Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Dec 12 - 01:46 PM

I can relate to that. Harpers, like fiddlers, are born, not made.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Don Firth
Date: 06 Dec 12 - 11:24 PM

Segovia is reputed to have said that, if in heaven he would have to set his guitar aside and play the harp, he didn't want to go.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 06 Dec 12 - 10:33 PM

So my fretless bass should get through the gates, then?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 06 Dec 12 - 12:21 PM

For future parodists, I suggest the pun that there shall be no fret in Heaven.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST,Is anyone still looking for this?
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 08:42 PM

I've been singing this song for about 50 years now, if anyone needs the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Aug 10 - 04:37 AM

marykay hjorten, I used to sing that song, can I bring my Martin to heaven too, cux I hae aq Martin and come4 from that era, any way anyone can send me a cip of the sonfg, I can download to MP3 file to help me remember the tune? would really love the hyelp

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Aug 10 - 04:18 AM

MaryKay Hjoten

I can't believe I found this sight, I am 63 and used to play so many old folk songs, and remembered it as "can I bring my Martin to heaven" can someone tell me where I can find an album, CK or other way of hearing this old favorite of mine?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 07:10 PM

For Suffolk Miracle - I just found this on a recently-revived thread:-

NO BANJOS IN HEAVEN (I changed the title from NO TITLE GIVEN)
(Ostensibly by one Rufus Mitchell)

Come all you men and maidens, and harken unto me;
I will tell you my condition and what it used to be.

I used to be a sinner, that wandered from the Lord;
I neither heard His counsel nor read His Holy Word!

My name is Rufus Mitchell, the truth to you I'll tell;
I used to drink and gambol and picked my banjo well!

I kept my evil habits and served as Satan's slave;
Although my conscience told me, I had a soul to save!

In spite of all my conscience, I'd tell what was not true;
I would sing a lively ditty and pick my banjo, too!

In wars between the parties, the gray coats and the blue,
I volunteered for freedom; I picked my banjo too!

In scouting I was skillful; in battle I was brave.
Thought nothing about life or death but to liberate the slave.

I came into this country to see what I could do;
I kept my evil habits and picked my banjo, too!!!!

Then fever came upon me and brought me near the grave,
And many Christians told me I had a soul to save.

I went to hear the gospel to see if His Word were true;
I laughed and mocked the preacher, and picked my banjo, too!

And when he called for sinners, the tears streamed in my eyes;
I bowed before the alter, I laid my banjo by!

I prayed and pled for mercy; Christ filled my flowing cup;
I went home rejoicing and burned my banjo up.

Come all you wicked sinners, to meet me on that shore,
Where we will walk and worship, where banjos are no more.

Jean Thomas, Ballad Makin' in the Mountains of Kentucky (1939) at pp. 180-181.

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=61188&messages=16

Conservative ballads

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 06:14 AM

Love it!

Ross (concertina player when resting from banjo, mandolin and guitar)

Subject: Lyr Add: DON'T LET GUITARS INTO HEAVEN (B Tinker)
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:43 AM

And for those of the opposite persuasion:

Dear Lord it may be someday you and I
Will be together up there in the sky.
We could be stuck up there, dear Lord, throughout eternity
And so that is the reason why I send this prayer to Thee:

CHO. Don't let guitars into Heaven;
Don't let them in where angels dwell.
And if someone says to you 'Can I bring my guitar too?'
Please turn them round and send them back to Hell.

Dear lord, please listen to my heartfelt prayer;
I've tried so hard for Heaven to prepare.
I've never touched guitars for to Satan they belong;
They lead to using capos, Lord, and singing dirty songs.

Dear Lord there is another instrument
That's very bad for those that are on Heaven bent.
It leads you to perdition; it's steeped in mortal sin,
So do us all a favour, God, and stuff the mandolin.

Dear Lord, you are a music lover – this I know.
So I'm taking it for granted that you're banning the banjo.
The music up in Heaven must be fit to charm the stars;
So stick to concertinas, God, and keep out those guitars.

By Biggs Tinker a banjo player (!!!) from Manchester - though I'm guessing it is a pseudonym (Big Stinker!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 03:56 AM

Hi, Melissa
If you send your email address by PM to me or Effsee, I'm sure either of us would send it on.

Many thanks to all for the help.

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:24 AM

Thank you all for bringing this charming song back to life. I love its internal rhymes.

Maybe it's just a dialectal difference, but I would feel better singing 'Let me TAKE my guitar to heaven, too.'

