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After A While/Some Glad Day/ After 'While/ After Awhile
Traditional Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel. "Some Glad Day After While" published by Clyde Williams & Will M. Ramsey (reworking of the traditional "After A While")
ARTIST: American Negro Songs: 230 Folk Songs and Spirituals, Religious and Secular By John Wesley Work
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; 1909 Odum; First Recorded in 1926 by J.M. Gates
RECORDING INFO: After A While [Me III-C 43]
J.M. GATES Sermons with singing; accomp. two unknown females and one male-early August 1926
Shaw Singers. After Awhile Messenger c.1973
Wilson and Watson Singers After Awhile Peacock 1951
Pilgrim Travelers. After Awhile Golden Age Gospel Quartets: Vol. 2 1954-1963 Specialty CD 1997
OTHER NAMES: "Some Glad Day After a While"
SOURCES: Wolfe; Meade
NOTES: "After A While" was recorded by Rev. J.M. GATES (Sermons with singing; accompanied by two unknown singers) in early August 1926. Gate's version is similar to John Work's spiritual and there are many African-American versions from the 1940s and 1950s.
According to Charles Wolfe, "Some Glad Day” came from the pen of Arkansas writer and publisher Will M. Ramsey although it was based on an earlier black spiritual, "After A While."
Sometimes listed as "Some Glad Day After a While" (Clyde Williams & Will M. Ramsey) the song was covered by the Monroe Brothers in 1937 for Bluebird.
A different version of "After Awhile" was recorded by the Wright Brothers Gospel Singers on Bluebird in 1941.
Howard Odum published a version in 1909:
"After 'While " gives a slightly different form of verse, but with somewhat the same characteristics in other respects as those just given. There is little regularity in the metrical arrangement, but it makes a good song.
The worl' is full of forms and changes, It 's just now so confuse.
You will find some danger In everything you use.
But this is consolation to every blood washed child,
God's goin' to change our station after while.
CHORUS: After 'while, after 'while,
God's goin' to change our station, after 'while.
The devil tries to throw down Everything that's good,
He 'd fix a way to confine The righteous if he could.
Thanks be to God almighty, he cannot be beguiled,
Ole satan will be done fightin' after 'while.
Some men and women who help the world along,
By constantly complaining of everything that 's done.
They want to be called Christians and all their badness hide,
God's goin' to open the secret after 'while.
Preachers in their sermons stand up and tell the truth.
They 'll go about and murmur with slander and abuse;
They want the whole arrangement to suit their selfish style,
God's goin' to rain down fire after 'while.
After 'While- Collected by John Work
[Leader] After 'while... [Group] After while...
Some sweet day after while,
I'm going up to see my Jesus,
O some sweet day after 'while.
[Leader] Pray on....[Group] Pray on...
Some sweet day after while,
Pray and time will be over,
O some sweet day after 'while.
[Leader] Shout on....[Group] Shout on...
Some sweet day after while,
Shout and time will be over,
O some sweet day after 'while.
After A While (excerpt) Wright Brothers Gospel Singers on Bluebird 1941
After a while
He will hold me over
After a while now,
The Sun will shine
After a while, Lord
The dark clouds will pass over oh my Lord
He will shine
God after a while, God after a while
After Awhile- Shaw Singers Messenger label circa 1973
Pedal steel intro
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord after awhile,
[Leader] It'll all be over [Group] It'll all be over,
[Leader] Lord and after 'while, [Group] Lord after while,
[Leader] I know the sun's gonna shine [Group] the sun's gonna shine,
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord after awhile,
[Leader] Our trials will be over [Group] trials will be over,
You know we're gonna shout, shout hallelujah, after awhile.
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord After while,
[Leader] All sickness will be over,[Group] sickness will be over,
[Leader] Lord and after awhile, [Group] Lord after while,
[Leader] We won't have to suffer no more [Group] sufferin will be gone,
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord After while,
[Leader] I said sickness will be over,[Group] sickness will be over,
You know we're gonna shout, shout hallelujah, after awhile.
Pedal steel solo
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord after awhile,
[Leader] I want to see King Jesus [Group] I want to see King Jesus,
[Leader] Lord and after awhile [Group] Lord after while,
[Leader] I want shake Jesus hand [Group] shake Jesus hand,
[Leader] Lord and after awhile, [Group] Lord after while,
[Leader] I want to see King Jesus [Group] It'll all be over
You know we're gonna shout, shout hallelujah, after awhile.
