Lyr/Chords Add: Let the Lower Lights Be Burning

Subject: Lyr Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 01:50 PM

Here are the remarks about the hymn at the CyberHymnal:
On a dark, stormy, night, when the waves rolled like mountains, and not a star was to be seen, a boat, rocking and plunging, neared the Cleveland harbor.

"Are you sure this is Cleveland?" asked the captain, seeing only one light from the light-house.

"Quite sure, sir," replied the pilot.

"Where are the lower lights?"

"Gone out, sir."

"Can you make the harbor?"

"We must, or perish, sir!"

And with a strong hand and a brave heart, the old pilot turned the wheel. But alas, in the darkness he missed the channel, and with a crash upon the rocks the boat was shivered, and many a life lost in a watery grave.

Brethren, the Master will take care of the great light-house: let us keep the lower lights burning!
~D. L. Moody.

From Philip P. Bliss, The Charm: A Collection of Sunday School Music (Chicago, Illinois: Root & Cady, 1871).

We do have a version in the DT HERE. But it differs from the Wilburn Brothers version you can hear at THE RECORD LADY's site.

And the CYBER HYMNAL VERSION is 3/4, whereas the Wilburn Borthers seem to have a sort of rocking-chair 4/4 time.

What is the rhythm of the Nashville hymnal from which the DT version was taken? HERE is the tune we have posted in our Mudcat MIDI pages...

Below is the text of the Wilburn Brothers version.

~Susan

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LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
Wilburn Brothers version

Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From His lighthouse evermore.
And He gives us constant guidance
With the lights along the shore.

REFRAIN:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Let your light shine bright my brother
There are many lost tonight.
Trying hard to make the harbor,
You may save them with your light.

SH

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 01:59 PM

And here is the version I made for St. Paul's Episcopal's Saturday Night Service, Wellsboro PA.

~Susan

=======================================================

LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
Multiple versions edited by Susan O. Hinton


Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From His lighthouse evermore.
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

REFRAIN:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling sailor
You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother,
Some poor sailor tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make safe harbor,
In the fogbank may be lost.

Let your lights shine bright my sister,
There are many lost tonight.
Trying now to reach a mooring,
You may save them with your light.


CHORDS:
Brightly (G)beams our Father's (C)mercy
From His (A, A7)lighthouse ever- (D,D7)more.
But to (G)us He gives the (C)keeping
Of the (G)lights a- (D7)long the (G)shore (G7).

REFRAIN:
Let the (C)lower lights be (G)burning!
Send a (A, A7)gleam across the (D, D7)wave!
Some poor (G)fainting, struggling (C)sailor
You may (G)rescue, (D7)you may (G)save (G7).
Tag: G, D7, G

SH

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 02:16 PM

It's good to see this posted. We'll be doing this song at our fifth anniversary concert on March 24th. We learned it from a recording by the Sensational Nightingales. The song is in the New National Baptist Hymnal. Thanks for the background.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Giac
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 02:39 PM

I remember it usually being in 4/4 time and not nearly so bouncy as the midi version to which you posted the link. Love the song, perhaps my favorite "hymn." The version I liked best was by Bonnie Guitar.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 02:46 PM

I'm going to lead it the Wilburn way in PalTalk in a little bit. Come in if you can. Have this page open to join in.

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: kendall
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 10:33 PM

Well, Jeez! hasn't anyone heard my recording of this? Folk Legacy fsi 57.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: 53
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 10:38 PM

I just love this song. Thanks for posting this. Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 11:44 PM

Kendall, your recording of it has been mentioned in lots of the threads where the song was mentioned, but I could not find a thread where the lyrics had been posted so I made a new thread.

I would LOVE to hear your version, too.

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: kendall
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 07:33 AM

It's no longer available on vinal, but, Sandy would make you a tape of it. It is also MY favorite hymn. The chorus consisted of Gordon Bok, Pat Bok and her accordion, Nick Apollonio, Tony and Mary Bok, John and Janet Ciano, Imero Gobatto and Bob Stewart.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 11:26 AM

3/4 or 4/4 Kendall?

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: kendall
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 08:26 PM

Hell I dont know! you just do it! It's not 3/4.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 08:55 PM

It is in the Cyberhymnal, but it sounds... boring!

In 4/4 tho.... man!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 11:23 PM

Naah... anything but boring... if you check on this again, Kendall, do you know Jesus Savior, Pilot Me? It's a fine song... I have a recording of it by the Stanley Brothers..

"Chart and compass come from Thee
Jesus Savior, pilot me."

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 11:25 PM

Susan: The version we're doing was recorded by the Sensational Nightingales and should be on one of the "Best Of Black Gospel" tapes that I sent you..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 01:09 AM

No, Jerry, the CYBERHYMNAL version is boring, is what I think I said! We like it so much we may do it a second week in a row-- that would be a first!

I'll have to dig the tapes out. I'm plumbing the depths of bluegrass gospel this month and yours.... hm.... I know they are here somewhere....

You should have heard us do Step by Step BTW...

Can I hope more tapes will arrive? I miss them. *G*

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Tiger
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 07:03 AM

As you might expect, Tennessee Ernie Ford has a nice version.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 09:28 AM

Susan, Perhaps I'm not the only one who worrys that listeners will hear "semen" rather than "seaman" in the chorus. You solve the problem by substituting "sailor" in your edited version.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: kendall
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 09:35 AM

I get around the "seaman, semen" thing but pronouncing it sea- man.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 09:37 AM

It's REAL unclear which the Wilburns are saying on the recording-- sounds like SEEMOR!

Quick! Save Seymour! He's going down! *G*

~Susan