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Climbing Up the Mountain
SEE ALSO: Climbing High Mountains/Trying to Get Home
Tradtional Spiritual
ARTIST: 1) Taylor Sisters from Hand-Me-Down Music: Old Songs, Old Friends - Vol. 2 Traditional Music of Union County, North Carolina
2)
Mattie Clark-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KznEfeyDNKs
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Climbing Up The Mountain
Taylor Sisters from Hand-Me-Down Music: Old Songs, Old Friends - Vol. 2 Traditional Music of Union County, North Carolina
Angelic Choir. Climbing Up the Mountain Savoy 1963
Morning Star Gospel Singers Climbing Up the Mountain-
OTHER NAMES: "We Are Climbing Up the Mountain" "I Am Climbing Up the Mountain"
"Climbing Up All Day" Capitol City Four;
RELATED TO: "Climbing High Mountains"
SOURCES: Mudcat;
NOTES: One version of "Climbing Up the Mountain" or "Climbin' Up the Mountain" is a traditional spiritual from the Taylor Sisters of Union County NC in 1980. There are a variety of "Climbing Up the Mountain" and "Climbing Mountain" spirituals (some are related to the "Trying to Get Home" spirituals). The Taylor Sisters is part of the "Climbing up the mountain, trying to reach the top" group.
The older standard version, usually "Climbing Up the Mountain, Children," was first recorded by the Utica Institute Jubilee Singers from Mississippi in 1927. In 1925, William H. Holtzclaw organized the Utica Institute Jubilee Singers, taking the name from the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The group toured New York and New England on their first trip to help raise funds for The Institute. By 1926, The Utica Institute Jubilee Singers had their own bus in which to travel.
One review reports: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and the Nashville Bluegrass band both dip into the African-American gospel tradition with "Climbing Up the Mountain." I assume it's similar to the Mark Bishop version posted below. The last version is clearly a different but related song.
Climbing Up the Mountain- Taylor Sisters 1980 Folkways Records
We are climbing,
Up the mountain
We are climbing,
Till we reach the top
Of the hill
We are singing...
Climbing Up the Mountain- Morning Star Gospel Singers http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/4599
Climbing up the mountain
Trying to reach the top
almost finished my journey
I've gone half way and I just can't stop
At the end of the mountain
there is faith and trust
I can see Jesus
Standing there to meet us
I thank God, I've got to reach it for myself.
There are parts that the choir breaks into Tenor: climbing, climbing up the mountain (repeat)
Soprano/Alto: climbing up the mountain, trying to reach the top.......
CLIMBING UP THE MOUNTAIN- United Choir Key Bb
Climbing up the mountain,
trying to reach the top,
almost finished my battle,
gone half way and I just can’t stop.
At the end of the mountain
there is plains to cross,
I can see Jesus when he backs me up.
I thank God I am reaching for myself. (Repeat)
(Tenors) Climbing up the mountain (4+)
Choir: Climbing up the mountain trying to reach the top (repeat)
Sing, sing, sing, sing,
you ought to sing some time.
You ought sing some time.
(lead ) You ought to sing some time
(choir) you ought to sing some time
(lead) you ought to sing some time
(choir) you ought to sing some time
Pray, pray……..
Shout, shout……
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…
Up the mountain (repeat)
Praise him, praise him…
Hallelujah (repeat as directed)
CLIMBIN’ UP D’ MOUNTAIN- Negro spirituals.com
Climbin’ up d’ mountain, children
Didn’t come here to stay
And if I nevermore see you again
Gonna meet you at de judgment day
Hebrew in de fiery furnace
And dey begin to pray
And de good Lawd smote dat fire out
Oh, wasn’t dat a mighty day !
Good Lord, wasn’t dat a mighty day !
Daniel went in de lions den
And he begin to pray
And de angels of de Lawd locked de lion’s jaw
Oh, wasn’t dat a mighty day !
Good Lord, wasn’t dat a mighty day!
Climbing Up The Mountain- Mark Bishop- (similar to Capitol City Four "Climbing Up All Day" and the spiritual above from Negro spirituals.com)
Chorus: I'm climbing up the mountain children (children)
I didn't come here to stay (now brother)
If I never no more see you
I'll meet you at the coming day.
Some say give me silver.
Some say give me gold.
I say give me Jesus
He's precious to my soul.
Great God I'm...
Repeat Chorus
Some people call me noisy.
I belong to a noisy crew
Shout when I get happy
Like what Christians do.
Great God I'm...
Repeat Chorus
I started out for Heaven,
To Zion's land I'm bound
With Jesus as my captain, Lord
I will not turn around.
Great God I'm...
Repeat Chorus
I heard a mighty rumbling.
It was way down in the ground.
It must have been the Devil Lord,
He was turning round and round.
Great God I'm...
Repeat Chorus
If I never no more see you, I'll meet you at the coming day.
Climbing Up All Day- Capitol City Four
CHORUS: We're climbing up the mountain, a-hallelujah
We didn't come here for to stay.
If I never see you no more,
I'll meet you on the judgement day (oh, on to glory)
Repeat CHORUS 2X
Daniel in the lion's den
(A-hallelujah)
He began to pray
(Began to pray)
My Lord sent an angel down,
And it certainly was a mighty great day.
Repeat CHORUS 2X
The three Hebrew children in the fire,
(A-hallelujah)
Then they began to pray
(Began to pray)
My Lord sent an angel down,
And it certainly was a might great day
Repeat CHORUS 2X
Climbing Up The Mountain- Bluegrass Version
I’m climbing up the mountain and I’m going home
Climbing up the mountain going stone by stone
Climbing up the mountain when my work is done
Climbing up the mountain to the sky.
Moses freed his people from the pharaoh’s hand
Forty years they wandered through the desert sand
Led them out of Egypt to the promised land
And then he climbed on up to the mountain to the sky
Martin helped his people in a powerful fight
Led them in the struggle for the civil rights
Birmingham to Selma leading black and white
And then he climbed on up to the mountain to the sky
Each of us is given heaven’s work to do
Doesn’t take more courage than is granted you
Eye upon the prize and you can see it through
And then you’ll climb up on the mountain too
CLIMBING UP THE MOUNTAIN- Utica Institute Jubilee Singers 1927
CHORUS: Climbin' up the mountain, children
Didn’t come here for to stay
And if I nevermore see you again
I'll meet you on the judgment day (Good Lord) [repeat chorus]
Daniel in the lion's den (Hallelujah)
He begin to pray (to pray)
The angels came down, locked the lion’s jaw (Hallelu)
And it sure was a mighty day! (Good Lord)
And it sure was a mighty day! (Good Lord)
CHORUS: 2x
Hebrew children in the fire
They begin to pray
The angels came down in the fire (Hallelujah)
And it sure was a mighty day! (Good Lord)
And it sure was a mighty day! (Good Lord)
CHORUS: 2x [last chorus slow]
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