Lyr ADD: Diamonds in the Rough (Carter Family)

Subject: Lyr- Diamond in the Rough
From: Keith Reins
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 09:29 AM

I would like the words to Diamond in the Rough. I have tried to get the words off of several recordings and have never been able to undersand all the words.

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 09:37 AM

I've got the words at home on the John Prine CD of that title. I'll post them tonight.

If you don't own this album, you should. It is one of the best albums I've heard.

Paul

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 10:31 AM

WHICH Diamonds? Do you want the Carter Family's song of that name or some other one? If the former, let me know and I will write it out. PETE

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Dale Rose
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 10:49 AM

Well, believe it or not, just this year I heard a much more gospel oriented version of Diamonds in the Rough done by a local group. I have been meaning to ask them what their source was, but keep forgetting to do so. Knowing them, I would suspect that it is straight out of some old hymnal, which may well be where the Carters got their version before they adapted it and made it their own. I also have been meaning to transcribe the words as they sing them. I will do so later, possibly even today.

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Keith Reins
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 11:24 AM

I am responding to Pete Peterson's response to my question. Yes. It is the Carter Family Diamonds in the rough I am looking for.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH 2^^
From: Paul S
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 05:29 PM

All right kids. I found the lyrics on my John Prine liner notes. I don't know how many verses the original has, but JP just sings these two, a cappella, with some beautiful harmonising by his brother Dave, and Steve Goodman.

Diamonds In The Rough
by A.P. Carter

While walking out one evening not knowing where to go
Just to pass the time away before we held our show
I heard a little mission band playing with all their might
I gave my soul to Jesus and left the show that night

The day will soon be over and evening will begun
No more gems to be gathered so let us all press on
When Jesus comes to claim us and says it is enough
The diamonds will be shining no longer in the rough

Paul.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH 2^^
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 08:09 PM

Keith,

Here is most of the Carter Family's version. There are a couple of words that I cannot decipher - perhaps Dale can clarify them. In the third line of the first verse Sara is not singing 'a little' as given in the Prine version, but it's probably good enough - it sounds like a name, 'Bethel' or something similar. I am not certain about 'suffer stern rebuff' in the second verse - Sara's accent is difficult - but that's my best bet.

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH (A.P.Carter)

While walking out one evening not knowing where to go
Just to pass the time away before we held our show
I heard a little (the Bethel ?) mission band singing with all their might
I gave my heart to Jesus and left the show that night

Chorus: The day will soon be over and evening will be done
And no more gems be gathered so let us all press on
When Jesus comes to claim us and says it is enough
The diamonds will be shining no longer in the rough

One day my precious comrade you too were lost in sin
And others sought your rescue and Jesus took you in
And when you're tired and tempted and suffer stern rebuff
Don't turn away in anger, there's diamonds in the rough

Chorus

When reading through the bible some wondrous sights are seen
I read of Peter, James and John by the sea of Galilee
And Jesus when he found them, he found them very tough
And they were precious diamonds he gathered in the rough

Chorus

Writer: A.P. Carter Peer Int. Corp BMI.

Recorded by the Carter Family 15 February 1929 Vi V-40150. Reissued on The Carter Family 'Clinch Mountain Home: Their Complete Victor Recordings 1928-1929' Rounder CD 1065.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Dale Rose
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 08:29 PM

Makes checking a lot easier when you've got laid out in front of me, Stewie!

one I definitely have always heard Bethel Mission/sounds like she says give rather than gave, just a little less grammatical.

two scoffers can rebuff?/this diamond?

three while reading/sights I see?

What do you think?

The version I said I would work on is giving me even more trouble, though I thought it wouldn't. I may have to drop them a line and ask them.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH (corrected)^^
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 09:12 PM

Hi Dale,

I also heard 'give' in the first stanza, but went with the grammatical correction in the Prine verse.

On relistening, I reckon you are right with 'scoffers' - 'and scoffers can rebuff'.

I agree that the line in the third verse should be 'While reading through the bible, some wondrous sights I see'. It was sloppiness on my part - a lapse in concentration!

Regards, Stewie.

