Origins: There Is More Love Somewhere

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Origins: There Is More Love Somewhere

21 Oct 97 - 04:14 PM (#15033)
Subject: INFO REQ: African-American hymn
From: dani

Can I pick y'alls brains again? I know this song only as an 'African-American hymn' and would like to know where it comes from. Haven't been able to find writer of tune, writer of lyrics or anyone having recorded it.

21 Oct 97 - 04:21 PM (#15035)
Subject: RE: INFO REQ: African-American hymn
From: dani

Good grief. My only excuse is that I haven't had my coffee this afternoon. The song is called "There Is More Love Somewhere" and it goes,

Thanks!

22 Oct 97 - 01:10 AM (#15056)
Subject: RE: INFO REQ: African-American hymn
From: Frank Phillips

I think this is one that Eileen McGann likes to do at her concerts. I will see if it is on a recording.

Frank

27 Oct 97 - 01:26 AM (#15270)
Subject: RE: INFO REQ: African-American hymn
From: Frank Phillips

My wife assures me that I am not hallucinating and indeed Eileen has done it at concerts BUT I can't find any recording or any other info so I will bump this back to the top of the threads.

Frank

27 Oct 97 - 07:36 PM (#15335)
Subject: RE: INFO REQ: African-American hymn
From: dani

Thanks!

16 May 04 - 02:40 AM (#1186641)
Subject: RE: African-American: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: Joe Offer

Well, I picked up another tidit - there's a song called "There Is More Love Somewhere" on a CD called River of Life/Harmony One by Bernice Johnson Reagon of Sweet Honey in the Rock. The Sound clip here assures me that it is indeed the right song. The only lyrics I found on the Web were the same as the one verse Dani posted. I think it's a "zipper" song that you can zip about anything in that you want.
-Joe Offer-

I found the CD. Here are the lyrics in the CD booklet. Bernice Johnson Reagon says she learned the song from Bessie Jones.

16 May 04 - 03:53 AM (#1186654)
Subject: RE: African-American: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: Little Robyn

Try More Joy

There'll be more joy somewhere,
There'll be more joy somewhere,
I'm gonna keep on till I find it,
There'll be more joy somewhere.

There'll be more peace somewhere.....

There'll be more love somewhere.....

It's a lovely song and I think we pinched it from an Eileen McGann CD.
Robyn

02 Dec 12 - 10:49 AM (#3445724)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Refreshing! My chorus sings this, learned it from the great Nick Page. He calls it a traditional African-American song. He cares about his sources, so I guess his is good enough for me!

02 Dec 12 - 08:06 PM (#3445945)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

There's a recording of Bessie Jones singing it at Alan Lomax' appartment in 1961 here: There Is More Love Somewhere.

She sings the following verses: more love/more joy/happiness/Jesus/more love/more peace/heaven/more love/more joy

Mick

24 Nov 24 - 01:00 AM (#4212243)
Subject: RE: Origins: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: GerryM

It's on Eileen McGann's CD, Heritage, DRGN 005, from 1997. The liner notes say,

Learned from Jeff Warner at the 1992 Calgary Folk Alliance Conference, at the end of a memorable Sunday night jam and singaround. May we all find more joy and the strength to persevere 'til we find it'.

24 Nov 24 - 04:02 PM (#4212289)
Subject: RE: Origins: There Is More Love Somewhere
From: MoorleyMan

Thanks Gerry, for posting the info that I've been on the cusp of posting ever since singing it myself at the Mudcat worldwide singaround.
I only discovered the Bessie Jones recording quite recently, and it has a very different feel to the Eileen McGann version, but is clearly the same root-stock, altho' I've never found any further clarification regarding its actual origin.