Origins: One More River to Cross

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 01:06 PM

Guest- Source of lyrics?

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 10:28 PM

One more river to cross,
one more mountain to climb
one more valley that I gotta go thru
leaving my troubles behind
one more battle with the devil
and I know he'll understand
I am going thru with Jesus hallelujah
Holding onto his nail scarred hand
Holding to his nail scarred hand

I have had a troubles and triumphs
In my little lifespan
An when I am standing alone
And the battle is hot
I always do the best that I can
I must have crossed a million valleys
And shed a million tears
But when I come to the river of Jordon hallelujah
Then I will have no fear
I will have no fear

One more river to cross,
one more mountain to climb
one more valley that I gotta go thru
leaving my troubles behind
one more battle with the devil
and I know he'll understand
I am going thru with Jesus with hallelujah
Holding to his nail scarred hand
Holding to his nail scarred hand

Yet a lot of people talk about me since I walked this Calvary
This is just another valley I came thru as I pleased
I climbed a lot of mountains,
crossed a lot of streams
Gonna see old Journey, cold and dark
Probably the last for me, whoa probably last for me

One more river to cross,
No no
one more mountain to climb
climbing
one more valley that I gotta go thru
uh huuuh
leaving my troubles behind
troubles behind whoa
one more battle with the devil
yeah

and I know he'll understand
yeahhhhh
I am going thru with Jesus hallelujah
Holding to his nail scarred hand
hallelujah
Holding to his nail scarred hand

One more river to cross,
Only one more
one more mountain to climb
one more valley that I gotta go thru
leaving my troubles behind
one more battle with the devil
and I know he'll understand
I am going thru with Jesus hallelujah
Holding to his nail scarred hand
Holding to his nail scarred hand
Holding to his nail scarred hand.

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 01:47 PM

Jimmie Cliff first recorded "Many Rivers to Cross" in 1969; it was included on the 1972 soundtrack for the film, "The Harder They Come." Haven't found an earlier date, so the song is probably his.
I think the Cocker cover was later than 1969, but not sure.

No relationship to the song posted by Reiver2

Subject: LYR: ADD: Many Rivers To Cross
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 08:27 AM

This thread title made me think of the song "Many River To Cross".
There probably is no connection whatsoever with the ballad "Many Rivers To Cross" and the song "One More River To Cross"

However, here's the lyrics to that song:

MANY RIVERS TO CROSS

Many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of dover

Many rivers to cross
And it's only my will that keeps me alive
I've been licked, washed up for years
And I merely survive because of my pride

And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's such a drag to be on your own
My woman left me and she didn't say why
Well, I guess I'll have to cry

Many rivers to cross
But just where to begin I'm playing for time
There have been times I find myself
Thinking of committing some dreadful crime

Yes, I've got many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering, I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover

Yes, I've got many rivers to cross
And I merely survive because of my will...

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/hardertheycome/toomanyriverstocross.htm

[The title given on this lyric page for Jimmy Cliff songs is
"Too Many Rivers To Cross". However, I think the correct title is "Many Rivers To Cross". I don't know who the composer of this song is or how old this song is}.

**

Here's a link to a YouTube video of reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff singing "Many Rivers To Cross"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkMzuXlKQv8

The 1989 video features scenes of Jamaica.

**

Here's a note from another YouTube video of this song:

"The song "Many Rivers To Cross" is a very powerful ballad, and has been covered by many Bands/Artistes including Van Morrison and UB40."
YouTube also has a 1969 video of Joe Crocker singing that song. Here's that link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUPPE-9ndtQ

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 08:02 PM

The song here is based in part on the spiritual, "Wide River," in Work, John Wesley, 1915, "Folk Song of the American Negro," p. 47.
Reprint 1969, Negro Universitie Press, NY.

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 07:44 PM

I have posted "Noah's Ark" from Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," in thread 15012, thread title Noah's Ark.
Noah's Ark

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Reiver 2
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 07:34 PM

Thanks, again, BOB. You're a gold mine of info. on these songs. I'll look up your reference.

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Bob Coltman
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 06:55 PM

"One More Ribber For To Cross" is by James Hosey and Thos. P. Westendorf. The Levy Collection has a copy (not necessarily the original) published in Philadelphia PA by A.W. Auner, date uncertain, but evidently long before 1900 -- my guess is circa 1870-80. You can see it at:

Subject: RE: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Reiver 2
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 06:22 PM

Oooops. My bad. I got this confused with the last one. This one should go:

ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS

Oh Noah, he did build an ark,
(There's one more river to cross)
He built it out of hickory bark,
(There's one more river to cross).

CHO: There's one more river,
    And that's the river of Jordan,
    There's one wide river,
    There's one more river to cross.

The animals came in one by one,
(There's one more river to cross)
The elephant chewing a carroway bun,
(There's one more river to cross)

CHO:

The animals came in two by two,
(There's one more river to cross)
The rinocerous and the kangaroo,
(There's one more river to cross)

CHO:

The animals came in three by three,
(There's one more river to cross)
The bat, the bear and the bumble bee,
(There's one more river to cross)

CHO:

The animals came in four by four,
(There's one more river to cross)
Old Noah got mad and hollered for more,
(There's one more river to cross)

CHO:


That's it!. Just ignore the lyrics posted in my earlier post on this thread. Those songs are so similar that it's easy (for me, at least) to get them mixed up.

Reiver 2

Subject: Origins: One More River to Cross
From: Reiver 2
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 06:05 PM

Here's the 2nd of the songs I mentioned on the Animal Fair thread that my father sang to me and taught me as a small boy. Again, it may go under a different name, I use this because it ends each verse. It's similar to the one I posted as "Lookin' For a Home" as it also about Noah and his ark:

ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS

Oh, Noah, he did build an ark,
Oh, Noah, he did build an ark,
Oh, Noah, he did build an ark.
He built it out of hickory bark.

CHO: There's one more river,
    And that's the river of Jordan,
    There's one more river,
    There's one more river to cross.

The animals came in one by one,
(Repeat twice)
The elephant chewing a carroway bun.

CHO:

The animals came in two by two,
(Repeat twice)
The rinocerous and the kangaroo.

CHO:

The animals came in three by three,
(Repeat twice)
The bat, the bear and the bumble-bee.

CHO:

The animals came in four by four,
(Repeat twice)
Old Noah got mad and hollered for more.

CHO:


Again, there may have been more verses, but these are all I remember (after 70 some years). Sometimes he would sing some of the lines as "one wide river" instead of "one more river", just to provide a bit of variety, I think. If anyone knows anything about this little song, please post on this thread. Thanks.

Reiver 2