Thus, the corrected version for Keith will be:

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
(A.P.Carter)

While walking out one evening not knowing where to go
Just to pass the time away before we held our show
I heard the Bethel Mission band singing with all their might
I gave my heart to Jesus and left the show that night

Chorus: The day will soon be over and evening will be done
And no more gems be gathered so let us all press on
When Jesus comes to claim us and says it is enough
The diamonds will be shining no longer in the rough

One day my precious comrade you too were lost in sin
And others sought your rescue and Jesus took you in
'So when you're tried and tempted by the scoffer's keen rebuff
Don't turn away in anger, there's diamonds in the rough

Chorus

While reading through the bible, some wondrous sights I see
I read of Peter, James and John by the sea of Galilee
And Jesus when he found them, he found them very tough
And they were precious diamonds he gathered in the rough

Chorus

Writer: A.P. Carter Peer Int. Corp BMI.

Recorded by the Carter Family 15 February 1929 Vi V-40150. Reissued on The Carter Family 'Clinch Mountain Home: Their Complete Victor Recordings 1928-1929' Rounder CD 1065.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH^^
From: Dale Rose
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 02:04 AM

Well, here they are, trancribed from the CD, At Calvary by The Larry Nelson Family of Alread, Arkansas. Through the miracles of Real Audio and Email attachments, and Gene's considerable help, I think that they are correct. I still have no idea where they got these lyrics, but I stand by my opinion that they predate the Carter version. As I indicated earlier, The Nelson Family would tend toward accuracy, rather than just guessing or adapting lyrics. Uhh, I just looked at Charles K. Wolfe's notes for The Carter Family, My Clinch Mountain Home, Rounder CD 1065, 1993. ~~ should have looked there first!

"Diamonds In The Rough" was another old shape-note gospel song that A. P. found and rearranged; Sara remembers him getting it from another old hymn book, but exactly which one is not clear. The song itself had been written and copyrighted back in 1897, with composer credits to C. W. Byron and arrangement credits to Arthur F. Ingler. Researcher Norm Cohen, though, has noted that the first stanza heard here does not appear in the printed texts, and may have been taken from a 1924 recording of the piece of Grand Old Opry star Uncle Dave Macon.

I think that pretty much clears things up, at least in my mind, so I am adding composer credits to the lyrics below. I think it is safe to say that the version that The Nelsons sing derives from those earlier texts.

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
(C. W. Byron - Arthur F. Ingler as recorded by The Larry Nelson Family, 1999)

Oh, many hearts are aching, we see them everywhere
Whose cups are filled with sorrow, whose homes are filled with care
Misfortune overtakes them, the world gives them a cuff
Or sends them to perdition, those diamonds in the rough

Chorus
The day will soon be over in which to work and win
Many a gem lies hidden beneath the dross of sin
So let us dig and find them, God's power is enough
To polish into beauty, those diamonds in the rough

One day my precious comrade, you too were lost in sin
But others sought your rescue and Jesus took you in
So when you're tried and tempted by the scoffer's keen rebuff
Don't turn away in anger, he's a diamond in the rough

Chorus

So let us keep it burning, the lamp of holy love
To every persecutor point out the way above
The precious light of Jesus was shed for that poor dove
So let us tell him of it, that diamond in the rough

Chorus (last two lines twice)

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Stewie
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 02:21 AM

Dale,

Given the above, Sara is probably singing the same: 'So when you're tried and tempted by the scoffer's keen rebuff'. There is no way in the world that I would have picked it - to my ears her 'tried' sounds like 'tired' or even 'tarred' and 'keen' sounds like 'can'. I'll ask Joe to correct my last posting.

Cheers, Stewie.

Done. (grin)
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Keith Reins
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 10:08 AM

Thank you one and all! This is great! I have wanted the lyrics to this song for years. I really appreciate all the help. I'll think of you all when I get together with my buddies (diamonds in the rough themselves) and sing this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr- Diamonds in the Rough
From: Brían
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 12:04 AM

You folks are awesome. I have been trying to decypher this one for ages. That is also the first time I have seen the shape note version of this one, although I was aware of it.

