Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian

Subject: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian- Lyr
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 12:22 AM

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had lyris for the gospel "Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian" by Blind Willie McTell or any other versions.

Any info? Or info about the related "Ain't It a Shame to Work on Sunday."? Any recordings online?

Are these of minstrel origin?

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 01:11 AM

"Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian" is on a Blind Willie McTell CD called Atlanta Twelve String, on the Atlantic label. It's available for purchase or on Spotify, but I didn't find it at Last.fm. Yes, it's almost the same as "Ain't It a Shame," with just a few words changed. I wonder which song came first.

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 01:48 AM

This is what I figure the lyrics are but I really don't know:

Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian

Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand,
When you got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
All day Sunday, ain't it grand.

This is what I used as a model:

Ain't It A Shame To Work On Sunday

Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday
Ain't it a shame a working shame.
Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday,
Ain't it a shame a working shame.
Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday.

When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
and you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, ain't it a shame.

Ain't It A Shame To Work On Sunday has some bizarre lyrics that include:

Ain't it a shame to lie on Sunday

or

Ain't it a shame to drink on Sunday

When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to do those things. Probably not advocated in most churches but these were sung in the 1950s in the churches so...

I think it's based on minstrel songs possibly Gray Goose which may have spawned the similar "Ain't It A Shame To Beat your wife On Sunday."

Apparently the gospel songs were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Anyone have any versions?

Richie

Subject: ADD: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 02:04 AM

Here's what I hear from the Blind Willie McTell recording. As you can see, I need some help.
-Joe-

AIN'T IT GRAND TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN

Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to live a Christian,
You got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Lord, all day Sunday, ain't it grand.
Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand

Ain't it grand to live in union, ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to live in union,
When you got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Lord, Friday, Saturday,
And all day Sunday, ain't it grand.
Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand

Ain't it grand to love your (member?), ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to love your (member?),
When you got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Lord, all day Sunday, ain't it grand.
Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand

Ain't it grand to love sinners, ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to love your sinners,
When you got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Lord, all day Sunday, ain't it grand.
Ain't it grand to live a Christian, ain't it grand

Ain't it grand to keep prayin', ain't it grand,
Ain't it grand to keep prayin',
When you got Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Lord, all day Sunday, ain't it grand.
Ain't it grand to keep prayin', ain't it grand

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 09:19 AM

Thanks Joe,

I can tell you without hearing it that verse three is "member" as in "church member."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 11:16 AM

"Ain't It A Shame" was used as an encore in Shuffle Along, a 1922 Musical in NYC

LYR ADD: AIN'T IT A SHAME- Four Hamony Kings circa 1922

Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame.
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
and you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday too
Ain't it a shame.

Ain't it a shame to drink hootch on Sunday...

Ain't it a shame to shimmy on Sunday...

Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday...

-Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 11:36 AM

Here's an interesting article about the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartette who sang "Ain't It A Shame to Beat Your Wife on Sunday"
and John Hammond in 1939:

http://books.google.com/books?id=nMl7doBBHjoC&pg=PA68&dq=%22Ain't+It+A+Shame+To+Beat+your+wife+On+Sunday%22&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&ou

Is this related to: Every Day is Sunday Bye and Bye?

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 01:05 PM

The song was recorded by Leadbelly and his version has been covered by Nirvana and others.

Nirvana - Ain't It A Shame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DXF40Yfvg

According to Wiki: "Ain't It a Shame" (Roud 11659) or "Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin'" or "Keep You Hands Off Her" is an American folk song. It has been recorded by Lead Belly and Nirvana, among others. Also the name of a song by The B-52s on the Bouncing Off the Satellites LP (1986). Covered by Sinead O'Connor in 2003 on She Who Dwells.

I thought "Keep You Hands Off Her" was a different song.

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 01:09 PM

Ballad Index: It's a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday

It's a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday

DESCRIPTION: "It's a shame to whip your wife on Sunday/When you've got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...." Subsequent verses "It's a shame to play cards on Sunday...." "It's a shame to get drunk on Sunday."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Fiddlin' John Carson)
KEYWORDS: abuse gambling drink humorous nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 78, "It's A Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 22, "Ain't It a Shame" (1 text)
DT, AINTSHAM
RECORDINGS:
Fiddlin' John Carson, "It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday" (Okeh 45122, 1927)
New Lost City Ramblers, "It's a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday" (on NLCR12)
Pete Seeger, "Ain't It a Shame" (on PeteSeeger32)
NOTES: Some joke. -PJS
I have to suspect this is funnier in concert than in print. (It would be hard for it to be LESS funny, after all.)
The version in the Folksinger's wordbook omits the crucial first verse, but I don't think it actually circulated in that form; I think it's just a case of political correctness. - RBW
File: CSW078

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 05:52 PM

Hi,

I have Fiddlin' John Carson's version from 1927. I'll post later on tonight if no one else does.

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
From: Richie
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 08:11 PM

It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife on Sunday- Fiddlin' John Carson from OKeh 45112 recorded in 1927.

It's a shame to whip your wife on Sunday
It's a shame to whip your wife on Sunday
When you've got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
It's a shame to whip your wife on Sunday.

It's a shame to play cards on Sunday...

It's a shame to get drunk on Sunday...

Repeat first verse