Lyr Add: Clear the Line Before You call

Subject: Lyr Add: CLEAR THE LINE BEFORE YOU CALL
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 May 04 - 01:00 AM

Lyr. Add: CLEAR THE LINE BEFORE YOU CALL

You got ter clear de line befo' you call, 'fo' you call,
'Case God is angry wid us all, wid us all,
En ef you ever 'spects ter git to heaven,
You got to clear de line befo' you call.

En ef you has a nought* agenst yo' sister,
Take her to the Lord, Lord in Prayer,
En ef yer ever 'spects to git to heaven,
You got to clear the line befo' you call.

You got to clear de line befo' you call, 'fo' you call,
'Caze God is angry wid us all, wid us all,
En ef you ever 'spects ter git to heaven,
You got to clear de line befo' you call.

En ef you has a naught agenst yo' antie,
Take her to the Lord, Lord in prayer,
En ef yer ever 'spects ter git to heaven,
You got to clear de line befo' you call.

You got ter clear de line befo' you call, 'fo' you call,
'Caze God is angry wid us all, wid us all,
En ef you ever 'spects ter git to heaven,
You got to clear de line befo' you call.

*naugnt- should be understood both as the indefinite pronoun, as in 'anything,' and as a specific noun, as in 'zero.'
@religion

"Honey in the Rock," 1991, Olivia and Jack Solomon, p. 136, Mercer Univ. Press. No music. Dock Reed sings the text on the Sumter County Library of Congress recordings.
Religious folk song, Alabama. The Ruby Pickins Tartt Collection.
It has been suggested that the telephone metaphor could have evolved naturally, with origins in the work song; railroad tie tamping along the line, 'track lining' songs or calls. Also possible is clearing the line or chain of command before calling on a person of authority. In any case, the implication here is that grievances must be resolved before one may approach God.

Joe Offer has been posting the song contents of school song books. The Music For Living Series, Book Three, "Now and Long Ago," Silver Burdett Co., has the basic melody for "Clear The Line" on p. 9, 1956 edition.
The short version in the school song book lists the song as 'Folk Song, Alabama." All religious content is removed and the telephone is the object of the song.

You've got to clear the line before you call,
You've got to clear the line before you call,
If you ever want to get an answer,
You've got to clear the line before you call.

The school song book contents are going to be useful is several ways, first of all by providing a source of basic melodies for lyrics published elsewhere without music, as in the case here, or by providing the basic melody for those who have difficulty in reading full scores, or simply as a quick reference to a large body of songs.