What's your favourite spiritual?

[judih]

i'm bringing some spirituals into school for the kids.

(along with teaching special ed english as a foreign language, i also run the English Center and this year's theme is Customs & Beliefs)

so, i need some good spirituals.

Right now, i'm addicted to People Get Ready, Curtis Mayfield and as usually happens, once i have one song running through my mind, i forget all others.

Any suggestions?

thnx

judih

[senorsalvia]

The traditional called (The River Is Deep)   great song--------  Surely anything by Mahalia Jackson would be a good choice......... sal

[judih]

thanks, sal - mahalia is a brilliant suggestion - off to check out soulseek for what's up on the net

j

[Mark Coburn]

"will the circle be unbroken".....my favorite judih

[X. Torris]

I've always liked "How Great Thou Art"...some people like Elvis' version, but I think Willie Nelson sings a pretty moving version.

[Avery L. Breath]

Mmm, are you specifically looking for songs?  Or even more rudimentary..... sounds? Or maybe spiritual practices, both organized and/or personal?  I guess I don't understand.

[laughingwillow]

Isn't "People Get Ready" a song by a reggae band from NZ?

Below is a favorite spiritual of mine that Jerry's band covered. I'll try and find a coupel more, sistah.

My Sisters And Brothers

Lyrics: Charles Johnson
Music: Charles Johnson

Played with the Jerry Garcia Band from the mid-70s through the 90s

I want to say to my sisters & my brothers
Keep the faith
When the storm flies & the wind blows
Go on at a steady pace
When the battle is fought and the victories won
We can all shout together, we have overcome
We'll talk to the father in the sun
When we make it to the promised land

Chorus
If we walk together little children
We don't ever have to worry
Through this world of trouble
We've got to love one another
Let us take our fellow man by the hand
Try to help him to understand
We can all be together
For ever and ever
When we make it to the promised land

Our bible reads
Thou shall not be afraid
Of the terror by night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Nor for the pestilence
That walketh in the dark
Nor for the destruction
That waiteth in the noonday hour

[chorus]

This world is not our home
We are only passing through
Our trail is all made up
Way beyond the blue
Let us do the very best that we can
While we're travelin' through this land
We can all be together
Shakin' a hand
When we make it to the promised land

Children
When we make it to the promised land
Make it to the promised land
When we make it to the promised land
Make it to the promised land
When we make it to the promised land
Make it to the promised land
We can all be together, forever and ever
When we make it to the promised land

We can all be together, forever and ever
When we make it to the promised land

lw

[laughingwillow]

That Lucky Old Sun

Lyrics: Haven Gillespie, Beasley Smith
Music: Haven Gillespie, Beasley Smith

Played by Jerry regularly with the JGB from 1986 to 1995

Up in the mornin', out on the job
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll, roll around heaven all day

Fuss with my woman, toil with my kids
Sweat till I'm wrinkled and grey
While that lucky old sun got nothin' to do
But roll, roll around heaven all day

Lord above, can't you hear me pinin'?
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me up to Paradise

Show me that river, take me across
Wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll, roll around heaven all day

Show me that river, take me across
Wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven
Let me roll around heaven
I just wanna roll around heaven
All day

[laughingwillow]

I'd have to include this one, too.....

I Shall Be Released

Lyrics: Bob Dylan
Music: Bob Dylan

Played by Jerry Garcia with JGB but never by the Grateful Dead themselves.

They say everything can be replaced
Yet every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Standing next to me in this lonely crowd
Is a man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shout so loud
Crying out that he was framed
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

[laughingwillow]

Hope I ain't messing up your thread too badly. Sorry if these selections don't fit the purpose...

Waiting For A Miracle

Lyrics: Bruce Cockburn
Music: Bruce Cockburn

Working and waiting in the hot sun
With all the rich saints, and the fallen ones
Working and waiting for the night to come
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a miracle

Somewhere out there is a land that's cool
Where peace and balance are the rule
Working for the future like some kind of mystic jewel
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a miracle

You rub the palm of your hand on the grimy pane
In the hopes that you can see (when you're waiting)
Stand up tall, pretend you're strong
In the hopes that you can be (when you're waiting)
Like the one's that cry, like the ones that die
Trying to set the angel in us free
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a miracle

You rub the palm of your hand on the grimy pane
In the hopes that you can see (when you're waiting)
Stand up tall, pretend you're strong
In the hopes that you can be (when you're waiting)
Like the one's that cry, like the ones that die
Trying to set the angel in us free
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a
And the waiting for a miracle

Scuffle for a nickel, struggle for a dime
Forget about the past, leave your worries behind
How come the future has to take such a long, long time
When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a miracle

When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a miracle

When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a
When you're waiting for a miracle

[laughingwillow]

Stop That Train

Lyrics: Peter Tosh
Music: Peter Tosh

First played in the Jerry Garcia Band with Keith and Donna, then regularly with Melvin Seals

Chorus
Stop that train I'm leaving
Stop that train I'm leaving
Stop that train I'm leaving
And it won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong
It won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong

All my life I've been a lonely man
Tryin' to teach the people that won't understand
When I try to do my very best
I can't seem to find no happiness
So I say

[chorus]

Some travel east, y'know some travel west
Some try to do their very best
Some live in big, but y'know the most just live in small
They can't even find no food at all

[laughingwillow]

Although, "Swing Low Sweet Chariott" would sure seem to make a swell reggae song as far as spirituals go.

ps: I have a great copy of David Lindley covering that reggae song you mentioned above judih, if'n that's the same song from the same group, that is.....

lw

[JRL]

How about, "By the Waters of Babylon"?

[judih]

thanks so much people.

LW, my cup runneth over
Jrl - by the waters of babylon is a natural
(but out of everything only Bruce Cockburn is actually downloading - the others are on hold)
thanks, X.T - am now searching
and Mark - yes, i'm on the waiting list for the circle.

Andy - by 'spirituals' i meant songs, but yeah, i'm also gathering practises, cults, customs, symbols and scents.  The only catch is that i have to simplify everything so that it can be understood by these students (from 7th - 11th grade).

Let's all climb aboard the soul train - things will get brighter just round the bend.

[senorsalvia]

Went to a local jazz jam Fri night, in support of the hurricane victoms...  Since they were, after all, a jazz group, and dealing with New Orleans and all that; they did several numbers by Louie Armstrong.....   Now, I guess "spiritual" is in the ear of the listener eh??  I mean, when they played 'ole Louies' "Wonderful World", I got caught up, cried, the whole nine yards......     JRL:  Babylon,,,,  Yeah, 'fer sure a "spiritual"      sal