Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?

Subject: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 12:56 AM

OH, WASN'T THAT A WIDE RIBBER

Oh, wasn't dat a wide riber,
Riber ob Jordan, Lord, wide riber,
Dere's one more riber to cross.
Oh, you got Jesus, hold him fast,
One more riber to cross.
Oh, better love was nebber told,
One more riber to cross.
'Tis stronger dan an iron band,
One more riber to cross.
'Tis sweeter dan dat honey comb,
One more riber to cross.

Oh, de good old chariot passing by,
One more riber to cross.
She jarred de earth and shook de sky,
One more riber to cross.
I pray, good Lord, shall I be one?
One more riber to cross.
To get up in de chariot, trabbel on,
One more riber to cross.

Cho. Oh, wasn't dat a wide riber, etc.

We're told dat de fore wheel run by love,
One more riber to cross,
We're told dat de hind wheel run by faith,
One more riber to cross.
I hope I shall get there, bimeby,
One more river to cross.
To join de number in de sky,
One more riber to cross.

Cho. Oh wasn't dat a wide riber, etc.

Oh, one more riber we hab to cross,
One more riber to cross.
"Tis Jordan River we hab to cross,
One more riber to cross.
Oh, Jordan's River am chilly an' cold,
One more riber to cross.
But I got de glory in-a my soul.
One more riber to cross

Cho. Oh, wasn't dat a wide riber, etc.

Fenner, Cabin and Plantation Songs, 1874, p. 194. One of the old spirituals, keeping true to the African form. Suitable for rowing as well as worship.
@religion @spiritual

OH, WASN'T DAT A WIDE RIBBER

Oh, de ribber of Jordan is deep and wide,
One mo' ribber to cross.
I don't know how to get on de other side,
One more ribber to cross.
Oh, you got Jesus, hold Him fast,
One more ribber to cross.
Oh, better love was nebber told,
One more ribber to cross. etc.
(The rest identical to the song recorded by Fenner)

Johnson and Johnson, The Book of American Negro Spirituals, preface.

O,WASN'T DAT A WIDE RIVER? II

Cho.
O, wasn't dat a wide river,
Dat river of Jordan, Lord,
Wide river! Dere's one more river to cross.
O, wasn't dat a wide river,
Dat river of Jordan, Lord,
Wide river! Dere's one more river to cross.

Cho.

O, de river of Jordan is so wide,
One more river to cross.
I don't know how to get to the other side;
One more river to cross.

Ol' Satan am nothin' but a snake in de grass,
One more river to cross.
If you ain't mighty careful he will hol' you fas',
One more river to cross.

Cho.

Arrangement by J. Rosemond Johnson, in Johnson and Johnson, The Book of American Negro Spirituals, I, p. 152-153. Shortened version in concert style. The snake in the grass image is used in several spirituals and gospel songs.
@religion @spiritual

ONE MORE RIVER

O, Jordan bank was a great old bank!
Dere ain't but one more river to cross.
We have some valiant soldiers here,
Dere ain't but one more river to cross.
O, Jordan stream will never run dry,
Dere ain't but one more river to cross.
Dere's a *hill on my lef' an' he catch on my right,
Dere ain't but one more river to cross.

* "Dat mean, if you go on de leff, go to 'struction."
In the form of a rowing song.
T. W. Higginson, No. X, Negro Spirituals, Atlantic Monthly, 1867.
@religion @work song @spiritual

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 02:24 AM

Related to ONE MORE RIVER (TO CROSS), which is discussed at this thread. Another version ("Oh, Wasn't That A Wide River?") is in Marsh, The Story of the Jubilee Singers, rev. ed. (1880; AMS, 1971, pp. 200-201; with music). Marian Anderson recorded this song.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 02:16 PM

Above indexed.

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From:
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 10:18 AM

What do you think of African American?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From: RiGGy
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 01:27 PM

One of Dick Levine's sons wrote a marvelous parody of this
[ I USUALLY hate parodies ! ]
ONE MORE LIVER DEFROST.

Hey Dick G - did you ever get this one ??

Riggy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oh, Wasn't That a Wide Ribber?
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 11 Jan 11 - 07:48 PM

was i the only one who misread that as 'Wasn't that a wide rubber?'