(For my aunt)
Fair ye well, fair ye well
Fair ye well, fair ye well, fair ye well
Well, in that great gettin' up morning (Fair ye well, fair ye well) ,
In that great gettin' up morning (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
In that great gettin' up morning (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Well, in that great gettin' up morning (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Let me tell you 'bout the coming of judgement
(Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Let me tell you 'bout the coming of judgement
(Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Let me tell you 'bout the coming of judgement
(Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Let me tell you 'bout the coming of judgement
(Fair ye well, fair ye well).
God goin' up and speak to Gabriel (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
God goin' up and speak to Gabriel (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Pick up your silver trumpet (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Pick up you silver trumpet (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Blow your trumpet, Gabriel (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Blow your trumpet Gabriel (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Lord, how loud shall I blow it (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Lord, how loud shall I blow it (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Oh, to wake the children sleeping (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Oh, to wake the children sleeping (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Fare ye well, fair ye well, Fair ye well, fair ye well, fair ye well.
(rpt)
They be comin' from every nation (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
They be comin' for every nation (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
On their way to the great coronation (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
On their way to the great coronation (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Dressed in a robe so white as snow (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Dressed in a robe so white as snow (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
Singin' oh, I been redeemed (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
Singin', oh, I been redeemed (Fair ye well, fair ye well).
In that great gettin up morning (Fair ye well, fair ye well),
(rpt several times)
---Traditional spiritual, Mahalia Jackson's lyrics.
Listen to Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman sing a few lines.
Wow! What a great song Julana, this would have done your aunt proud!
ReplyDeleteMahalia Jackson is one of my favourite singers, I have her on my i-Pod! :)
Be encouraged!
GBYAY
John,
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to find you're a Mahalia Jackson fan--way down there in Australia. She was an amazing woman.
These spirituals were written by people during some of the worst of times, and still they had hope. They're deeper than a lot of the music we have today, because they deal with, and came out of, suffering.
Julana, I first heard Mahalia when I came to Christ 26 years ago, she was singing Ave Maria. Since then I have many of her songs, my favourite is Amazing Grace.
ReplyDeleteMany people in my Church love her. :)
I love this little Lenten song series you're putting together!
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised and happy to find Mahalia is so well-liked in Australia. The world really is getting very small. And your congregation must be really interesting.
Violet,
Thank you. I think it's kind of funny to put African American spirituals and Lent (a Catholic tradition) together, and have the selection rise out of whatever's going on in my life at the moment. It makes me feel the interconnectedness of Christians from different denominations and traditions. The universal church.