Lyr Req: Paul and Silas in Jail (G W Phillips)

Subject: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From:
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 03:12 PM

Hello, I am wondering if anyone has lyrics to any of Washington Phillips songs. In particular "Paul and Silas." Please email me if you do, or know how I can find them. Thank you! [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 03:35 PM

Could it be this one? (e mail sent)

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 04:43 PM

Noooo, good place to look, but that isn't it. I am afraid my transcription abilities fail me on that one. I suggest that you look to Sandy, Rick, or Stewie for the lyrics. There may be others, but I would class them among the most rabid (and knowledgeable)WP fans around here. I would try a co-operative translation, but certainly not by myself.

Subject: Lyr Add: PAUL AND SILAS IN JAIL
From: Stewie
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 08:41 PM

Hi Dale, good to see you back. I don't know of any source for WP lyrics either. As you say, 'Paul and Silas' is a real stinker to transcribe. I am more than happy to join in a cooperative effort to make sense of it.

To start the ball rolling, I will post my draft of it. The bits in square brackets are conjectural, and I'm willing to argue for most of the rest. I reckon the mumble at the second line of the second stanza will have to be anybody's guess - mine is not right, but it makes contextual sense. The 'gave' at the end of the first line of stanza 4 may be deliberately ungrammatical to rhyme with 'saved' - or, then again, a total mishearing of 'gaze' or something else. 'Old' could be 'Oh'. My reading of the second last line of the final stanza may well be a creative mondegreen, but that's what I'm hearing at the moment.

Looking forward to the input of others:

PAUL AND SILAS IN JAIL

We must look, we must look, for Jesus to care for us
'Cos you ought to know, in Him, He is our [only] trust
Whatever we desire whenever we do pray
We must have the faith and belief that He will do just what He says

Old Paul and Silas in [this filthy] jail they was brought down
'Cos [they did believe ] in Jesus they found Him close around
When the dark hour[s] of midnight, when everything was still
Oh Paul he whispered to Silas, said, 'Let us do Our Master's will'

Old Silas he began singing, old Paul he entered in prayer
Then heaven it got all stirred up and an angel met them there
And the jail doors all flew open and the jailer thought they was all gone
And he called for his sword for to kill hisself, Paul said, 'Do thou self no harm'

He sprung out [on the floor] and a light he wanted them to [gave]
He replied to Paul and Silas, 'What shall I do to be saved'
[By] Paul [being one of Christ's children] seeing the jailer, [woke] up in a fright
And he said that you must believe in my saviour Jesus Christ

I'm going home, going home, going home on the morning train
If I happen to make it too late, oh sure, Lord, it won't be my aim
[I'm sweeping up this old templed body, in incense and prayer]
Oh the place that they call heaven, I say they want to go there

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From:
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 08:53 PM

Thanks a lot guys! I've been listening to this song for A long time and had a version, but three heads are better than one. I appreciate it.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 09:28 PM

Thanks, Stewie for doing all the hard part. I heard things in your version that I never could decipher before. I do have a few suggestions, building on what you have done so well with such a seemingly impossible task.

Old Paul and Silas in this citizen jail they was both found I am very shaky with citizen (makes little sense), but confident of both found.

'Cos [mumble, mumble ] in Jesus they found Him close around I have absolutely no idea here, but as Stewie says, his version reads well here.

Old Paul he whispered to Silas, said, 'Let us do Our Master's will' A vote for Old

And he called for his sword for to kill hisself, but Paul said, 'Do thou self no harm' Added the but.

He sprung out in the floor and a light he wanted them to gave I hear in rather than out, but out does make more sense. About gave, it is likely something else, but I don't know what.

I'm sweeping up this old templed body, oh, its in [mumble] prayer This is no better, but it is what I hear.

Oh the place they call heaven, I certainly want to go there I am fairly certain of this line.

Oh, and woke up in a fright does not seem to make much sense, but I hear it, too.

OK, who's next?

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 09:32 PM

I DO miss Max's html checker, obviously. Maybe if I mumble enough, or maybe make enough mistakes, he will restore it, possibly even make it better! I guess what I said will make sense if you read carefully enough.


--- We'll have a preview feature in the upgrade. I fixed your tag. ---
---Jeff (PA)---

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Oct 01 - 09:46 PM

Thanks, Jeff! When I looked again, I thought, that wasn't what I saw the first time! (I think I got the html right that time, at least it was simple enough.) I am certainly looking forward to the upgrade, and thanks again for all you do behind the scenes. I never say it enough, but I certainly appreciate the things you do.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: Stewie
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 01:42 AM

GuestS, glad to be of help. Where does your version differ from what Dale and I have come up with?

Dale,

Stanza 1, line 1 - I agree with that your 'both found' is correct, but still favour 'this filthy'.

Stanza 2, line 4 - I should have put 'old' there. I originally had them all as 'oh' and neglected to change that one to 'old'.

Stanza 3, line 4 - I originally had the 'but' and had second thoughts. BUT, you are right, there is a 'but'.

Stanza 4, line 1 - listening again this could be: 'He sprung out in the floor and in the light he wanted them to gaze'.

Stanza 4, line 3 - could well be a 'then' before 'seeing': 'being one of Christ's children then seeing'.

