Are You Living Humble? Kentucky Jubilee Four

Are you Living Humble?

Spiritual- Kentucky Jubilee Four

Are you Living Humble?
Traditional Old-Time Gospel;

See also: Live A-Humble; Bell Done Ring
 

ARTIST: The Kentucky Jubilee Four Vocal Quartets 1927-1943 on Document Records

CATEGORY:
Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;

DATE: 1800s; 1927-1943

RECORDING INFO:  Are you Living Humble?

RECORDING INFO:  Bell Done Ring

Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands By Lydia Parrish, Art Rosenbaum, Olin Downes

RELATED TO: "Bell Da Ring;" "Wake Up Jonah" "Humble Yourself the Bell Done Rung"

OTHER NAMES:

SOURCES: Kentucky Jubilee Four Vocal Quartets 1927-1943 on Document Records

NOTES: "Are you Living Humble?" is a gospel song from Kentucky Jubilee Four on Vocal Quartets 1927-1943 Document Records.  It's distantly related to a group of songs that use the word "humble":
 
"Live Humble," or "Live A-Humble" (John Work 1915)
"Humble Yourself, The Bell Done Rung"
"Bell Da Ring" or "Bell Done Rung"
"Brother Jonah" (Gordon)
"Jonah And The Whale" (Brown Collection)
"Can’t you live humble?"

Several spirituals use "Bell Done Ring" or "Bell Ring" or "Heaven-bell ring" and in this song the word, "humble" could replace the words "heaven-bell."

Laura Towne was a missionary that came to St. Helen's Island in SC during the Civil War. Early in her diary, April 1862, she writes:

“On Sunday I was much pleased with one of the hymns the negroes spontaneously set up, of which the refrain was—“No man can hinder me.” It was, I believe, saying that nothing could prevent access to Jesus…. Another song is, “The Bell done ring.” Another, “Bound to go.” Another, “Come to Jesus.” They sing the tune of “John Brown’s Body” to other words, and in church or out of it, whenever they begin one of these songs, they keep time with their feet and bodies. It sounded very strange in the church.”

Here's typical lyrics for Live Humble/Humble Yourself, The Bell Done Rung:

Live humble, humble, humble yourselves,
De bell done ring,
Live humble, humble, humble yourselves,
De bell done ring.

BELL DONE RING-The song is about Jonah and his tribulations but was unable to be transcribed from Henry, an African-American. From Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands By Lydia Parrish, Art Rosenbaum, Olin Downes

CHORUS: Live humble, humble, humble your soul,
The bell done ring.

Live humble, little chil'ren,
The bell done ring.
Live humble, little soul,
The bell done ring.
Live humble, I say,
The bell done ring.

VERSE: Live humble,
The bell done ring.
Live humble,
The bell done ring.
Live humble,
The bell done ring.
Live humble,
The bell done ring. CHORUS

Are you Living Humble?- Kentucky Jubilee Four Vocal Quartets 1927-1943 on Document Records. (Last verse was hard to hear) 

[solo]Are you living humble now sinner?
[group] Praise King Jesus.
[solo]Are you living humble I say?
[group]Oh praise the Lord
[solo] Are you living humble fair soldier?
[group] Praise King Jesus
[solo] Are you living humble I say?
[group] Oh praise the Lord, I'm a-livin' humble

VAMP- Livin' humble (don't you know I'm livin' humble)
Humble chile
Humble just before I'm dead and gone
Oh God he waits
Oh see how I run
Don't ever let Him catch you with your work undone
Oh God he waits
Until the Son done come
Don't ever let Him catch you with your work undone
I'm livin' humble
Humble chile
Humble just before I'm dead and gone

[solo]Well one of these mornings
[group] Praise King Jesus.
[solo] Oh when God is there
[group]Oh praise the Lord
[solo] Oh I'm gonna put on my wings
[group] Praise King Jesus
[solo] Go sailing in the air
[group] Oh praise the Lord, I'm a-livin' humble

VAMP-

[solo]well you seen before
[group] Praise King Jesus.
[solo] What God has done
[group]Oh praise the Lord
[solo] Well I got good religion
[group] Praise King Jesus
[solo] Oh now praise the Lord
[group] Oh praise the Lord, I'm a-livin' humble

VAMP-