Lyr Add: Sitting Down by the Side of the Lamb

Subject: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 05:42 PM

Traditional Spiritual

SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB

Hallelujah now, Sitting down by the side of the Lamb;
I've been redeemed.

1. Way down yonder on Jordan's stream I hear them crying, I've been redeemed.
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb, I've been redeemed;
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb;
Been redeemed;
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb.

2. Young man, young man, you look mighty fine,
But you ain't got God Almighty in your mind;
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb
On your mind.
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb.

3. Deacon, deacon, I tell you the fact:
Some of your members are living mighty slack
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb.
Living mighty slack.
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb.

Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers, # 133, nd, W. J. Gibbs, Bromley, Kent.
If anyone has an American edition with this spiritual, date and word check would be appreciated. Gibbs ran a holiday guest house and published a number of books of religious songs.

@spirituals
fs

Subject: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 05:36 AM

Traditional Spiritual

SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB

Hallelujah now, Sitting down by the side of the Lamb;
I've been redeemed.

1. Way down yonder on Jordan's stream I hear them crying, I've been redeemed.
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb, I've been redeemed;
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb;
Been redeemed;
Sitting down by the side of the Lamb.

2. Young man, young man, you look mighty fine,
But you ain't got God Almighty in your mind;
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb
On your mind.
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb.

Deacon, deacon, I tell you the fact,
Some of your members are living mighty slack
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb,
Living mighty slack.
Sitting down by the side of that Lamb.

Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers, # 133, nd, W. J. Gibbs, Bromley, Kent.

@spiritual
fs

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 05:38 AM

Re-posted. Hit some key? that gave bold print.

Subject: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 Oct 01 - 05:36 AM

At least the "sittin down" line seems to be related. Another variant with music is in John W. Work, American Negro Songs(p. 58).

SITTNG DOWN BESIDE THE LAMB

New Jerusalem! New Jeruslalem!
Sitting down beside the lamb.

Before I'd lay in hell one day, good Lord!
I'd sing and pray mysef away, good Lord!
The tallest tree in Paradise, good Lord!
The Christians call the tree of life, good Lord!
I'll let you know before I go,
Whether I love the Lord or no.

Sitting down beside the lamb.
O, mourner, mourn along!
Sitting down beside the lamb.

SOURCE: Snyder, American Negro Spirituals, 1926; quoted from Erskine Peters, Lyrics of the African-American Spiritual, p. 144

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Oct 01 - 09:37 AM

Well, I tell you, I wish I'se in heaven settin' down, myself. *G*

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Oct 01 - 09:44 AM

... or floating around HERE!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Oct 01 - 10:30 AM

Or HERE!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: SITTING DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE LAMB
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 05:35 PM

Indexed.

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: Father Abraham {Sitting down side etc}
From: Azizi
Date: 22 Jan 07 - 05:17 PM

FATHER ABRAHAM

Father Abraham sitting down side of the Holy Lamb

Verse 1
Way up on a mountain top
My Lord spoke
And the chariot stop
Sitting down side of the Holy Lamb
Father Abraham
Sitting down side of the Holy Lamb

Verse 2
Good bye mother and fare your well
Meet me around that throne of God
Sitting down side of the Holy Lamb
Father Abraham
Sitting down side of the Holy Lamb

Source: Ashley Bryant "I'm Going To Sing-Black American Spirituals Volume II." {New York, Atheneum, 1982; p. 45}

[the first line was written in the score to be sung]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sitting Down by the Side of the Lamb
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 09:44 AM

Probably that first line was given up front to teach it to the people, who would have been expected to join in on it as it came at the end of each verse-- serving as a sort of refrain. It gives the people the key and the general tune as well. There are other spirituals I've heard handled that way and when we present them in church, we follow that custom.

The verse material then becomes the "call" and the repeating line or refrain become the "response" in call/response-type spirituals.

Following verses in that style may be wholly improvised, and/or "float" in from other remembered songs, to tell a story on the songleader's mind, to fill time if it's being used as a work song, to testify on the spiritual life, or to teach one or more Bible passages.

~Susan