Lyr Add: Old Camp Meetin'

Subject: Lyr Add: Old Camp Meetin'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Mar 14 - 08:09 PM

OLD CAMP MEETIN'
Sung by Ruby Vass, 1957, Virginia.

Long ago, when but a boy, at old camp meetin' time,
How my heart would leap with joy to hear the old bells chime;
Callin' all the saints of God into the house of prayer;
Oh, such prayin', shoutin', singin', for the Lord was there.

Chorus-
I like the old-time preachin', prayin', shoutin', singin'.
I like the old-time readin' of God's word;
I like to hear those glory hallelujahs ringin',
I like the old-time worship of the Lord.

2
I remember Father dear in that old-fashioned day
How his voice would raise and swell when he began to pray;
Higher, higher it would rise until I seemed to feel
God would save us everyone from death's eternal wheel.

Chorus-

Pp. 93-94, with musical score.

Camp meetings spread throughout the rural south and west from the early 1800s. A large one persists in north Florida, and there may be more.

Herbert Shellans, 1968, "Folk Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains," Oak Publications.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Camp Meetin'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Mar 14 - 01:20 AM

I like the Doc Watson recording of this very singable song. Here's the traditional Ballad Index entry:

Old Camp Meetin'

DESCRIPTION: "Long ago, when but a boy, at old camp meeting time, How my heart would leap with joy...." "I like the old time preachin', prayin', shoutin', singin'...." The singer remembers his father celebrating
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1957 (collected by Shellans from Ruby Vass)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Shellans, pp. 93-94, "Old Camp Meetin'" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #7334
File: Shel093

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