Origins: Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel? (various)

Subject: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 10:42 PM

Found this recording of the Norfolk Jubilee Quartette on Youtube, after first hearing it done as a children's song by Raffi.
You can hear my own take on it here.

Lordy, won't you stop by here,
Lordy, won't you stop by here
Lordy, won't you stop by here.
Lordy, won't you stop by here,
Lordy, won't you stop by here
Lordy, won't you stop by here.

(Great God, now)
Didn't God deliver Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Didn't God deliver Daniel? Why not deliver me?

Daniel in the lion's den, Daniel in the lion's den,
Daniel in the lion's den,
Daniel in the lion's den, Daniel in the lion's den,
Daniel in the lion's den,

Didn't God deliver Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Didn't God deliver Daniel? Why not deliver me?

The angel locked the lions' jaws,
The angel locked the lions' jaws
(Great God) The angel locked the lions' jaws.
The angel locked the lions' jaws,
The angel locked the lions' jaws
(Great God) The angel locked the lions' jaws.


Didn't God deliver Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Didn't God deliver Daniel?
Why not deliver me?

Lordy, won't you stop by here,
Lordy, won't you stop by here
Lordy, won't you stop by here.
Lordy, won't you stop by here,
Oh, Lordy, won't you stop by here
Lordy, won't you stop by here.

Didn't God deliver Daniel, Daniel, Daniel
Didn't God deliver Daniel? Why not deliver me?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 10:32 PM

Nathan in Texas, thanks for posting those words and the link to your video. I particularly liked the piano solo near the end of the video.

**

This is the first time I've heard or read the song "Daniel in the Lion's Den". I suppose these two songs are related, but maybe we'll never know which one came first.

**

There's a number of YouTube videos about the song "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" Here are links to two of these videos, both of which are performed with concert arrangements.

In the first video, the song is performed by Howard Gospel Choir - "Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel"

"The Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University sings the Negro Spiritual "Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel" in Martin, Slovakia [Europe] as a part of our Tour of Slovakia in December 2007".


In the second video, the song us performed by a majority White choir*

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel - Nashville 2008

"Nashville, USA 2008"


*The racial references continues the discussion in this thread: Jerry R's 'Black/White Gospel Workshop

A portion of the Nashville choir's performance of this African American spiritual might also address the question raised by the original poster in this Mudcat thread, Minstrel Show Or Not? ,

"Is it inappropriate for groups made up of white people to publicly perform music written "in the voice" of African Americans? I'm talking about local choruses and church choirs"
-Ref

-snip-

That's one question which I will not address at this time.

Another question is how effective is the performance by the group who is not singing in "their own voices".

In my opinion, the attempt to sing a portion of this song in what the choir may have thought was a "Black voice" {as well as the choirs attempts to add movements {swaying to the beat and handclapping, and more} to their rendition of this African American spiritual was not at all effective, though there's no question that they sung very well.

**

As an extra bonus, here's a link to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Revelations (part 2 of 5)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 14 Jan 09 - 08:13 PM

Thanks for the links, especialy the last one!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:25 PM

Isn't this song already in the spirituals permathread?

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:48 PM

"Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" is there, but it's not the same song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 07:13 PM

There are a lot of spirituals, blues, and gospel songs with this tune and with this textual pattern.

Just Over in the GloryLand

(NOT Kumbaya) Lord, Won't You Come By Here AKA Now is the The Needed Time

If AnyBuddy has time to look 'em up it'd be grand to have the links for them here.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 09:27 PM

Susan,
Thanks for pointing out the similarities. I know and sing both songs but the fact that the melodies are related hadn't clicked.

Nathan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 02:23 AM

Thread #129086   Message #2897732
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
30-Apr-10 - 09:50 PM
Thread Name: Jubilee Songs, Fisk Jubilee Singers
Subject: Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel

No. 10. Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel

Chorus: (Sung in Unison)

Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
D'liver Daniel, d'liver Daniel,
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
And why not every man?

1
He deliver'd Daniel from the lion's den,
Jonah from the belly of the whale,
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace,
And why not every man?
*
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
D'liver Daniel, d'liver Daniel,
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
And why not every man?
2
The moon run down in a purple stream,
The sun forbear to shine,
And every star disappear,
King Jesus shall be mine.
Didn't etc.
3
The wind blows East, and the wind blows West,
It blows like the judgement day,
And every poor soul that never did pray
'll be glad to pray that day.
Didn't etc.
4
I set my foot on the Gospel ship,
And the ship it begin to sail,
It landed me over on Canaan's shore,
And I'll never come back any more.
Didn't etc.

*Go on without pause, leaving out two beats of the measure.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Daniel in the Lions' Den (1927 Recording
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 02:27 AM

I would consider the version from the Fisk Jubilee Singers (above) to be the "definitive" version. Here's the Digital Tradition version. I wonder where it comes from.

DIDN'T MY LORD DELIVER DANIEL?

cho: Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, Daniel, Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
And why not every man?

He delivered Daniel Daniel from the lion's den
And Jonah from the belly of the whale
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
So why not every man?

The wind blows east, the wind blows west
It blows like Judgment day
And ev'ry soul that never did pray
Will be glad to pray that day.

The moon run down in a purple stream
The sun refuse to shine;
And every star will disappear
King Jesus will be mine!

@religion @spiritual @American
filename[ DELVRDAN
TUNE FILE: DELVRDAN
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

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Here's the Traditional Ballad Index Entry:

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel

DESCRIPTION: "Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel... Then why not every man? He delivered Daniel from the lion's den, Jonah from the belly of the whale." The singer forecasts the end of the world, expecting to be saved, and rejoices in salvation
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1874 (Dett)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Dett, p. 65, "My Lord Delibered Daniel" (1 text, 1 tune; p. 193 in the 1874 edition)
Silber-FSWB, p. 370, "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" (1 text)
DT, DELVRDAN*
Roud #12348
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Preacher and the Bear" (theme)
NOTES: The story of Daniel in the lion's den (for refusing to worship a false god) is in Daniel 6:16-24. Jonah's sojourn in the belly of a fish (NOT a whale; the Hebrew says "fish") is in Jonah 1:17-2:10. The story of the three in the fiery furnace is in Daniel 3. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: FSWB370A

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