lyr/chords: Now Is the Cool of the day (Ritchie)

Subject: Chord Req: Cool of the day
From: mimimelvin
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 02:33 PM

Has any one got the chords for Now is the cool of the day. I would be happy to buy the sheet music or any other printed matter. Thank you Mimi

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Cool of the day
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 04:24 PM

Well, I love the song and the following is fairly close. Since Jean is known to frequent these parts, maybe she will correct any mistakes.

Cool of the Day
(Jean Ritchie)

   (Em)Now is the (A)cool of the (Em)day
   (Em)Now is the (D)cool of the (G)day(B)
   This (Em)earth is a (A)garden, the (Em)garden of my (A)Lord
   And he (Em)walks in his (A)garden
   In the cool of the (Em)day

My (Em)Lord, he (A)said unto (Em)me
Do you (Em)like my (D)garden so (G)fair(B)
You may (Em)live in this (A)garden if you'll (Em)keep the grasses (A)green
And I'll re(Em)turn in the (A)cool of the (Em)day

CHO

Then my (Em)Lord, he (A)said unto (Em)me
Do you (Em)like my (D)pastures so (G)green(B)
You may (Em)live in this (A)garden if (Em)you will feed my (A)sheep
And I'll re(Em)turn in the (A)cool of the (Em)day

CHO

Then my (Em)Lord, he (A)said unto (Em)me
Do you (Em)like my (D)garden so (G)free(B)
You may (Em)live in this (A)garden if you'll (Em)keep the people (A)free
And I'll re(Em)turn in the (A)cool of the (Em)day

Chorus

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Cool of the day
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 09:28 PM

There's another verse, something like My Lord, he said unto me/Do you like my garden so pure?/You may live in this garden, if you keep the waters clean/And I'll return in the cool of the day.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Cool of the day
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 09:32 PM

Another one of my all time favorite songs.

Charley Noble

Subject: DT CORR: Now Is the Cool of the Day
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Apr 11 - 03:41 PM

The "Garden so pure" verse appears on recordings by a number of artists, but not in the one Jean Ritchie recording I found, on the album titled Songs for the Mountaintop. It's a little different from the lyrics in the Digital Tradition. Here's my transcription:

NOW IS THE COOL OF THE DAY
(Jean Ritchie)

My Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so fair?
You may live in this garden if you keep the grasses green,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.

   CHORUS
   Now is the cool of the day,
   Now is the cool of the day;
   O this earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord,
   And he walks in his garden
   In the cool of the day.


Then my Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my pastures of green?
You may live in this garden if you will feed my lambs,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
CHORUS

Then my Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so free?
You may live in this garden if you keep the people free,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
CHORUS

---

Apparently, the "garden so pure" verse DOES come from Jean Ritchie. This message has my transcription from her Celebration of Life songbook.

Subject: RE: Chord ADD: Now Is the Cool of the day (Ritchie)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 15 Apr 11 - 07:17 PM

The song is also on the (Jean Ritchie) album, None But One, which comes with a lyric sheet. The lyrics as given on that sheet agree with the (four stanza) version Joe transcribed from the Celebration of Life songbook, the second version in the message he linked immediately above.

Subject: RE: Chord ADD: Now Is the Cool of the day (Ritchie)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 14 - 08:20 PM

Does anyone have the sheet music for this song and, by any chance, the dulcimer notation on the sheet music? Thank you, Karen Campbell

[e-mail]

or at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Chord ADD: Now Is the Cool of the day (Ritchie)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Apr 14 - 03:27 PM

Hello, Karen. I play dulcimer too. I listened to 'Now is the Cool of the Day' on YouTube and sounded most of it out. It is a minor song and will take a tuning such as DAG or maybe DAC.

If you are familiar with those tunings, it should be easy to memorize the tune and sound it out. The Rockfish church is singing it in Am, and the English male group is using Bm.

I prefer the tone of the English group, but I have to tell myself to be tolerant about the way they pronounce 'garden.'