06 Oct 05 - 10:49 AM (#1577053) Subject: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight From: Beer 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 |
06 Oct 05 - 11:14 AM (#1577090) Subject: Lyr Add: BE NO CHURCH TONIGHT (Guthrie/Irion) From: Janie 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 |
06 Oct 05 - 11:17 AM (#1577094) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight From: Peace Midi here at the Singout site. (Vol 48, #4) NOTE: THE POEM SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LYRIC DATABASE. |
06 Oct 05 - 11:56 AM (#1577139) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight From: Beer A Big Thank you to both of you. Beer |
09 Oct 05 - 01:34 PM (#1579500) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight From: treaties1 Super thread and link. I'll look forward to hearing this very soon Theresa |
09 Oct 05 - 05:19 PM (#1579625) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: There'll Be No Church Tonight From: Beer Thank you Janie. Beer |
24 Jul 06 - 11:57 AM (#1791706) Subject: Chord Req: There'll be no Church Tonight From: GUEST im looking for the chords to this woody guthrie song done by sarah lee guthrie and johnny irion..... thanks |
24 Jul 06 - 03:03 PM (#1791873) Subject: Chords ADD:There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Joe Offer 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."
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."
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 playWhy 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. |
24 Jul 06 - 05:02 PM (#1791969) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Joe Offer Janie, where'd you hear the preacher's name as "Ben"? -Joe- |
24 Jul 06 - 05:06 PM (#1791975) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Janie 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 |
24 Jul 06 - 05:13 PM (#1791978) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Joe Offer Can you check it again, Janie? Sing Out! is wrong sometimes. -Joe- |
24 Jul 06 - 05:19 PM (#1791980) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Beer 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 |
24 Jul 06 - 08:14 PM (#1792140) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Ron Davies 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. |
24 Jul 06 - 09:54 PM (#1792201) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Joe Offer 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- |
12 May 09 - 07:53 PM (#2630384) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: GUEST,Dennis 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. |
12 May 09 - 11:12 PM (#2630484) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Janie Neither of the two links work anymore. I was curious to see if they were the same tunes used by S&J. |
13 May 09 - 04:06 AM (#2630599) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Joe Offer 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 |
13 May 09 - 12:23 PM (#2630934) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Arkie If Sarah and Johnny did indeed borrow the tune, it appears they are continuing the family tradition. |
13 May 09 - 09:48 PM (#2631275) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Ron Davies 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. |
14 May 09 - 09:20 PM (#2632144) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Janie Thanks for fixing the link, Joe. They are not identical, but very, very close. |
14 May 09 - 10:07 PM (#2632185) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthrie) From: Joe Offer Why did I miss that 2005 Getaway, WHY?? -Joe- |
14 May 09 - 10:31 PM (#2632197) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Ron Davies Joe, maybe Ebbie still has some CD's. She got some good stuff. |
14 May 09 - 10:31 PM (#2632198) Subject: RE: Req/ADD: There'll Be No Church Tonight (Guthri From: Janie That'll larn ya not to miss a Getaway! |