Lyr Req: Jonah in the Belly of the Whale (Kelly)

Subject: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 11:26 AM

Hi
I heard a recording of jo ann kelly singing 'jonah in the belly of the whale', and i think i have those lyrics down ok, but i've heard other versions with more verses.....one from the georgia sea islands, and another archive recording of an old blues singer( vera hall perhaps?). Its these extra verses i'm after...any help would be much appreciated

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: GUEST,ELISHA
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 02:52 PM

can you tell me the words to jone man jazz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Barry Finn
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 11:44 PM

There was a thread not long ago that dealt with a number of songs related to Jonah.

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 12:37 PM

Most of Michael Hurd's "Jonah Man Jazz" is in this thread (click).
-Joe-

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"In the Belly of the Whale" by the Newsboys isn't the song you want, but it's entertaining and available on YouTube here (click)

Subject: Jonah Man Jazz Lyrics song 5
From: GUEST,BROGAN
Date: 09 Oct 09 - 02:27 PM

When Jonah had repented him, the Lord he didn't fail.
Although the sea was tropical he sent along a whale.
It promptly swam right up to Jonah and its jaws were open wide.
Before he even noticed it poor Jonah was inside!

CHORUS:
Go down, Jonah, deep in the ocean.
Go down, Jonah, far from the shore.
Go down, Jonah, deep in the ocean.
Go down, Jonah, far from the shore.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Sammi a.
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 11:42 AM

Great lyrics ...anyone know the tune/music or where could i hear it sang anywhere on the web ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: GUEST,Alan By The Sea
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 02:37 PM

There's a version on you tube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZX54yRc-kE

I remember nearly being part of a choir from our school to sing this on TV for a Sunday night BBC program called 'Long ago and Far away' back in around 1971/2.

Subject: Lyr Add: PADDY AND THE WHALE
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 03:03 PM

One about Jonah's Irish cousin
Jim Carroll

PADDY AND THE WHALE.

Well, Paddy O'Brien left Ireland with glee,
He had a strong notion for Greenland to see,
He shipped in The Favourite, for Greenland was bound,
And there whisky he drank made his head go around.
Laddie, whack-fol-the-dol, fol-rol-diddle-dee.

Now Paddy, he'd never been whaling before,
It made his heart jump when he heard the loud roar,
As The look-out he cried, that a whale he did spy.
I'm going to be ate! Says poor Pat, by and by.
Laddie….

O, Pat, he ran for'ard, caught hold of the mast,
He grasped his arms around it, and he held to it fast.
And the boat she did pitch, and a-losing his grip,
Down the whales are belly poor Paddy did slip.
Laddie….

He was down in that whale for six months and five days,
Till one day he, by luck, to the throat he made way.
The whales give a snort, and then he did blow,
And out on dry land, poor Paddy did go.
Laddie….

Now Paddy is landed and safe on the shore,
He swears that he'll never go whaling no more,
And there next time he wishes old Greenland to see,
It'll be when the railway runs over the sea.
Laddie….

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SAILOR'S DREAM (Dick Miles)
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 05:33 PM

THE SAILOR'S DREAM
(Dick Miles)

1. One night while on the deep at my watch I fell asleep.
The sea was calm, no whisper of a breeze.
To the starboard side, I saw parading on the shore the strangest
Group of creatures ever seen. First there came a mermaid fair
With oysters in her hair. A walrus followed after slow and sure.
The jellyfish and the seal performed the eightsome reel
While the crabfish and the lobster called for more.

2. The crabs upon the shore formed up for a square four,
Sideways as they did the do-si-do.
And the dolphin with a smile played a tune upon his viol
While the porpoise played a hornpipe long and slow.
The puffins on the strand joined up and hand in hand
Sang a shanty as they pulled the capstan round,
And the mermaid swimming free, joined in and sang with glee,
"O hooray, me boys! I think we're homeward bound."

3. Then Jonah from the whale shouted out to tell his tale.
The walrus called for order and for calm.
The squid he then did flail his arms around the whale,
While the crabs did scuttle off in great alarm.
"It's years I have been here, I solemnly declare.
Won't you please release me now, and let me go?"
And the whale with a grin he slowly then did sing,
"I'll be lonesome now without you down below."

4. An albatross appeared and wiped away a tear,
And read The Ancient Mariner verse by verse.
He told to them the yarn of the tar that shot him down,
And the history of the sailor and his curse.
In my fancy I had dozed to a nautical repose.
I pinched myself and found I had awoke,
And the skipper standing there had just begun to swear:
"Miles, you fool! You've beached the flaming boat."


Copyright by Dick Miles

jonah is featured in this too

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 04:48 AM

Gee, I wish the original poster had posted the lyrics he/she had. I listened to the Jo Ann Kelly recording on Spotify, and had trouble understanding it. There's a similar song on the Document Records CD titled Norfolk Jazz and Jubilee Quartets, Volume 6.

