Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
DESCRIPTION: Joshua comes to Jericho, orders the horns to blow, and sacks it after the walls fall down. Chorus: "Joshua (fit/fought) the battle of Jericho... And the walls came a-tumbling down"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1925 (recording, Paul Robeson)
KEYWORDS: Bible religious battle
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Lomax-FSUSA 110, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" (1 text, 1 tune)
Courlander-NFM, pp. 45-46, "(Joshua)" (partial text)
PSeeger-AFB, p. 37, "Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fireside, p. 304, "Joshua Fit de Battle ob Jerico" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 303, "Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho" (1 text)
DT, BATJERCO
ADDITIONAL: Harold Courlander, _A Treasury of Afro-American Folklore_, Crown Publishers, 1976, p. 310, "(no title)" (1 text)
Roud #10074
RECORDINGS:
Cotton Pickers Quartet, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho" (OKeh 8878, 1931)
Delta Rhythm Boys, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho" (Decca 25019, c. 1950)
Dixie Jubilee Singers, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" (Columbia 14329-D, 1928)
Eureka Jubilee Singers, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho" (Sharon X-507, n.d.)
Hall Johnson Choir, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho" [medley with "Walk Together Chillun"] (Victor 4460, 1940)
Nazarene Congregational Church Choir, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho" (Herschel Gold Seal 2016, c. 1927)
Paul Robeson w. Lawrence Brown, "Joshua Fit de Battle ob Jericho" (Victor 19743, 1925)
Pete Seeger, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" (on PeteSeeger04) (on PeteSeeger23)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Slavery Chain Done Broke at Last" (tune)
SAME TUNE:
Slavery Chain Done Broke at Last (File: SCW41)
NOTES: The siege of Jericho takes up most of the sixth chapter of Joshua, with the fall of the city's walls, and the city itself, being detailed in 6:15f. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: LxU110Go to the Ballad Search form
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Here are the lyrics we have in the Digital Tradition:
BATTLE OF JERICHO
cho: Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
Jericho, Jericho,
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
And the walls come tumblin' down.
You may talk about your kings of Gideon,
You may talk about your men of Saul,
But there's none like good old Joshua
At the battle of Jericho.
Chorus
Right up to the walls of Jericho
They marched with spear in hand,
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
Cause the battle is in my hand.
Chorus
Then the lamb, ram, sheep horns begin to blow
And the trumpets begin to sound
Joshua's told the children to shout that mornin'
And the walls come tumblin' down.
Chorus
@bible @war @hero @spiritual @religion
filename[ BATJERCO
TUNE FILE: BATJERCO
CLICK TO PLAY
JY