Tune Req: Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me (John Hurt)

Subject: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Easy Rider
Date: 20 Dec 99 - 03:40 PM

This is a great old, traditional gospel tune sung by Mississippi John Hurt.

Does anybody have the words? The music?

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Dec 99 - 05:57 PM

I have this! I will bring the words in tomorrow -- can't help much with the music, as I can't do MIDI's etc., and the transcription I have is bound by strict copyright. You can get this transcription of the music (in open G tuning) and version from Stefan Grossman's workshop under the label (cassettes) of "Gospel Blues" (taught by someone else, I forget). This is one of my favourite songs -- it is unobtainable in any sheet music, gospel books, etc. I know -- I tried for 6 months everywhere.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 21 Dec 99 - 07:43 PM

Peter T.--I'm waiting for the song too! Don't forget us!

Mary

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Dec 99 - 10:38 AM

Oops, sorry, Mary! Will provide! (forgot to bring it to work today)
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Easy Rider
Date: 03 Jan 00 - 02:12 PM

Peter:

Are you gonna post the words? You promised!

Thanx

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From:
Date: 03 Jan 00 - 02:19 PM

...and a promise is a promise!

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Jan 00 - 02:33 PM

Er, yes -- of course I discovered that the music I have has no words attached, so I have to go back to the original -- which I have, and will do, but I have just been way too busy. (Here Am I, Lord, Send Somebody Else -- pathetic really.....)
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From:
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 05:04 PM

Verse:
Can you hear my Savior callin, saying "Who will work the fields today"
Fields are ripe and harvest waiting.Who will bear the sheaves away.
Chorus:
Here am I Oh Lord send me, Here am I,
Here am I Oh Lord send me, Here am I Oh Lord send me.
Verse:
If You can't speak like angels, and you can't preach like Paul.
You can say the Lord was Jesus. You can say that he died for us all.
Chorus:

There is probably more, but I don't know it.

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: khandu
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 07:19 PM

Okay! HERE! is a link to my MJH lyrics page which at this posting has 63 MJH song lyrics, including the one you seek!

Please visit & sign the book!

ken

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 09:25 PM

I don't remember singing "Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me" in my {African American} Baptist church. But the lines "If you can't pray like Peter/If you can't preach like Paul etc" are very familiar to me {though I can't seem to get the titles of the song or songs that they are in from the back of my brain to my fingertips.}

If you can not pray like Peter
If you can not preach like Paul
You can tell the love of Jesus
and how he di-ied for all
--

The word "all" is extended and flows into the next line whatever it is...

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: khandu
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 09:57 PM

The song also goes under the title of "Don't You Hear My Saviour Calling". Mississippi John Hurt, on the Vanguard album, "The Best of Mississippi John Hurt", introduces the song by that name, however, on the song list of the same album, it is listed as "Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me".

HERE is a direct link to the MJH version of the lyrics of the song, but, while you are in the neighborhood, look around the place! On top of more songs being added often, other interesting & informative pages regarding MJH are planned to be added soon. And please sign the guestbook!

ken

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 09:58 PM

Okay, I'm back.

I called my mother and asked her if she knew this verse. I sang it, she joined in, and she ended with the line "because he died for all".

I said "Don't stop. What comes next?" And she sang "Go.." And as soon as she said that word I REMEMBERED.

This verse was in the Christmas spiritual "Go Tell It On the Mountain" . The spiritual begins with

Go tell it on the mountain
over the hills and everywhere-ear
Go tell it on the mountain.
that Jesus Christ was born.
--

I just realized that I thought I read "If you can't pray like Peter" in Guest Stan Hedges' post. But he wrote "If you can't speak like angels and you can't preach like Paul". So I saw what I expected to see based on my upbringing...

Comparing the two versions of these lines, I'd say that the one I remember is more powerful partly because of its sparse use of words for instance {"and how he died for all" or "because he died for all" instead of "You can say that he died for us all".

And I think the version that I remember is more powerfully poetic because of its alliteration: "Pray like Peter; Preach like Paul".

Of course, since it's a free country, you can disagree with this viewpoint. I promise I won't throw a hizzie fit.

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: jaze
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 10:26 PM

That's a great site,Khandu. Thanks

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 02:00 AM

Azizi, that Peter/Paul verse is found in Balm in Gilead. I was surprised to hear the verse the other day in another gospel hymn, but I can't remember what other hymn it was in.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ISO Tune:'Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me.'
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 06:14 AM

Good morning Joe!

Now that you mention it, I DO remember singing that verse with "Balm In Gilead."

It's interesting that both my mother and I associated this verse with "Go Tell It On The Mountain" instead of "Balm etc" which was also sung in our church and home.

It could be because the words to "Balm In Gilead" was sadder..It could also be because the references aren't as easy to understand.
I recall wondering as a child "What is a balm" {I thought they were saying "bomb") and "What is a Gilead?"

But the reference to mountain is easier to understand. Even though we didn't have mountains in Atlantic City, New Jersey where I grew up, I knew what a mountain was. That being said, in my adopted city of Pittsburgh, Pa it still amazes me to see layers upon layers of streets with houses on the mountains that native Pittsburghers call hills...

Have a good day!