Songs Week of 4 December 2007

Songs Week of 4 December 2007

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ELI YOU CAN'T STAND

The liner notes suggest "Eli" was a newly baptized convert. But the song may also refer to the priest Eli, whom Samuel replaced because of Eli's two corrupt sons:
Take one brick out of Satan's wall. (Refrain: Eli, you can't stand.) Satan's wall come tumbling down. (Repeat) Hush little baby don't you cry. You know your mother's born to die.     
    Take one brick out of Satan's wall. (Refrain: Eli, you can't stand.) Satan's wall come tumbling down. One of these days I'm going away, won't be back till judgment Day.
    Hush little baby don't you cry, you know your' mother's born to die. My Lord come by the rainbow sign: no more water, but fire next time. One of thse days I'm going away, I won't be back till Judgment Day. Heard a mighty rumbling under the ground, must be the Devil turning 'round.
    Hush, little baby, don't you cry. Know your mother's born to die. Take one brick out of Satan's wall. Satan wall is bound to fall. Take one brick of out of Satan's wall. See old Satan move along. You can't stand the hell-bound fire, you can't stand the wrath of God.

DAVID WAS A SHEPHERD BOY
David becomes a type of Jesus, linked with Jesus in the song. Both suffered in the wilderness, were persecuted and achieved righteousness, though David of course was far more human in his passions. David's psalms (assuming he wrote them all) cover the whole range of human emotions, perhaps unequalled in any literature.

David was a shepherd boy, for his father's sheep he did care. He used to play upon his harp all nights in the year. Oh, my God, he did fear, oh, he slayed a lion and a bear. For David was a righteous man. And it was: sorrow, sorrow that filled the heart of David. For David was a righteous man. Dark and stormy in the desert where the pilgrims make their way, just beyond the vale of sorrow lies a field of endless day. Further on, you feel no sorrows, count the milestones one by one, Jesus will forsake yu never. It is better further on. At the grave we'll sing the same song, how my body lies buried there, sing it so my soul can hear it. It is better further on.

LITTLE DAVID
One of the most famous Afro-American spirituals on the subject of David. "Hallelu" is short of "hallelujah," which means "Praise the Lord" (hallel=praise; jah=Jehovah; Reggae lyrics refer to Jehovah as "Jah"). Job is the main character of one of the greatest books in the Bible.

Little David, play on your harp. hallelu, hallelu. Little David, play on your harp. Hallelu! Little David was a shepherd boy. He killed Goliath and he shout for joy. I've told you once, I've told you twice, the sinner's in hell for shooting dice. Listen here, I told you once and I'll tell you again. You can't get to heaven in your sin. If you don't believe where I've been, follow me on down by the Jordan stream. We've got mothers gone and fathers, too, Job declared our days were few. Little David, play on your harp. Hallelu, hallelu. Little David, play on your harp. Hallelu!

SHEEP SHEEP DON'T YOU KNOW THE ROAD

This is a classic Deuteronomic message: to stay on the right road; that is, to follow God's covenant laws. Jesus will later develop this same idea ("Narrow is the way"). The singer goes through all the ways one can be reminded of the road.
Sheep, sheep, don't you know the road. Yes, my Lord, I know the road. (2). Don't you know the road by the playing of the song? Yes, my Lord, I know the road. Don't you know the raod by the singing of the song? Yes, my Lord, I know the road. Don't you know the road by the praying of the prayer? Yes, my Lord, I know the road. Don't you know the road by the marching on home? Don't you know the road by the clapping of your hands? Now, young sheep, don't you know the road? Yes, my Lord, I know the road. Old sheep, don't you know the road? Yes, my Lord, I know the road. Don't you know the road by the praying of the prayers?

DODRIDGE

This is another typical Deuteronomic message, found throughout the Deuteronomistic History: the Israelites boast about the laws (statutes) but don't really follow them. Jesus repeats the Deuteronomic message in  his own time. And it bears repeating in all times. Southern Gospel songs are titled by their source melody ("Dodridge") and have no relationship to the meaning of the song, with new lyrics. This song is part of the Sacred Harp tradition; a kind of ragged fugue, with voices in uneven imitation.
Why, sinners, me profaning, why, says God, my statutes name; Why my Covenant grace disdaining [scorning, ignoring], still my Covenant grace proclaim! Hating counsel [teaching], hating counsel, all my laws exposed to shame. Long in grace proclaim! Long in silence I have waited, long thy guilt in secret grown. Still, thy heart, with pride elated, thought my counsels like thy own. I'll repove thee, I'll repove thee. Till thy crimes exact are known, sinners, hear Jeohovah, speaking! Ye who, thoughtless, God despise! Hear, lest in his Wrath awaking vengeance rend you as it flies. None can save you, none can save you, none, none can save you if His arm to judgment rise. None, none can save you, if His arm to judgment rise.

from NABAL (Handel)

So popular were Handel's oratorios in England that after his death new ones, based on tunes from Handel's other works (operas, etc.) were performed. This oratorio includes an aria from one of Handel's Italian operas, set to new words expressing David's anger towards Nabal, before Nabal's wife, Abigail, calms him down:
Fury in all thy terrors rises from dark abyss, let every tender passion be no more; let every tender passion own thy power. Shall I be thus requited and my protection slighted? With vengeful ardour go and strike the blow.

O HAD I THE WINGS OF A DOVE

The biblical David is one of the most famous characters in Western culture and is referred to commonly in the fine arts. Disney composer, Alan Menken found musical inspiration in David's story. French composer Arthur Honegger wrote an oratorio the subject, translated here into English. The texts are mostly from the psalms, which David supposedly composed himself (hence the biblical reference to him as the "sweet psalmist of Israel"). This psalm (#55) was also famously set to music by the German composer Felix Mendelssohn. In reading the psalms, it's well to remember they were written from real-life situations involving social isolation, persecution, loneliness, guilt (Bathsheba), etc. which is why they appeal to all peoples:

And David bade farewell to Jonathan, the son of Saul, whose soul was knit with the soul of David, for Jonathan loved him as his brother. And he came to Samuel, and told him all that Saul had done. And he and Samuel went and dwelt at Naioth, with the prophets in the wilderness; and the flower of his youth withered in the swelter of the desert:
O had I wings like a dove, Then would I fly away and be at rest. Save in the tomb alone is there no comfort? Is there no balm to heal this woe of mine? Where shall I find for my head some safe shelter? Morning and eve I pray and cry aloud. The storm of my distress blows like the tempest, bearing to God my cries and my prayer.

WITNESS FOR MY LORD
As usual in Christian hymns, Old and New Testament characters are linked. The song includes references to Moses, Samson, Jesus, and David.

Soul is a witness for my Lord (3). Who'll be a witness for my Lord? God called Moses on the mountain top, He stamped the Law in Moses' heart. He put his commandment in his mind and said, "Don't leave them children behind." CHORUS. Read about Samson from his birth, strong a man that lived on earth. Read his actions in his mind, killed three thousand before his time. Samson begin to wander about, Samson's little wife sat on his knees. "Tell me your strength now, if you please." Samson's wife talked so bright and fair, Samson told her to cut off his hair. "Shave my head just as clean as my hand, strength then go like a natural man." CHORUS Took my Savior up on the Cavalry cross, they hung him high and they stretched him wide. See disciples hanging around, see how free my Jesus died. CHORUS: Paul was a witness, etc. Old man Jesse and his sons, David was the youngest one. Called on my Lord, old David's band, playing on his harp now in his hand. David was a witness, etc.

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