Lyr Add: Religion So Sweet (spiritual, rowing)

Subject: Lyr Add: RELIGION SO SWEET (spiritual, rowing)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 09:10 PM

RELIGION SO SWEET

O walk Jordan long road,
And religion so sweet;
O religion is good for anything,
And religion so sweet.

Religion make you happy,
And religion so sweet;
Oh, religion is good for anything,
And religion so sweet.

Religion make you happy, etc.

Religion gib me *patience, etc.

O member, get religion, etc.

O member, get religion, etc.

I long time been a-huntin', etc.

I seekin' for my fortune, etc.

O I gwine to meet my Saviour, etc.

Gwine to tell Him 'bout my trials, etc.

Dey call me boastin' member, etc.

Dey call me **turnback Christian, etc.

Dey call me 'struction maker, etc.

But I don't care what dey call me, etc.

Lord, trial 'longs to a Christian, etc.

O tell me 'bout religion, etc.

I weep for Mary and Marta, etc.

I seek my Lord and I find Him, etc.

*comfort; **deceitful. Allen, Slave Songs of the United States, 1867, # 17. Spiritual used as well for slow (e. g., against tide) or heavy rowing. "Two measures are to be sung for each stroke, the first accented by the beginning of the stroke, the second by the rattle of the oars in the row-locks." (Ware, who arranged the song in Allen).
@religion @spiritual @work

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: RELIGION SO SWEET (spiritual, rowing
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 06:18 AM

A seemingly related song "'Ligion So Sweet" is in Lomaxes' American Ballads and Folk Songs (Macmillan, 1934, pp. 582-583, without music), which John B. Jones took down probably in Texas:

'LIGION SO SWEET (A Negro Baptizing)

[As they stepped down into the water, the crowd sang:]
Le's go down to Jurdon, le's go down to Jurdon;
De clear ribber Jurdon is mighty deep,
Le's go down to Jurdon;
De ol' ribber Jurdon is mighty deep,
But 'ligion is so sweet.

[Just before each person was baptized, again the congregation sang:]
Missionary Baptist is my name, missionary Baptist is my name.
Missionary Baptist is my name, 'ligion is so sweet.
De Lord said baptism it mus' be, for 'ligion is so sweet;
De Lord said baptism it mus' be, we gwine 'bey his will;
De Lord said baptism it mus' be, for 'ligion is so sweet;
What kind o' manner o' man is he? All things dey obey his will.
What kind o' manner o' man is he? He spoke to de sea an' de sea was still.
De Lord said baptism it mus' be,
De lil babe in de manger,
What kind o' manner o' man is he?
He walk on de land and he walk on de sea,
And 'ligion is so sweet.

[As each baptized person was led out of the water, shouting with joy, some in their ecstasy even trying to fly away from the earth, the crowd sang with splended effect:]
Newbawn, newbaw-awn,
Newbawn chil', newbawn chil',
Like a little babe in de manger.
De ol' ribber Jurdon is mighty deep,
But 'ligion was so sweet.

[Again, after the ceremony was finished, the entire congregation stood around the baptized persons singing:]
De ol' ribber Jurdon was so deep,
An' now our brother in Christ we greet.
De ol' ribber Jurdon was so deep,
But 'ligion was so sweet.
He said baptism it mus' be,
If he from sin 'll set us free;
And all things here obey his will.
Spoke to de sea an' de sea was still,
For 'ligion was so sweet.
[The crown trooped away still singing, and the baptizing was over.]

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: RELIGION SO SWEET (spiritual, rowing
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 11:56 AM

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