ADD:Elijah Rock/Rock Where Moses Stood/Holy Unto..

Subject: ADD: Crying Holy Unto the Lord (Carter)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Aug 15 - 01:16 AM

I would suppose the most popular version of this song, is the version by the Carter Family. This is one of the standard Internet transcriptions. I checked the lyrics with a Carter Family recording and found that the lyrics were accurate.

ON THE ROCK WHERE MOSES STOOD

          Crying Holy unto the Lord
          Crying Holy unto the Lord
          Oh, in that day when the bells don't toll
          Crying Holy unto the Lord
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
    Oh, if I could, I surely would
       (If I could....surely would)
    Stand on the rock.............where Moses stood
                      (Praise God, where Moses stood)
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

          Sinners, run unto the Lord
          Sinners, run unto the Lord
          Now please don't let this harvest pass
          And lose your soul at last
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
    Oh, if I could, I surely would
       (If I could....surely would)
    Stand on the rock.............where Moses stood
                      (Praise God, where Moses stood)
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]
          Crying Holy unto the Lord
          Crying Holy unto the Lord
          The four and twenty elders bowing all around the altar
          Crying Holy unto the Lord
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
    Crying Ho................ly unto the Lord
    (Crying Holy unto the Lord............Holy unto the Lord)
          Oh, if I could, I surely would
       (If I could....surely would)
    Stand on the rock.............where Moses stood
                      (Praise God, where Moses stood)
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ELIJAH ROCK
From: Azizi
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 11:31 AM

The traditional African American spiritual "Elijah Rock" is the focus of a post that I just added to my pancocojams cultural blog.
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/three-renditions-of-spiritual-elijah.html Three Renditions Of The Spiritual "Elijah Rock"

That post showcases 3 videos of that spiritual, includes the lyrics to one version of "Elijah Rock" (from http://www.lyricstime.com/mahalia-jackson-elijah-rock-lyrics.html) and also includes my opinion about the meaning of the chorus "Elijah rock/comin up Lord".

In addition, that post includes my comments about the use of so-called "Negro" dialect in the performance of African American spirituals.

Here's an excerpt of that blog post in which I share my opinion about the meaning of the words "Elijah rock/ comin up Lord" (or "Elijah rock / comin up Glory")

"I believe that the words "Elijah Rock/Comin up Lord" (or "Elijah Rock/Comin up Glory")refer to the prophet Elijah ascending up to heaven.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah

"According to the Books of Kings, Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the more popular Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was taken up in a whirlwind (either accompanied by a chariot and horses of flame or riding in it)."

-snip-

In my opinion, the referent to the rock in the title and chorus of "Elijah Rock", "rock" refers to the chariot rocking. Also, I believe that "comin' up Lord" is an abbreviated way of saying "Coming up to be with the Lord (in heaven). Furthermore, in the alternate line "Elijah rock / comin up Glory" (which I remember my church's choir singing*, "Glory" is a referent for "heaven".

However, the word "rock" in other lines of that song, including in the commonly found floating verse song "If I could I surely would / stand on the rock where Moses stood", the word "rock" refers to an actual rock (where Moses stood to see the promised land).

* My recollection of this line of "Elijah Rock" is from [the African American church] Union Baptist Temple Church, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s to 1970s, if not later.


-Azizi Powell

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ELIJAH ROCK
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 07:39 AM

I like Mahalia Jackson's singing of this song. It is in her Gospels, Spirituals & Hymns album (Columbia). Interestingly, the same words are used in "Crying Holy [Unto the Lord]" (bluegrass number), the Carter Family's "On the Rock Where Moses Stood."

(Chorus) Crying holy unto the Lord
Crying holy unto the Lord
Oh, if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood

Masato

Subject: ELIJAH ROCK
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 06:27 PM

See also:

Elijah Rock, Arr. Jester Hairston, Bourne Co. New York; B203737-357, Choral Sheet Music

Elijah Rock, Hogan, Choral Sheet Music

========================================================

ELIJAH ROCK
Traditional Negro Spiritual

Elijah rock, shout! shout!
Elijah rock comin' up Lord

Satan's a liar an' a conjur too
If you don't mind out, he'll conjur you

If I could I shurely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood


SOURCE :
Park New Choir, http://parknewchoir.free.fr/

@spirituals

SH