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Cast Thy Bread upon the Water
Public Domain gospel; Words and Music Barney E. Warren, pub. 1911
ARTIST: Red Sovine- 16 New Gospel Songs 1978; Guston LP
SHEET MUSIC: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Cast_Thy_
Bread_upon_the_Water/score/
DATE: Barney E. Warren, pub. 1911
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Cast Thy Bread upon the Water
Red Sovine - 16 New Gospel Songs 1978; Guston LP
Red Sovine - 20 Greatest All Time Gospel Hits; CD
OTHER NAMES: "Cast The Bread upon the Water"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: TimelessTruth.org
NOTES: "Cast Thy Bread upon the Water" is a gospel song recorded by Red Sovine in 1978 that was written by Barney E. Warren and published in 1911.
Country musician Red Sovine is known as "The King Of The Narrations." Woodrow Wilson Sovine was born on July 17, 1918, in Charleston, West Virginia. Red's mother taught him how to play the guitar. By the time he was 17 years old, Red was working professionally as an entertainer. In 1948 he formed his own band, "The Echo Valley Boys." By 1949, Red replaced Hank Williams, Sr. on the Louisiana Hayride after Williams joined the Grand Ole Opry.
Red Sovine's first hit song was a duet that he recorded with Goldie Hill titled "Are You Mine?" The song, recorded on the Decca label, climbed to #15 on the record charts in 1955. In 1956, Red recorded his first #1-hit song. It, too, was a duet which he recorded with Webb Pierce titled "Why Baby Why." Sovine and Pierce recorded another hit together titled "Little Rosa." The touching song climbed to #5 on the record charts. By then Red Sovine had joined, and was a well-known regular on, the Grand Ole Opry. In the early 1960's, Red Sovine signed with the Starday Records company. In 1965, Red recorded his first big superhit with Starday. "Giddy-Up Go" was a #1-hit on the charts, and became the first of several big "truckdrivin'" theme songs that Red recorded.
In 1967 Red recorded his second truckdrivin' hit, "Phantom 309." Time passed and Starday Records changed hands several times.By the early 1970's Starday was basically out of business. In 1974 the owner of Gusto Records, Moe Lytle, purchased the Starday masters and recording studio located on Dickerson Road, in Nashville. Prior to that purchase, Lytle had signed Red to a recording contract with Gusto. In 1976 Red Sovine recorded "Teddy Bear" for Gusto Records. The song was released on Lytle's newly acquired Starday label. "Teddy Bear" sold over a million copies in six weeks and climbed to #1 on the record charts faster than any other single in history. A truckdriver named Dale Royal from South Carolina is the man who first conceived the song "Teddy Bear." It was the only hit song that Royal ever wrote. There were others involved in the final drafting of "Teddy Bear." Gusto co-producer Tommy Hill, B.J. Burnette and Red Sovine also share the writers' credits. The real magic of "Teddy Bear," however, is Red Sovine's delivery of the song. After hearing this moving rendition of "Teddy Bear," there is no doubt that Red Sovine is, indeed, the "King Of The Narrations." Sovine continued to record on the Starday and Gusto labels in the five year span that followed the release of "Teddy Bear."
During that time, Red made many fine recordings that showcase his exceptional vocals, and highlight his skills as one of the world's greatest story-tellers. Sadly, on April 4, 1980, Red Sovine died when he had a heart attack while driving. Red Sovine's legacy is the long list of premium songs that he recorded during his lengthy career. Red also imparted a wholesome quality to many of the songs that he recorded. That fact may say more about the "King Of The Narrations," than anything else. -Chuck Young
Cast Thy Bread upon the Water- Red Sovine 1978; Barney E. Warren, pub. 1911
Cast thy bread upon the water,
’Twill return in many days;
Crumbs of truth for Jesus scatter,
All along thy pilgrim ways.
Refrain: Cast thy bread upon the water,
It will soon return again;
Cast thy bread upon the water,
Jesus says ’tis not in vain.
Cast thy bread upon the water,
Christ will watch the rolling wave,
As it ripples slowly onward,
To the soul He seeks to save.
Cast thy bread upon the water,
Let it spread from pole to pole;
And the prayers of patient toilers
Soon will yield some precious soul.
Cast thy bread upon the water,
Trusting it is not in vain,
For the lost and wand’ring sinner
May be gathered back again.
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