Lyr Add: Hosanna! (Jamaica)

Subject: Lyr Add: Hosanna! (Jamaica)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 May 11 - 08:27 PM

("And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock."). House-building song.

Lyr. Add: Hosanna!!

Hosanna!
Hosanna, me build me house, oh,
Me buil' it 'pon sandy groun'
An' de breeze come blow it down
De rain come leak in deh
De storm come blow it 'way.
De flood come deluge it,
De sun come down bu'n it,
For it was built 'pon sandy groun'
Without a rock for foundation
Ha-ha. Hosanna, oh,
Haaaaa. Hosanna, oh. Ha-ha!

WATER!
Hosanna, me buil' back me house now,
This time 'pon rocky groun',
De breeze come blow 'pon it,
De rain come down wet it,
De flood come deluge it,
De sun come down bu'n it,
Grudgeful man come *obeah it, *Red-eye people put dem mout' 'pon it,
But never was moved a nail from it,
For it was built 'pon a rocky groun',
With a rock for foundation.
Ha-ha. Hosanna, oh,
Haaaaa Hosanna, oh.
Ha-ha.

*obeah- black magic. *red-eye- evil-eye.

Frats Quintet of Jamaica, Insert edit. Edward Seaga
Insert in 1955 LP, Jamaican Folk Songs
Selections by the Frats Quintet of Jamaica
"Printed by The Gleaner Co., Ltd. 148-156 Harbour St., Kingston, Ja., B.W.I. - 1949 - 3/58"
The Lp was pressed several times, known dates 1955 (Ritma label); 1958 (Best Folk Songs of Jamaica), Request Records NY.
The insert is dated 1949, so perhaps the first pressing is lost.

From the Mento Music site:
http://www.mentomusic.com/images/jfs4.jpg


Lyr. Add: Hosanna! (Belafonte)

Hosanna me built a house, oh (4x)

House built on a weak foundation
Will not stand oh no
Stoics stall thru all creation
Will not stand oh no
House built on a weak foundation
Will not stand oh no
Stoics stall thru all creation
Will not stand oh no.

Hosanna, well come wash it down
Sun come, burn it up,
Storm come blow it down
This house could never be
This house could never be
It would be weak you see

House built on a weak foundation
Will not stand oh no
Stoics stall thru all creation
Will not stand oh no.

Hosanna me built a house, oh (4x)

House built on a rock foundation
It will stand oh yes
Stoics stall thru all creation
It will stand oh yes.

Hosanna, well come wash on it
Sun come shine on it
Storm can't blow it down
This house will always be
This house will always be
It will be strong you see.

Hosanna me built a house, oh (4x)

Belafonte lyrics posted at several online sites

Edric Connor version from his book to follow at a later time.

This song was included in the school songbook, Exploring Music 6, with musical score in the Teacher's edition. Eunice Boardman and Beth Landis, 1966, source not stated. Modified version. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosanna! (Jamaica)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 May 11 - 03:32 PM

Corrected and edited entry.
I would imagine this song was sung in church as well at a house building.

There is a Hosanna Hotel in Trinidad, leading me to believe that the song is also known there. The hotel is a smoke and alcohol free destination.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosanna! (Jamaica)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Jul 11 - 07:53 PM

Lyr. Add: HOSSANNA

Hossanna !
Me buil' me home oh,
Ha ha,
Me buil' i' pon a sandy groun'
Ha ha,
De rain come wetty up-
Ha Ha,
De sun come bun i'up-
Ha ha,
De flood come floody up,
Ha Ha,
De breeze come blow i' dung-
Ha Ha,
Bad people obeah i'- Ha ha,
Me house i' weak yuh see,
For me buil' i' pon a sandy groun'.
De bad sinting dem mashy dung,
Ha ha !

De bad sinting dem mashy dung- Bad things mashed it down.

Pp. 55-56, with musical score.
Tom Murphy. edit., 1952, Folk Songs of Jamaica, Oxford University Press.