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Blow Gabriel Blow
Public Domain Old-Time, Jubilee song;
ARTIST: from Jacob J. Sawyer in 1882
Sheet Music American Memory:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?aasm:1:./temp/~ammem_q5xr::displayType=2:m856sd=rp
baasm:m856sf=1252:@@@aas
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: 1800s;
RELATED TO: other "Blow Gabriel Blow" songs
RECORDING INFO: Blow Gabriel Blow
OTHER NAMES: “Blow Gabriel Blow”
SOURCES: American Memory
NOTES: “Blow, Gabriel, Blow" is a jubilee song from Jacob J. Sawyer in 1882. It was written (as most jubilee songs were) in African-American dialect, which I've changed. The original sheet music can be viewed at American Memory:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?aasm:1:./temp/~ammem_q5xr::displayType=2:m856sd=rp
baasm:m856sf=1252:@@@aas
Around 1880- 1900 jubilee songs (songs written to imitate African-American spirituals) became popular and jubilee troups like the Fisk Jubilee singers and the Tennessee Juvilee Singers tour the country and even went to England. Some of the composed jubilee songs were part of the African-American jubilee repertoire. Whether Jacob J. Sawyer knew the Fisk Jubilee Singers version is unknown, certainly the chorus was well-known.
"Listen to the Angels Shouting," comes from the Fisk Jubliee Singers in cicra 1880:
Where do you think I found my soul/Listen to the angels shouting,
I found my soul at hell’s dark door/Listen to the angels shouting,
Before I lay in hell one day/listen to the angels shouting,
I sing and pray my soul away/Listen to the angels shouting.
Run all the way, run all the way/ run all the way my Lord,
Listen to the angels shouting
Blow, Gabriel, blow,
Blow, Gabriel, Blow,
Tell all the joyful news
Listen to the angels shouting.
"Blow Gabriel Blow," by Cole Porter is an original song loosely based on this spiritual:
Blow, Gabriel, blow,
Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow.
I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,
But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,
So blow, Gabriel, blow.
In 1889 Frank Horn wrote a lyrically related minstrel/spiritual version in heavy dialect:
Blow Gabr'el blow yo' trumpet, wid all yo' might,
Fo' my long white robe am ready fo' de mawnin',
But I'll put it on tonight...
BLOW GABRIEL- Rev. Gary Davis
Blow Gabriel!
Blow Gabriel!
Blow Gabriel!
Blow Gabriel!
Gonna walk and talk tell it at the judgement
Gonna walk and talk tell it at the judgement God
What you gonna do at the judgement?
What you gonna do at the judgement?
No need to run at the judgement
No need to run at the judgement God.
The sun'll start running at the judgement
The sun'll start running at the judgement
No use to run at the judgement
No use to run at the judgement
Blow Gabriel!
Blow Gabriel!
Blow Gabriel!
BLOW GABRIEL- Georgia Sea Islands from The McIntosh County Shouters
"Shout Because You're Free: the African-American Ring Shout Tradition" Page 112 by Art Rosenbaum. The back-up vocal repesonse is the same throughout: (Judgement) then (Judgement bar)
Blow Gabriel (Judgement)/ Blow That trumpet (Judgement bar)
Calm and easy (Judgement) / Tell everybody (Judgement bar)
My God say (Judgement) / That they got to meet (Judgement bar)
Oh blow, Gabriel / Blow that trumpet /
Louder and louder / Got to wake my people
Wherever they be/ On lan' or sea
Tell everybody/ my God say/
They got to be/Blow Gabriel
Oh blow your trumpet/Louder and louder
Gonna see my mother/ my father too
Blow Gabriel/ oh blow your trumpet/
Louder and louder/Tell everybody/
Blow Gabriel/Blow Gabriel
(etc)
Blow Gabriel
Georgia Sea Island Singers. Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), trk# 3.11 [1959/07ca]
Palmer, Nathan (Rev). Art of Field Recording, Vol. 1, Dust to Digital DTD 08, CD( (2007), trk# 2.22 [1982/01/01]
BLOW GABRIEL BLOW- C. Frank Horn, 1889 Levy Sheet Music
1. Oh someone has tol' me dat Gabriel am here,
An' we'll hear his trumpet berry soon,
If dat am de case den de time is near
Fo' to go up higher, higher, higher,
Millions ob miles past de moon.
Den we'll hear his trumpet berry soon,...
(line changes with each verse)
Blow Gabr'el blow yo' trumpet, wid all yo' might,
Fo' my long white robe am ready fo' de mawnin',
But I'll put it on tonight...
Chorus:
Git on....
Yo' robe....
Git yo' long white robe all ready,
For you must not delay,
Git on...
Yo' robe...
For Gabriel blows his trumpet at de dawn ob day.
Git on yo' long white robe,
For Gabriel blows his trumpet at de dawn ob day.
(The last verse says "De Baptis' and Mefodis' will all go along to swell the mighty strain,")
Blow, Gabriel, Blow- Jacob J. Sawyer (first verse, chorus only) Originally published: New York : W.A. Evans & Bro., circa 1882.
Sinners pray for the time draws nigh,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
We'll soon be mountin' up on high,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
Chicken coops you must leave alone,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
Or Satan'll catch you sure as your born,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
CHORUS: Blow, Gabriel, blow,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
Blow, Gabriel, blow your horn that day,
Blow, Gabriel, blow,
Blow, Gabriel, blow.
Blow, Gabriel, blow your horn that day,
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