Here's my feeble attempt at transcribing the Jo Ann Kelly recording:

JONAH IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE

CHORUS
Oh Jonah, oh Jonah, oh Jonah,
Go down in yonders world(?) and serve the Lord.
Oh Jonah, oh Jonah, oh Jonah,
Go down in yonders world and serve the Lord.

Then one night goin' down on the Galilee shore
Ship was a makin' on, ready to go
Well, the ship was rockin', by the shore,
And the captain got worried in his mind, you know.
He told his friends to search the ship bottom to top
Found old Jonah lying asleep in the lock.
Wake up! Wake up! You sleepy poor man
God almighty's angry, going to destroy the land!

CHORUS

Kelly sings only this first verse and the chorus. Can somebody help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 05:02 AM

From the Document Records CD titled Norfolk Jazz and Jubilee Quartets, Volume 6. The particular group performing isn't identified.

JONAH IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE

CHORUS
Oh Jonah, oh Jonah, oh Jonah,
Go down to yonders world(?) and serve the Lord.
Oh Jonah, oh Jonah, oh Jonah,
Go down to yonders world and serve the Lord.

Then one night goin' down on the Galilee shore (very unclear)
Ship was a makin' on, ready to go
Well, the ship was rockin', on down the shore,
And the captain got troubled in the mind, you know.
He told his men to search the ship from bottom to top
And he found old Jonah lying asleep in the lock.
He said, "Wake up! Wake up! You sleepy poor man
My God almighty's angry, going to destroy the land!"

CHORUS

Well, then Jonah woke up in the terrible storm,
He said, "I'm the man, why don't you cast me off?"
And then the whale came up and swallowed Jonah whole,
And then Jonah spent the day at sea (?)
And then Jonah asked God to give him cheese.
And the good wine something something
And then something else and something else.
That left a mark on Jonah's brow.

CHORUS

Help!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 08:37 PM

Can anybody help with this most recent transcription, from Norfolk Jazz and Jubilee Quartets?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jonah in the belly of the whale
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 12 - 10:44 PM

Maybe this will throw some light on the subject; maybe not.

I found this verse in a spiritual called NEW BURYING GROUND. The rest of the song is not about Jonah, so I didn't copy it. This is from Old Plantation Hymns by William E. Barton, D.D. (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe and Company, 1899), page 36:

6. I went down by the tottery sho'.
Found a ship all ready to go.
Cap'n he come, troubled in mind.
"Wake up! wake up, you sleep, sleepy man!"
O, cap'n, if it's me,
Pray you cast me overboard!
Cast Brer Jonah overboard;
Whale did swaller Brer Jonah whole.
Three long nights, three long days,
Jonah lied in de body of de whale.
Las' words I hear Brer Jonah say,
He had no place to lie his head.
God commanded fish to land.
Cast Brer Jonah on dry sand.
Gourd vine growed all over his head.
Inchworm come long and cut it down.

[The most remarkable thing about this version is the first line: "I went down by the tottery sho'." I don't think the word the Norfolk Quartet sings is "tottery" but since "tottery" is a bizarre word to use in this context, it seems to show that the original word was an obscure one, so all we have left is a mondegreen. That's my guess anyway]

Subject: Lyr Add: JONAH IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE (Norfolk
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 12 - 11:05 PM

Here's my attempt at a transcription of the Norfolk Quartet recording, which I was able to hear on Spotify. I was reduced to spelling phonetically when I couldn't make any sense of what I heard.


JONAH IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE

CHORUS: Oh, Jonah! Oh, Jonah! Oh, Jonah!
Go down in yonder's word an' serve the Lord.
Go down in yonder's word an' serve the Lord.
Oh, Jonah! Oh, Jonah! Oh, Jonah!
Go down in yonder's word an' serve the Lord.
Go down in yonder's word an' serve the Lord.

1. Then I might gone down to the timalee shore,
And the ship was makin' ready to go,
And then the ship it goes a-rockin' on down the sho',
And the captain got troubled in the mind, you know.
He told his men to search the ship from the bottom to top,
And they found old Jonah lyin' asleep in the knot.
He said, "Wake up! Wake up, you sleepy poor man.
My God almighty's angry for destroyed the lan'!"

CHORUS

2. Well, then Jonah woke up in a terrible shout.
He says, "I'm the man; why don't you cast me out?"
And then the whale came up and swallowed Jonah whole,
And Jonah spent three nights and day at sea,
And then Jonah asked God to give him cheese,
And the good wine blew upon Jonah's knees,
But then a angel-bird came and touched Jonah's gown.
That left a mark on Jonah's crown.

CHORUS