Lyr Req/Add: There'll Be No Church Tonight

Subject: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight
From: Beer
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 10:49 AM

At this year's Ottawa Folk Festival, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion sang a Woodie Guthrie song titled "There'll be no Church Tonight". A real good fun song. I can't seem to locate any lyrics on it.   There is a short mp3 clip on Sarah and Johnny's web site but no lyrics.
Beer

Subject: Lyr Add: BE NO CHURCH TONIGHT (Guthrie/Irion)
From: Janie
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 11:14 AM

Dani and I are working on this one to share at the Getaway! Sara and Johnny wrote the music--Woody the lyrics.


BE NO CHURCH TONIGHT
(Lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion)
As sung by Sara Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion on "Ribbon of Highway"

Preacher Ben come to the house one Sunday bright and fine
To fill his belly with sweet potatoes, biscuits, chicken and wine.
He took our Nellie behind the barn, and carried on a sight.
I heard him whisper in her ear, "There'll be no church tonight."

CHORUS: There'll be no church tonight, my dear; there'll be no church tonight.
One more kiss from your red, red lips, there'll be no church tonight.

While peeking through that knothole, I seen him take her hand
Put his head upon her bosom and call it "the promised land,
Mountains of life and glorious hills!" He touched her leg so light.
He gasped for air and said a prayer: "There'll be no church tonight." CHORUS

She leaned back on a pile of hay and gently closed her eyes,
Said the words from the 23rd psalm to the good Lord in the sky.
What I'd seen through that knothole, I cannot sing or write,
But now I know the reason why there'll be no church tonight. CHORUS

Janie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 11:17 AM

Midi here at the Singout site. (Vol 48, #4)

NOTE: THE POEM SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LYRIC DATABASE.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight
From: Beer
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 11:56 AM

A Big Thank you to both of you.
Beer

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight
From: treaties1
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 01:34 PM

Super thread and link. I'll look forward to hearing this very soon
Theresa

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight
From: Beer
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 05:19 PM

Thank you Janie.
Beer

Subject: Chord Req: There'll be no Church Tonight
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 11:57 AM

im looking for the chords to this woody guthrie song done by sarah lee guthrie and johnny irion.....

thanks

Subject: Chords ADD:There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 03:03 PM

These are the lyrics and chords from Sing Out!, Vol 48 #4, Winter 2005 - just a little different from what Janie posted above, and with the preacher named "Bill."

    G                                  C                G
  Preacher Bill come to the house one Sunday bright and fine
                                          A                      D
  To fill his belly with sweet potatoes, biscuits, chicken and wine.
       G                                   C             G
  He took our Nellie behind the barn, and carried on a sight.
      D                                                      G
  I heard him whisper in her ear, "There'll be no church tonight."
  
  Chorus
  
  There'll be no church tonight, my dear
           C                G
  There'll be no church tonight.
   D
  One more kiss from your red, red lips
                           G
  There'll be no church tonight.
  

---

THERE'LL BE NO CHURCH TONIGHT
(Lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion)

Preacher Bill come to the house
One Sunday, bright and fine
To fill his belly with sweet potatoes,
Biscuits, chicken, and wine.

He took our Nellie behind the barn,
And carried on a sight.
I heard him whisper in her ear,
"There'll be no church tonight."

CHORUS
There'll be no church tonight, my dear
There'll be no church tonight.
One more kiss from your red, red lips
There'll be no church tonight.

While peeking through that knothole,
I seen him take her hand
Put his head upon her bosom
And called it the Promised Land

Mountains of life and Glory's hills,
He touched her legs so light.
He gasped for air and said a prayer,
There'll be no church tonight.
   CHORUS


She laid on a pile of hay
And gently closed her eyes.
Said the words from the 23rd Psalm
To the good Lord in the sky.

What I seen through that knothole,
I cannot sing or write,
But now I know the reason why
There'll be no church tonight.
   CHORUS
   Repeat Chorus

---

Click to play

Why is this tune so familiar to me? I'd guess Woody wrote a parody of an old gospel song, and Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion just printed the traditional tune with Woody's lyrics. That's not how it appears in Sing Out!, though - according to my interpretation of the magazine, it's a new tune.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 05:02 PM

Janie, where'd you hear the preacher's name as "Ben"?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Janie
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 05:06 PM

I transcribed it from Sarah and Johnnie's CD. I maybe just heard the name wrong. According to Sarah, Woodie wrote the lyrics but never put music to them.

Janie

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 05:13 PM

Can you check it again, Janie? Sing Out! is wrong sometimes.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Beer
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 05:19 PM

I have the sound clip by Sarah Lee and John Iron and It is Bill. Although I have been saying Ben as well. But after listening closely I do believe they are saying "Bill".
Beer

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Ron Davies
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 08:14 PM

The lyrics fit perfectly the meter to "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight", a song Woody is very likely to have known. The title itself indicates this may be an unconscious (or conscious) inspiration.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 09:54 PM

Your memory is amazing, Ron. I'm sure that's the song I haven't been able to resurrect. "All Smiles" isn't the same tune, but it works right well with the lyrics. Still, the tune I've posted sounds annoyingly familar...
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: GUEST,Dennis
Date: 12 May 09 - 07:53 PM

On the live performance CD from the Woody Guthrie Tribute Tour (Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway), Sara and Johnny claim that they "stole" the tune, they just don't say from where they stole it. It's the "folk process." Thanks for posting the lyrics. I've been looking for them ever since I acquired the CD.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Janie
Date: 12 May 09 - 11:12 PM

Neither of the two links work anymore. I was curious to see if they were the same tunes used by S&J.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 May 09 - 04:06 AM

I fixed one link, Janie. Both were to the tune that was printed in Sing Out!. Seems to me that this is more-or-less the same tune as the Carter Family song, "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight."

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Arkie
Date: 13 May 09 - 12:23 PM

If Sarah and Johnny did indeed borrow the tune, it appears they are continuing the family tradition.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Ron Davies
Date: 13 May 09 - 09:48 PM

Just wanted to tell Janie and Dani, as I think I said at the time, that their rendition of this song was definitely one of the highlights of that Getaway, 2005 I believe. And thanks to Ebbie for capturing it on CD.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Janie
Date: 14 May 09 - 09:20 PM

Thanks for fixing the link, Joe.

They are not identical, but very, very close.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 May 09 - 10:07 PM

Why did I miss that 2005 Getaway, WHY??
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 May 09 - 10:31 PM

Joe, maybe Ebbie still has some CD's. She got some good stuff.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri
From: Janie
Date: 14 May 09 - 10:31 PM

That'll larn ya not to miss a Getaway!