Jesus say
Group: come unto me and rest.
Soloist: Lay down thy weary one lay down
Group: thy head upon My breast.

[chorus]
Soloist: Ooooh, Good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news, chariot comin.
Soloist: Good news
Group: Good news chariot comin.
Group: And I don't want it
to leave me behind.

Soloist: Our beloved [?]Father up in heaven
Group: Hallowed be Thy name
Soloist: Thy kingdom come. Let your will be done
Group: And everything be the same. [?]

[chorus]

Soloist: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
Group: that saved a wrench like me.
Soloist: Ooooh, I once was lost but now I'm found.
Group: Was blind but now I see.

[chorus]

Soloist: Lord let me ride in Your love.
Group: Lord let me ride.
Soloist: Keep walkin by my side
Group: Keep walkin by my side
Soloist : till I reach my home on high.
Group: I reach my home on high.
Soloist: Gotta live right everyday.
Group: Gotta live right everyday.
Soloist: Keep walkin in the holy way.
Group: Keep walkin in the holy way.
Soloist: Oooooh
Group: Oh ,Lord let me ride.
Soloist: Oooooh
Group: Oh, Lord let me ride
Soloist: Oooooh
Group: Keep walkin by my side.
Soloist: Oooooh
Group : till I reach my home on high.
Soloist: Good news chariot comin
Group: and I don't want it to leave me behind.
Soloist: Oh ,Lord let me ride.
Group: Oh, Lord let me ride
Soloist: In your love
Group: In your love
Soloist: Keep walking by my side
Group: Keep walking by my side.
Soloist : till I reach my home on high.
Group: I reach my home on high.

[Repeat other verses of this song]

-snip-

This is an uptempo version of this song that is sung by a male choir.

Here's one posted comment by a viewer of this video:
...those fasetto notes are truly electrifying. I didn't know Bro. Carl Hall could get it like that, Wow!! I have a new found respect for the Rasberry Singers!!! Great gospel legends!!
-"PurpleSnowman29"

**

This song is an example of a call & response style in which the group often begins singing their lines before the soloist finishes singing his or her lines.

**

Notice that the Rasberry Singers are considered to be a gospel group. While "Good News, Chariot Comin" originated as a spiritual, this is a gospel version of that spiritual.

**

I didn't find any online informational pages about the Raymond Rasberry Singers. However from this
Wikipedia page about the soloist Call Hall, it appears that the Raymond Rasberry Singers recorded gospel songs in the 1960s on the Savoy Record label.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:32 AM

The Digital Tradition has a dialect version and Mudcat's African American Spirituals Permathread have a dialect version of "Good News Chariot Comin" here and here.

**

In my opinion, singing that dialect version or other dialect versions of spirituals (that include "de" and "gwine" and other words that were used by some 19th century Southern Black Americans is likely to be considered to be very offensive to many 21st century African Americans.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:46 AM

Here are lyrics to the spiritual version of this song that I've heard in my African American Baptist Church and other Black Baptist churches since the 1950s:


GOOD NEWS (Chariot Comin')

[Chorus]
Good news, chariot's comin'.
Good news, chariot's comin'.
Good news, chariot's comin'.
And I don't want it to leave me behind.


There's a starry crown in the heaven, I know
There's a starry crown in the heaven, I know
There's a starry crown in the heaven, I know
And I don't it to leave me behind.

[Chorus]

There's a long white robe in the heaven, I know.   /3x
And I don't want it to leave me behind.

[Chorus]

There's golden slippers in the heaven, I know.   /3x
And I don't want it to leave me behind.

[Chorus]

-snip-

This spiritual is sung with a moderate tempo.

**

This is very similar to the words that are found on http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiGOODNEWS.html, a website that indicates that it is a mirror image of the Digital Tradition resource of song lyrics that is housed at Mudcat Cafe.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:51 AM

Here's a link to "Good News Chariot Comin'" as sung by Mahalia Jackson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVJTaOesN80&feature=fvw


**

Here are words that were posted with that video by baratka1981; March 21, 2009:

GOOD NEWS CHARIOT COMIN'
[as sung by Mahalia Jackson]

Good news, the chariot's coming,
Good news, oh, the chariot's coming
Good news, the chariot's coming,
Yeah, I don't want to be behind.

Long white robe in heaven, I know
Long white robe in heaven, I know
Long white robe in heaven, I know
Yeah, I don't want to be left behind.

Good news, the chariot's coming,
Good news, oh, the chariot's coming
Good news, the chariot's coming,
Yeah, I don't want to be behind.

Golden slipper in heaven, I know
Golden slipper in heaven, I know
Golden slipper in heaven, I know
And I don't want to be left behind.

Starry crown in heaven, I know
Starry crown in heaven, I know
Starry crown in heaven, I know
And I don't want to be left, Lord,
I don't want to be left behind.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:58 AM

I meant to mention that the Raymond Rasberry Singers used floating verses from two songs "I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say" and "Amazing Grace" as verses in their version of "Good News Chariot Comin". That gospel group also used a verse of the "Lord's Prayer"* in that song.


*Found in The Gospel of Matthew 6:9–13 and in the Gospel of Luke 11:2–4.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: W y s i w y G !
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 09:25 AM

This thread is now listed in the Spirituals Permathread.

~S~

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Arkie
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 12:38 PM

This was one of the songs in camp songbooks and brings back memories of my days as a camp counselor. Many of the songs from those books did not wear well over the years but this one has. I still love the song and appreciate the context of this thread.

Subject: RE: Good News Chariot Comin'
From: Q
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 05:05 PM

Related threads should include 41800, Chariot threads, in which several traditional versions, including this spiritual, are posted.
Chariot threads