Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 29 May 08 - 04:03 AM

Even if it was found before 1900, I doubt that it would have anything to do with the Underground Railroad. It might mean salvation in a general way, such as soon I will be done with all the troubles of the world, you know, when Christ comes everything will be just fine, that sort of thing.

"I'm told this song, like a lot of "Negro spirituals," was very much connected to the underground railroad and the desire/hope to escape bondage. This makes a lot of sense to me, considering the lines our choir sings:

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
The time is drawing nigh.
...
Children, don't get weary,
The time is drawing nigh.

Those lines could be about being ready for heaven or for the second coming of Christ or about being ready when the right time comes for escaping from the plantation."

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 29 May 08 - 04:07 AM

The trouble with that argument is, as soon as you think 'It's about the underground railroad and getting slaves to freedom' you see it in everything. It's like looking for pagan symbolism in Morris dancing or the face of Jesus in an aubergine... once you start looking, you see false images everywhere.

Now, I'm not saying that this ISN'T a freedom song, it certainly would be appropriate as a preparation for running, but occasionally, given the deeply spiritual life some of these people led, it is just about the Word of God.

LTS

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,Sophia
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 09:07 PM

Actually, I am singing this song in chorus. It goes

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
For the time is drawing nigh

Soon I will be done with the trouble of the world, the trouble of the world.
Soon, I will be done.
The time is drawing nigh.

Thats not all though, but i gotta go. L8er!

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,jp
Date: 11 Dec 08 - 09:30 PM

This is one of my favorite songs in chorus I would like to know if you could get the rest of the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,dulcimerjohn
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 10:35 AM

love jormas version!

Subject: ADD: Oil in my Vessel
From: GUEST,I think you are speaking of the old spiritua
Date: 07 Jul 09 - 08:59 PM

You can find the song your looking for on a CD by the Berge Family Singers from Minnesota. The lyrics stated above others are an old campfire song different from this one. This is a contagious tune

OIL IN MY VESSEL

I've got oil in my vessel, my lamp trimmed and burning
waiting for the bride groom to come (repeat)

Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free?
No there's a cross for everyone and there's a cross just for me.

(Chorus)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrech like me
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see,

I've got oil in my vessel and my lamp trimmed and burning
waiting for the bride groom to come.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There's oil in my vessel and my lamp
From: Janie
Date: 07 Jul 09 - 09:19 PM

Guest,

Yes, that is the song that Joe Thompson does, and as noted elsewhere in the thread, there is some one else who has posted a performance on YouTube. Thanks for the info. that the Berge Family Singers have also recorded it. Do you know anything about it's origins?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There's oil in my vessel and my lamp is..
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Nov 09 - 04:38 PM

I'm looking for-put a little oil in your vessel;keeping your lamps trimmed and burning,you better be ready for the bridegroom coming so soon

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,tay10
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 03:56 PM

I sang this at my choir performance last night and I believe this is how the first part (without cannon) goes.

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning 3x For this work is almost done.
Children don't get weary 3x For this work is almost done.
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning 3x For this work is almost done.

Then I think we went on to:   

Darker midnight lies before us 3x For this work is almost done.
And then it said something about the morning is nearing us but I forgot since I worked all day then went right to sleep. But if you can find the same soong as this with ALL the lyrics please reply! Thanks :D

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,GUEST, Blacker71
Date: 11 May 10 - 12:01 PM

I found these lyrics at http://www.austinklee.com/2008/02/trimmed-and-burning/

Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin'
Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin'
Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin'
The time is drawing nigh.

Children don't get weary
Children don't get weary
Children don't get weary
'til your work is done.

Christian journey soon be over
Christian journey soon be over
Christian journey soon be over
The time is drawing nigh

Numerous YouTube versions are available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYbpYeA5Hxs (start this one at 0:55 to skip the intro).

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 May 10 - 05:37 PM

Earliest version in print by Jubile Singers, 1874.
See 129086, Jubilee Songs.
Jubilee Songs

To be posted shortly.

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: pdq
Date: 11 May 10 - 06:49 PM

From Sam Charters who visited the late "Blind" Willie Johnson's home and talked to his wife...

"There were over a hundred of the books in an old trunk beside the shack where she lived, or what had been a hundred of them of them before the roaches and rain did their work. The one I bought was the best preserved, Redeemer's Praise, For The Sunday School, Church and Family, by T. C. Okane. It was published by Walden and Stowe, 1881, with words and music for over 500 songs. Much of his material came from these sources."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There's oil in my vessel and my lamp is..
From: GUEST,Al no cookie
Date: 20 Jun 10 - 03:12 PM

Gonna put oil in my vessel
Keep the lamp trimmed and burning
Gonna be ready when the bride groom comes

repeat

Then other verses stolen from other songs.

This comes from a biblical passage.
Eckhart Tolle has a wonderful interpretation of this.

I have the Joe Thompson recording if you need it.

Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There's oil in my vessel and my lamp is..
From: Janie
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 09:21 PM

A link from LEJ that absolutely vibrates with how I hear/feel this fine song from Joe Thompson. Not old time, but I have no doubt Joe would approve.

Scott Ainslie- Oil in My Vessel

Subject: RE: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (Spiritual)
From: GUEST,Michale Estar
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 12:10 AM

About four or five years ago, I heard a Gospel Song while driving on Vermont Public Radio. It was a Gospel Song about Oil in a Lamp and it had the song Amazing Grace woven into it. One of the singers in the Southern Gospel Group was Ray Ainsley or Ainslee, I'm not sure of the spelling. It touched my heart deeply. I sing with the Montpelier Community Gospel Choir from Montpelier, VT. John Harrison conducts the choir. I would love to find the version of this song. Perhaps our choir could sing it. Any clues, let me know. Michale B. Estar

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There's oil in my vessel and my lamp is..
From: GUEST,milady
Date: 18 May 15 - 03:45 PM

Hello Dani,
perhaps this is what your looking for. I found a youtube video and lyrics separately.

"Keep your lamps trimmed and burning"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdKwzYSDkvQ


Troubles and trials are almost over X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burnin X 3
See what my lord has done

Heaven's journey is almost over X 3
See what my lord has done
Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done

Two thousand years have come and gone X 3
See what my lord has done
Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
See what my lord has done.

Many are gone but not forgotten X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burnin X 3
See what my lord has done

Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done
Brother don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
See what my lord has done.

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burning X 3
See what my lord has done

Songwriters
LINDEN, COLIN KENDALL

Published by
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.



Read more: Tim O'Brien - Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Subject: Oil in my Vessel
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jun 16 - 02:29 AM

It's hard to keep all these lamp oil songs separate. I don't know that we have a good transcription of "Oil in my Vessel," the song that Dani and Janie sing. Here's a YouTube recording of the song by Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgT4CH_2xUk