Stanza 5, line 3 - this remains a mystery. Hearing 'incense' was probably a product of my lost Catholic upbringing - the second half of the line now sounds to me like 'oh it's in (something) prayer'. I'll keep at it.

Stanza 5, line 4 - I reckon you are correct with 'I certainly want to go there'. There is nothing like hearing something clearly after someone has deciphered it for you.

Any other takers? Where are Sandy, Rick and other members of the Washington Phillips Appreciation Society? Sandy's probably pretty busy with his label's 40th celebrations, but this is sacred stuff relating to the master!

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: Stewie
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 01:57 AM

My apologies, Dale, I somehow overlooked your comment relating to stanza 5, line 3 but, as I said above, I am now hearing the same as you: 'oh, it's in (mumble) prayer'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 02:05 AM

Philippin jail, though that probably is not the right spelling. (slap up the side of the head, they were imprisoned in Philippi!) I will leave you to it, it is past time for bed. RICK, where are you, you have been called out! Sandy, we will not harass for the moment ~~ let him celebrate a while longer, he deserves it.

Subject: RE: Washington Phillips Lyric?
From: Stewie
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 06:55 AM

Well done, Dale. I dips me lid to you. I would never have got it because my knowledge of the bible is pretty abysmal. I found the following at BiblePlaces.com courtesy of Google:

Philippian Jail

This traditional place of Paul and Silas's imprisonment is of dubious authenticity, but it remembers the attack on these men and their subsequent flogging and imprisonment. In the course of the night, a violent earthquake shook the prison and the jailer feared that all might have escaped. After learning that none had fled, the Philippian jailer put his faith in Christ and was baptized with his family.

--Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: PAUL AND SILAS IN JAIL
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 12:47 AM

After an Email exchange, Stewie and I finally came up with this version, which is better than we thought possible when we began. The part in brackets in the second stanza is almost certainly not right, but as Stewie says, "I reckon the mumble at the second line of the second stanza will have to be anybody's guess - mine is not right, but it makes contextual sense." I agree completely. For those who have heard the song, I am sure you will agree that Phillips really does mumble there. I doubt anyone on this earth can tell what he is saying. And if you haven't heard it, you're missing one of the most powerful performers ever recorded. Put Washington Phillips in the Digitrad and Forum Search box for additional testimonials.

Several places where we were stymied turned out to be solved by researching the Bible story which the song is based upon. If you wish to read for yourself, check Acts 16, roughly verses 22-32. One example: "And he called for lights . . ." To clarify one other point: 'Then heaven it got all stirred up' refers to the earthquake which threw open all the doors of the jail. The verses just prior and just after relate the reason they were thrown in jail, and the outcome of the situation.

In a couple of other places, we may be a bit off, but I would say any errors would be quite minor. For instance, we were not totally satisfied with the phrase 'I'm sweeping up this old templed body' but neither of us could get anything else out of it.

As far as authorship is concerned, I would credit Washington Phillips until someone shows me otherwise.

PAUL AND SILAS IN JAIL

We must look, we must look, for Jesus to care for us
'Cos you ought to know, in Him, He is our only trust
Whatever we desire, whenever we do pray
We must have the faith and belief that He will do just what He says

Old Paul and Silas in this Philippian jail they was both bound
'Cos [they did believe ] in Jesus they found Him close around
When the dark hours of midnight, when everything was still
Old Paul he whispered to Silas, said, 'Let us do Our Master's will'

Old Silas he began singing, old Paul he entered in prayer
Then heaven it got all stirred up and an angel met them there
And the jail doors all flew open and the jailer thought they was all gone
And he called for his sword for to kill hisself, but Paul said, 'Do thou self no harm'

He sprung out in this floor and in a light he wanted them to gaze
He replied to Paul and Silas, 'What shall I do to be saved'
By Paul being one of Christ's children then, seeing the jailer woke up in a fright
And he said that you must believe in my saviour Jesus Christ

I'm going home, going home, going home on the morning train
If I happen to make it too late, oh sure, Lord, it won't be my aim
I'm sweeping up this old templed body, oh, in sincere prayer
Oh the place they call heaven, I certainly want to go there

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Paul and Silas in Jail (G W Phillips)
From: GUEST,Haruo (aka Leland)
Date: 15 Jun 25 - 07:16 PM

What I'm not seeing here (nor anywhere else) is the Paul and Silas song that goes (giving the verses I recall)

Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Had no money for to go their bail.
Keep your eyes on the prize, Hold on! Hold on!
Keep your eyes on the prize, Hold on!

Only thing that we did wrong
Was stayin' in the wilderness too long.
Keep your eyes...

Only thing that we did right
Was the day we begun to fight.
Keep your eyes...

Pete Seeger sang it I'm quite sure on his Live at Carnegie Hall album.

Leland Ross
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Paul and Silas in Jail (Pete Seeger+)
From: GUEST,Haruo (aka Leland)
Date: 15 Jun 25 - 07:21 PM

There's a purportedly Seeger set of lyrics at https://genius.com/Pete-seeger-keep-your-eyes-on-the-prize-lyrics but some of them I'm pretty sure were NOT on the recording in question, and the one verse I *do* recognize there that I didn't give above is misstated. The second verse should go

The very moment they thought they was lost,
The dungeon shook and their chains fell off...