AFTER AWHILE- White gospel version
I
AFTER THE SUNSHINE COMES THE RAIN,
AFTER THE GLADNESS GRIEF AND PAIN.
BUT THERE WILL COME A BETTER DAY AFTER AWHILE---.
WE MUST KEEP PRESSING FOR THE GOAL,
SEEKING THE HOMELAND OF THE SOUL.
IF WE HAVE JOYS THAT NEVER DECAY AFTER AWHILE.
CHORUS
AFTER AWHILE AFTER AWHILE.
IN A LITTLE WHILE JUST A LITTLE WHILE
GLORY IS WAITING OVER THERE AFTER A WHILE.
AFTER A WHILE AFTER A WHILE
IN A LITTLE WHILE JUST A LITTLE WHILE
WE SHALL HAVE JOY BEYOND COMPARE AFTER AWHILE.
II
TROUBLE AND CARES ON EVERY HAND,
MORE THAN OUR SOULS CAN UNDERSTAND.
BUT THERE WILL COME A BETTER DAY AFTER AWHILE---.
WE MUST BE TRUE TO CHRIST OUR KING,
TELLING HIS LOVE HIS PRAISES SING.
IF WE HAVE JOYS THAT NEVER DECAY AFTER AWHILE.
III
T'WILL NOT BE LONG TO TARRY HERE,
TILL THE REDEEMER SHALL APPEAR.
BUT THERE WILL COME A BETTER DAY AFTER AWHILE---
WE SHALL BE GLAD TO SEE HIS FACE,
KNOWING THAT WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE.
IF WE HAVE JOYS THAT NEVER DECAY AFTER AWHILE.
After Awhile
Verse: Oh, sometimes the road is rocky,
And the hills are hard to climb,
And my bossom friends may forsake me,
But God will fix it all right after awhile
CHORUS: After awhile it'll all be over,
After awhile the sun's gonna shine
After awhile dark clouds will pass over
God will make it all after awhile
VERSE 2: Oh, those evil eyes are always watching,
And they see everything that I do,
And those evil tongues are always talking,
But after awhile it will all be through
VERSE 3: Oh, sometimes my cup is bitter,
Oh, so bitter it makes me cry
Through my tears I call on Jesus
He will make it all right after awhile
After Awhile- Pilgrim Travelers (partial text) Golden Age Gospel Quartets: Vol. 2 1954-1963
CHORUS: Well after awhile, troubles will be over,
After awhile, the sun will shine
All of these dark clouds, will pass over
It will shine, after awhile
Verse: Oh, sometimes the roads are rough and rocky,
Oh the hills are hard to climb,
If I leave it up to Jesus,
He will fix it in due time
CHORUS:
After A While- J.M. Gates 1926 (Gates version includes some sermonizing (vamp) mixed with singing; two singers an unknown male and female sing the response [group] part) It's similar to John Work's version (above) and the Wright Brother Gospel Singers 1941 Bluebird version (above). The vamp parts are incomplete- the first vamp is fairly long with about six lines followed by adlib "amens" from the group.
[spoken]
After awhile this world's not the home of my people
After awhile they're going to live with Jesus
After awhile going out of the confines of the devil
After awhile
After awhile they're going where there's no trouble no more
After awhile
CHORUS: [Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
[Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
Well, well, some sweet day after while,
I'm going home to live with Jesus,
Well some sweet day after 'while.
[Vamp]
After awhile,
After awhile,
After awhile we goin' where the people aren't hungry
After awhile, bye and bye,
After awhile,
After a while, we're going where there's no rhuematic pain,
CHORUS: [Gates] After awhile... [Group] After awhile...
[Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
Well, well, some sweet day after while,
I'm going home to ses my loving mother,
Well some sweet day after 'while.
CHORUS: [Gates] After awhile... [Group] After awhile...
[Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
Well, well, some sweet day after while,
I'm going home to live with Jesus,
Well some sweet day after awhile.
[Short Vamp]
After awhile,
After awhile, people will be going without their head hung down
After awhile,
CHORUS: [Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
[Gates] After 'while... [Group] After while...
Well, well, some sweet day after while,
I'm gonna see my loving brother,
Oh, some sweet day after awhile.
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