Brían

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH (Byron/Pickett)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Dec 21 - 01:01 PM

Found at Hymnary.org. I have boldfaced the parts that are different from what the Carters sang. Please note that the Carters’ verse 1 is entirely missing from this version.

From the hymnbook The Joy Bells of Canaan: Burning Bush Songs No. 2, edited by Duke M. Farson, Edwin L. Harvey, F. M. Messenger (Waukesha, Wis.: The Metropolitan Church Association, 1905), hymn no. 27.


DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
Words by C. W. Byron; music by L. L. Pickett, from “Tears and Triumphs”; ©1897.

1. Ah! many hearts are aching; we find them everywhere,
Whose cups are filled with sorrow, whose homes are filled with care;
When trouble overtakes them, the world gives them a cuff,
Or sends them to perdition, those diamonds in the rough.

CHORUS: The day will soon be over when digging will be done,
And no more gems be gathered, so let us all press on;
When Jesus comes to claim us, and says, “It is enough,”
The diamonds will be shining, no longer in the rough.

2. One day, my precious comrades, you, too, were lost in sin,
When someone sought your rescue, and Jesus took you in;
So when you’re tried and tempted by the scoffer’s keen rebuff,
Remember, O remember, they’re diamonds in the rough. CHORUS

3. O there are many diamonds long buried in the earth,
We pass them by unnoticed, but Jesus knows their worth;
He bids us seek and find them, His message is enough,
He’ll save and sanctify them, those diamonds in the rough. CHORUS

4. There are complaining people who say we are too bold,
And then there are still others who say we’re after gold;
But they are all mistaken, we crave no earthly stuff,
But souls of poor lost sinners, those diamonds in the rough. CHORUS

5. While reading through the Bible, some wondrous sights we see,
We read of Peter, James, and John, by the sea of Galilee;
And when the Master called them, their work was rude enough,
Yet they were precious diamonds he gathered in the rough. CHORUS

6. Now keep your lamps a-burning, the lamps of perfect love,
And unto ev’ry sinner point out the way above;
The precious blood of Jesus was shed, and that’s enough,
Oh, let us tell them of it, those diamonds in the rough. CHORUS

Subject: Lyr Add: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH (Charlie D Tillman)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Dec 21 - 02:07 PM

This is a still older version. Found at Florida State University’s Digital Library. This time I have boldfaced the differences between this and the version from Joy Bells of Canaan above. Please note that, although the editor of Joy Bells of Canaan cites this as a source, it is considerably different, and a different person is credited as writer.

From the hymnbook Tears and Triumphs: No. 2 by L. L. Pickett and M. W. Knapp (Louisville, Ky.: The Pickett Publishing Co., 1897), hymn no. 135.


DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
©1893 by Charlie D. Tillman.

1. There are complaining people who say we are too bold.
Alas, there still are others who say we’re after gold,
But thy are all mistaken; we want not sordid stuff,
But souls of poor lost sinners, those diamonds in the rough.

CHORUS: The day will soon be over in which to work and win.
Many a gem lies hidden beneath the dross of sin.
Oh, let us dig and find them; God’s power is enough
To polish into beauty those diamonds in the rough.

2. Ah, many hearts are aching; we find them ev’rywhere,
Whose cups are filled with sorrow, whose homes are filled with care.
When misfortune overtakes them, the world gives them a cuff,
Or sends them to perdition, those diamonds in the rough.

3. One day, my precious comrade, you, too, were lost in sin,
But others sought your rescue, and Jesus took you in;
So when you’re tried and tempted by scoffers’ keen rebuff,
Don’t turn away in anger this diamond in the rough.

4. So let us keep it burning, the lamp of holy love.
To ev’ry persecutor point out the way above.
The precious blood of Jesus was shed, and that’s enough.
Oh, let us tell him of it, that diamond in the rough.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Diamonds in the Rough (Carter Family)
From: leeneia
Date: 27 Dec 21 - 10:28 AM

You can hear the Carter family singing their version of this on YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL7LDLP4azU

The tune sounds easy to work with.