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Calvary/On a Hill Lone and Gray/There's a Hill Lone and Gray
Public Domain Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel; Robert R. Carradine (words) and John B. Bryant (music)
Note: This should not be confused with the Sacred Harp hymn of the same name
ARTIST: Dock Boggs 1968
SHEET MUSIC:
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: Circa 1894
RECORDING INFO: On a Hill Lone and Gray [Me III-F 39] - Carradine, Robert
Carter Family. My Old Cottage Home, RCA Camden ACL1-0047(e), LP (1973), trk# 5 (Hill Lone and Gray)
Carter Family. Last Recordings, Vol. 1, Old Homestead OHCS 330, Cas (1991), trk# B.04
Carter Family. Longing for Old Virginia, Rounder 1071, CD (1998), trk# 7 [1934/05/08]
Cooper, Wilma Lee. Cooper, Wilma Lee. Songs to Remember, Cooper, Fol (196?), p14
Patterson, Ray and Ina. Old Time Ballad and Hymns, County 708, LP (1966), trk# 1
Stanley, Ralph. Distant Land to Roam. Songs of the Carter Family, Columbia DM2, CD (2005), trk# 11
OTHER NAMES: "There's a Hill Lone and Grey," "On A Hill Lone and Grey"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Folk Index; Meade
NOTES: "Calvary" is a religious ballad collected from Dock Boggs in 1968 about Jesus' crucifixion told from the point of view of one of his grieving followers. The original hymn, "There's a Hill Lone and Grey," by Robert R. Carradine (words) and John B. Bryant (music) appeared in Tears and Triumphs For Revival in 1894. It was also in the repertoire of The Carter Family who titled it "On A Hill Lone and Grey" and recorded it for Victor in 1932 (unissued) and again for Bluebird in 1934.
This should not be confused with the Sacred Harp hymn of the same name. Based on Paul's description, it would appear that this song generally follows the passion account of John rather than the other three gospels -- e.g. Jesus carries his own cross (John 19:17; compare Mark 15:21, etc., where Simon of Cyrene carries the cross) and makes no complaint (compare John 19:25-30 to, e.g., Mark 15:34)[Ballad index].
CALVARY- Dock Boggs
There's a hill lone and grey, in a land far away,
In a country beyond the blue sea;
Where beneath that fair sky, went a man forth to die,
For the world and for you and for me.
CHORUS: Oh, it bowed down my heart, and the teardrops will start,
When in memory all the grey hill I see;
For 'twas there on its side Jesus suffered and died,
To redeem a poor sinner like me.
Behold, faint on the road, 'neath the world's heavy load,
Comes a thorn-crowned man on the way;
With a cross, he is bowed, but still on through the crowd,
He's ascending that hill lone and grey.
Hark, I hear the dull blow, of the hammer swung low;
They are nailing my Lord to the tree
And the cross they up-raise, while the multitude gaze
On the blessed Lamb of dark Calvary.
CHORUS:
How they mocked him in death, to his last laboring breath,
While His friends sadly wept o'er the way.
But though lonely and faint, still no word of complaint
Fell from Him on that hillock of grey.
Then a darkness come down, and the rocks went around,
And a cry pierced the sad-laden air;
'Twas the voice of our King, who received death's dark sting,
All to save us from endless despair.
Let the sun hide its face, let the earth reel space,
Over man who their Savior have slain;
But, behold, from the sod, comes the blessed Lamb of God,
Who was slain, but is risen again.
CHORUS:
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THERE’S A HILL LONE AND GREY- Words: R. Carradine; Music: John B. Bryant
There’s a hill lone and grey, in a land far away,
In a country beyond the blue sea,
Where beneath that fair sky went a Man forth to die
For the world and for you and for me.
Refrain: Oh, it bows down my heart and the teardrops will start,
When in mem’ry that grey hill I see.
For ’twas there on its side, Jesus suffered and died
To redeem a poor sinner like me.
Behold! faint on the road, ’neath a world’s heavy load,
Comes a thorn crownèd Man on the way,
With a cross He is bowed, but still on through the crowd
He’s ascending that hill lone and grey.
Refrain
Hark! I hear the dull blow of the hammer swung low;
They are nailing my Lord to the tree,
And the cross they upraised while the multitude gaze
On the blest Lamb of dark Calvary.
Refrain
How they mock Him in death, to His last lab’ring breath,
While His friends sadly weep o’er the way;
But though lonely and faint, still no word of complaint
Fell from Him on the hill lone and grey.
Refrain
Then the darkness came down and the rocks rent around,
And a cry pierced the grief laden air;
’Twas the voice of our King Who received death’s dark sting,
All to save us from endless despair.
Refrain
Let the sun hide its face, let the earth reel apace,
Over men who their Savior have slain;
But behold from the sod, comes the blest Lamb of God,
Who was slain and is risen again.
Refrain
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