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Climbing Up the Golden Stairs
Public Domain Jubilee Song; Words & Music: F. Heiser 1884.
ARTIST: (Kate Peters Sturgill of Norton, Virginia) transcription from recording by Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz on 'Draw Closer' Rounder Select 82161-0543-2 2004.
YOUTUBE: Instrumental http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwDA0uO9Oc
SHEET MUSIC:
DATE: F. Heiser 1884
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Climbing Up the Golden Stairs/Stalks [Me III-B16] Heiser, F.
Bazeley, Mark; and Jason Rice. Stepping Up, Topic TSCD 752, CD (2004), trk# 19b [2000]
Clemens, Alice. Fiddlin' Fever, UCA, LP (197?), trk# 19
Cox, Viola. American Hammer Dulcimer, Troubadour TR-6, LP (1978), trk# 11
Curley, Clyde. Songer, Susan; & Clyde Curley (eds) / Portland Collection, Vol. 2, Portland Collection, Fol (2005), p 73 (Gonna Climb Them Golden Stairs)
Levenson, Dan. Light of the Moon, Buzzard 2001, CD (1997), trk# 4 (Climbing the Golden Stairs)
New North Carolina Ramblers. Cotton Mill Blues, Old Blue CD 703, CD (2007), trk# 23
Wear, DeWayne; and the Great Wear Family. Hoe Down! Vol. 4, Rural Rhythm RR 121, LP (197?), trk# 23
Climbing Up the Golden Stairs/Stair [Me III-B16] - Heiser, E. (Monroe H. Rosenfeld)
Mf - Riding on the/de Cable Car
Pb - Teaming Up the Cariboo Road
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p 38b
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p283
Dalhart, Vernon; and Carson Robison. That Good Old Country Town, Old Homestead OHCS 198, LP (1990), trk# A.07 [1928/04/18]
Hall, Kenny. Gray, Vykki M,; and Kenny Hall / Kenny Hall's Music Book, Mel Bay, Sof (1999), p230
Hawker, Ginny; and Tracy Schwarz. Draw Near, Rounder 0543-2, CD (2004), trk# 7
Ollinger, Katherine. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume II, Songs of the South and ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p387/#301 [1941/12/21]
Sodbusters. Lair, John (ed.) / 100 WLS Barn Dance Favorites, Cole, fol (1935), p84 (Climbing the Golden Stairs)
"Climbing Up The Golden Stairs": The Happy Four (Issued: January 1928) is at Honkingduck.
OTHER NAMES: "Climbing the Golden Stairs"
RELATED TO: Walk Dem Golden Stairs - JD Sumner (Gaither Homecoming)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oLYpQoNTw0&feature=related
SOURCES: Meade [Me III-D 68];
NOTES: "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" is a public domain jubilee song written by F. Heiser in 1884 that was recorded by many of the early country musicians in the 1920s and several gospel quartets. A different "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" by C.A. White in 1873 appears in a Folio, Volumes 8-11 (National University of Singapore- School of Architecture). It begins "Birdie sing no more tonight, now..." and uses "Climbing up the golden stairs" at the end of the verses and choruses. A similar song to Heiser's is "Gwine to Climb de Golden Stairs" which was written in 1880 is also included below.
Happy Four version is from 1928. The lyrics are completely different and the song just uses the "climbing the golden stairs" as a tag at the verse and chorus.
The 1931 Journal of American Folklore, Volume 44 reports in an article about Negro Songs from Georgia that the minstrel text runs:
"Old Satan, he's a dandy;
He'll not feed you on mixed candy,
When you're climbing up the golden stairs.
Brimstone is good enough,
No tobacco, beer, nor snuff,
When you're climbing up the golden stairs."
"Walk Dem Golden Stairs" is a different related song (by Cully Holt?) that was performed by Elvis and is featured in a Youtube video: JD Sumner (Gaither Homecoming)
Ballad Index- Climbing Up the Golden Stairs
DESCRIPTION: Advice for getting into heaven. The listener is warned against bribing Peter, and is told of the sights on the Golden Stairs. Chorus: "Then hear them bells a-ringing, 'Tis sweet I do declare, To hear the *old folks singing, Climbing up the golden stairs."
AUTHOR: unknown (credited on Kanawha Singers recording to "Heiser")
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (recordings, Vernon Dalhart et al, Kanawha Singers)
KEYWORDS: religious music Bible clergy
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Randolph 301, "Climbin' Up the Golden Stairs" (1 text)
Roud #7779
RECORDINGS:
Vernon Dalhart & Carson J. Robison w. Adelyne Hood, "Climbing up de Golden Stairs" (Conqueror 7176, 1928)
Frank Welling & John McGhee, "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" (Champion 15567, 1928)
Kanawha Singers, "Climbing Up de Golden Stairs" (Brunswick 205, 1928)
[John Wallace "Babe"] Spangler & [Dave] Pearson, "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" (OKeh, unissued, 1929)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Ridin' on de Cable Car" (tune)
CLIMBING UP THE GOLDEN STAIRS- Happy Four 1928 (Excerpt)
http://honkingduck.com/mc/audio/by/title/climbing_up_the_golden_stairs
Hamonica and guitar
There is a heavenly land
There is a beautiful strand
Where nothing could cause despair
On this wonderous flight
We reaching over the height
Where the angels are climbin' the golden stairs.
CHORUS: Behold the beckoning hand
There plays an angelic band
In heaven there's never no pain or care
We'll walk the beautiful steet
Where folks so wonderous meet
There's an angel climbin' the golden stairs
CLIMBING UP THE GOLDEN STAIRS (Kate Peters Sturgill of Norton, Virginia) transcription from recording by Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz on 'Draw Closer' Rounder Select 82161-0543-2 2004.
Just a little more of waiting
Shedding just a few more tears
Just a little more of stumblin'
Waitin' just a few more years
Havin' just a few more tribulations
We're all gonna have to bear
And we gather at the foot of the mountain over Jordan
Go climbin' up the golden stairs
Chorus:
Climbin' up the golden stairs
Climbin' up the golden stairs
Then we gather at the foot of the mountain over Jordan
Go climbin' up the golden stairs
Just a little more of sunshine
Just a little more of rain
Go climbin' up the stairs over Jordan
Join in where the angels sing
Gonna shake hands there with old moses
And all the heavenly band
We gather at the foot of the mountain over Jordan
Go climbin' up the golden stairs
Chorus
Just a little more of labour
Then our toilin' will be o'er
Go climbin' up the stairs over Jordan
Enter at the heavenly door
We'll walk all around the blessed city
With all our loved ones there
When we gather at the foot of the mountain over Jordan
Go climbin' up the golden stairs
Chorus
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