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Couldn't Keep It To Myself/Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody/I Couldn't Keep It To Myself
Traditional Spiritual
ARTIST: Mahalia Jackson youtube circa 1950s
YOUTUBE: Oscar Hayes - Couldn't Keep It To Myself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g74BSiDcN0Y&feature=related
War On Sin Mass Choir - Couldn't Keep It To Myself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icK9clTSFrs
Mahalia Jackson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdbQm8YCybU
CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: probably early 1900s; 1950s
RECORDING INFO: Couldn't Keep It To Myself/Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody
Angela Spivey & the Voices of Victory; From Eyes on the Prize (Tekoa Records 2008) "Just Couldn’t Keep It”
Hopeful Gospel Quartet. A Prairie Home Companion for June 17, 2006 "I Couldn't Keep it to Myself"
OTHER NAMES: "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" "Just Couldn’t Keep It” "I Couldn't Keep It To Myself"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Wiki;
NOTES: "Couldn't Keep It To Myself" also "I Couldn't Keep It To Myself" or "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" is a traditional spiritual from Mahalia Jackson and several modern gospel groups.
Jackson's awesome live version is on youtube (link above) dating back to late 1950s. It's also on her Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns, Vol. 2 under the title, "I Couldn't Keep It To Myself."
I Couldn't Keep It To Myself- Mahalia Jackson (live on youtube) Verses are slightly different each time- Vamp is an approximation
1. I wasn't gonna tell nobody but I,
Couldn't keep it Lord to myself,
No, couldn’t keep it to myself.
No chile, couldn’t keep it to myself.
You know I said,
I wasn't gonna tell nobody but I,
Couldn't keep it Lord to myself,
What the Lord the Lord God almighty has done for me,
Yeah done for me
2. You know I said,
I wasn't gonna run for Jesus but I,
Couldn't keep it Lord to myself,
No, couldn’t keep it to myself.
No chile, couldn’t keep it to myself.
You know I said,
I wasn't gonna run for Jesus but I,
Couldn't keep it Lord to myself,
What the Lord the Lord God almighty has done for me,
Yeah done for me
3. You know I said,
I wasn't gonna tell my mother but I,
Couldn't keep it to myself,
No, no couldn’t keep it to myself.
no couldn’t keep it to myself
You know I said,
I wasn't gonna tell my mother but I,
Couldn't keep it to myself,
What the Lord the Lord God almighty has done for me,
(Yeah done for me)
VAMP
You oughta been there oughta been there
When He saved my soul
You oughta been there
When He put my name in heaven
Then I started walking
Then I started talking
Then I started pray
Then I started crying
Then I looked all around me
I looked all around me
Looked all around me
I looked at my hands
And they looked new
I looked at my feet
And they did too
Then I
I felt like running
I felt like running
Then I
Cried holy
Cried holy
Thanking God for being so good to me.
The song was published under the title, "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" in the 1961 play Black Nativity, a retelling of the classic Nativity story with an entirely black cast. Traditional Christmas carols are sung in gospel style, with a few songs created specifically for the show. Originally written by Langston Hughes, the show was first performed on Broadway on December 11, 1961, and was one of the first plays written by an African-American to do so. It has been performed in Boston, Massachusetts at Tremont Temple since 1969. The 160 singers are arranged by age group and vocal range, with an assortment of soloists, along with the narrator, and Mary and Joseph, who are both mute.
Couldn't Keep It To Myself- War On Sin Mass Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icK9clTSFrs
Lead: Said I wasn't gonna tell anybody,
Choir: couldn't keep, couldn’t keep it to myself.
Lead: Said I wasn't gonna tell anybody,
Choir: couldn’t keep it to myself.
(repeat twice)
What the Lord has done for me
Verse:
You were not there when He saved my soul.
You were not there when He made me whole
All: He put joy down in my soul
Vamp:
You oughta been there
Altos: Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaved my soul, that’s what He’s done
Altos: Maaaaaaade me whole, that’s what He’s done
Altos: Turned me around, that’s what He’s done
Altos: Plant my feet on solid ground, that’s what He’s done
Tenors: You oughta been there
Sops: Said I wasn't gonna tell anybody but I couldn’t keep it to myself
Sops: Prayed about it, prayed about it, I got to tell somebody else
I Couldn't Keep It- performed by New Jersey Mass Choir
[Lead] Said I wasnt gonna tell nobody but I
[Group] Couldnt keep it couldnt keep it
[Lead]Said I wasnt gonna tell nobody but I
[Group] Couldnt keep it couldnt keep it
[Lead] Said I wasnt gonna tell nobody but I
[Group] Couldnt keep it to myself what the lord has done for me
You were not there when he saved my soul
You were when he made me whole he put joy down in my soul and then he saved me _ohhh I couldnt keep it to myself what the Lord has done for me
Sop- Said I wasnt gonna tell nobody but couldnt keep it to myself, Thought about it prayed about it,had to tell somebody else
Alto- Saaaaaved my soul thats what hes done,maaaaaade me whole that's what He's done
Tenor- You ought of been there (repeat)
Solist - You were not there when he saved my soul. You were not there when he made me whole he put
Choir - joy down in my soul and then he saved me peace within
Soloist - I shall never forget what he's done for me. You ought to been there.
Alto- Saaaaaved my soul thats what hes done,maaaaaade me whole thats what hes done. Turrrrrrrrrrrrrn My life a round thats what he did. Place my feet on a higher ground thats what he did.
Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody- Performed by Prof. Alex Bradford & The Abyssinian Baptist Gospel Choir; Arranged Prof. Alex Bradford
Verse 1
(I said I wasn't gonna tell nobody but I)
couldn't keep it to myself (3x).
(I said I wasn't gonna tell nobody but I)
couldn't keep it to myself, what the Lord has done for me.
Chorus
You ought to been there, (when He) saved my soul.
You ought to been there, (when He put my) name on the roll
(Then I) started walking,
(I) started talking,
(I) started singing,
(I) started shouting
about what the Lord has done for me.
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