The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #20528   Message #660859
Posted By: Jim Dixon
01-Mar-02 - 04:45 PM
Thread Name: The Saddest Song Ever written
Subject: Lyr Add: IF PAPA WERE ONLY READY (Philip P Bliss)
The "poem" posted by Little John Cameron above intrigued me, so I did a bit of research, and found that it is a song after all—although I couldn't find the tune anywhere.

Copied from The P.P. Bliss Lyric Archive (and slightly edited by me).

IF PAPA WERE ONLY READY
(Philip Paul Bliss, 1867)

"I should like to die," said Willie, "if my papa could die too,
But he says he isn't ready 'cause he has so much to do.
And my little sister Nellie says that I must surely die,
And that she and mama—then she stopped, because it made me cry.
And that she and mama—then she stopped, because it made me cry.

"But she told me, I remember once, while sitting on her knee,
That the angels never weary watching over her and me,
And that if we're good (and mama told me just the same before)
They will let us into heaven when they see us at the door.
They will let us into heaven when they see us at the door.

"There I know I shall be happy and will always want to stay.
I shall love to hear the singing. I shall love the endless day.
I shall love to look at Jesus. I shall love him more and more,
And I'll gather water lilies for the angel at the door.
And I'll gather water lilies for the angel at the door.

"There will be none but the holy. I shall know no more of sin.
But I'll see mama and Nellie, for I know he'll let them in,
But I'll have to tell the angel when I meet him at the door,
That he must excuse my papa 'cause he couldn't leave the store.
That he must excuse my papa 'cause he couldn't leave the store.

"Nellie says that may be I shall very soon be called away.
If papa was only ready, I should like to go today.
But if I should go before him to that world of light and joy,
Then I guess he'd want to come to heaven to see his little boy.
Then I guess he'd want to come to heaven to see his little boy."

["If Papa Were Only Ready" is song #415 (of 750) in "Sacred Songs and Solos" compiled by Ira David Sankey, published ca. 1888. (There were several editions.)]