Not that the idea actually has any point - in heaven there are guitars for all who want them, and the guitars are eternally in tune. Their strings never need changing. That's why it's heaven.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Melissa
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:55 AM

This looks like a good companion to "Yodel My Way to Heaven"
Would one of you mind sending the mp3 to me so I can hear it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:05 AM

Above lyrics transcribed from Effsee's mp3 - thanks for that.
The recording came from Mike Whelan's album "The Dirtwater Fox Is Coming to Town", date around mid-'70s? Google searches for it are swamped by responses for "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox". I always wondered whether there was a connection between the two (the film came out about the same time).

My own copy of the album remains hiding in the stack somewhere, Effsee's has gone walkabout.

Peace's link shows the first verse and chorus and credits Genny Haley as the songwriter.

Genny Haley was a member of California female group Any Old Time. Their '78 and'80 albums have been re-issued together on Arhoolie Any Old Time but the track's not on there.

CDBaby has two-minute downloadable links for most of the tracks on Faith Petric's album "When Did We Have Sauerkraut?"
"Let Me Bring My Guitar To Heaven Too" is listed on the album but is not one of the downloadable tracks.
Plenty of other good stuff there, though - try "You Ain't Done Nothin' If You Ain't Been Called A Red".

Ross

Subject: Lyr Add: LET ME BRING MY GUITAR TO HEAVEN TOO
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 01:28 AM

LET ME BRING MY GUITAR TO HEAVEN TOO
(Genny Haley)

Dear Lord, When I must die and reign up in the Sky
Where everyone is shouting, Halle-Lu.
One favor Lord, I ask, when my soul is called at last -
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.

Chorus:-
How many Martins get beyond those Pearly Gates
To pick those sacred melodies for you?
Harps and Trumpets may sound fine but they just don't sound old-time;
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.

Oh, how often, dearest Lord, has my Martin struck a chord
When I was singing songs of praise to you?
Like me it's done its share, so, Lord, listen to my prayer
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.

Chorus

(Instrumental break)

Oh, I long, dear Lord, to be with my own dear family
And all those friends who've gone to live with you.
How we used to sing and play; Lord, when I'm laid away,
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.

Chorus

Oh, dear Lord, when I must die and reign up in the Sky
Where everyone is shouting, Halle-Lu.
One favor Lord, I ask, when my soul is called at last.
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.

Chorus

RJC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:37 PM

Ross,

Funny, I just heard this song sung by a friend of mine. Do, please, post the lyrics when you have them transcribed.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Peace
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:30 PM

Genny Haley: "Let me bring my guitar to heaven too"

"Dear Lord, When I must die and reign up in the Sky
where everyone is shouting, Halle-Lu.
One favor Lord, I ask, when my soul is called at last.
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too.
How many Martins get beyond those Pealey Gates
to pick those sacred melodies for you?
Harps and Trumpets may sound fine
but they just don`t sound old-time.
Let me bring my guitar to Heaven, too."
Fremført af Mike Whellans på albummet "The Dirtwater Fox" fra 1976. Foto: Alistair Mulhearn.

found that at

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:w68go7BmYe0J:www.akustikken.dk/+%22How+many+Martins+get+beyond+those+pearly+gates%22&hl=en&c

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Melissa
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:30 PM

When you get the words transcribed, Ross, would you mind posting them here? I'd kind of like to see them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:23 PM

Many thanks for that, Effsee.
I should be able to transcribe the words from your mp3. If I learn it properly, maybe it'll stop clicking into my head every few months!
I think the female vocalist singing the chorus behind Mike Whelan is Cilla Fisher, maybe that's where I got the idea that Cilla & Artie sang this.
Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Effsee
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:35 AM

Have PM-ed you Ross.

Subject: Lyr Req: Can I Take/Bring My Guitar to Heaven Too
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:00 AM

Years ago I heard Mike Whelan sing a song with chorus as follows:-

"How many Martins get beyond those pearly gates
To sing those sacred melodies for You?
Harps and trumpets may sound fine,
But they just don't sound Old-Time,
Can I bring my guitar to Heaven too?"

I think Cilla Fisher and Artie Tresize may have done the song as well, and the only Google reference I found mentioned Faith Petric as singing it - found it listed on her album "When Did We Have Sauerkraut?". CDBaby has lots of great clips from the album but "Let me bring my Guitar to Heaven too" isn't one of the playable links - AAAAAAARGH!

Anybody got the lyrics?

Ross