Bluegrass Messengers

Denomination Blues Pt 1 & Pt 2- Washington Phillips

Denomination Blues Pt 1 & Pt 2
Washington Phillips

Denomination Blues Pt 1 & Pt 2

Blues from Washington Phillips

ARTIST: from Washington Phillips; Denomination Blues - Parts I & 2, Columbia 14333-D, Dallas. December 5. 1927.

YOUTUBE:

SHEET MUSIC:

CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;

DATE: 1900s; 1927

RECORDING INFO: Denomination Blues

The 77s
Mark Knopfler
Ry Cooder. Into the Purple Valley
2nd Chapter of Acts

OTHER NAMES: "Denomination Blues"

RELATED TO:

SOURCES:

NOTES: "Denomination Blues Pt 1 & Pt 2" are two blues recordings made by is a Washington Phillips in 1927. The songs have been covered (usually Part 2) by a variety of recording artists including Mark Knopfler, The 77s, and Ry Cooder. Ry Cooder covered Phillips' "Denomination Blues Part 1" on his 1971 album Into the Purple Valley and "Tattler" on his album Paradise and Lunch (1974). "Denomination Blues" has also been covered by the contemporary Christian groups 2nd Chapter of Acts on their 1975 live album To the Bride with Barry McGuire, and The 77s on their debut album Ping Pong Over the Abyss (1983).

Phillips recorded eighteen songs, all between 1927 and 1929, though only sixteen survived. Some of his songs amount to highly specific and detailed gospel sermons, featuring Phillips' voice self-accompanied by an instrument that identified as a Dolceola, a Celestophone, and a Phonoharp (and also is considered by some to be an instrument entirely home-made by Phillips) creates a unique sound on these recordings that makes them immediately recognizable. Phillips died in 1954 in Teague, Texas.

Denomination Blues Pt 1- Washington Phillips

    I want to tell you the natural fact
    Every man don't understand the Bible alike
    But that's all now, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Well, denominations has no right to fight
    They oughta just treat each other right
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    The primitive Baptists, they believe
    You can't get to Heaven unless'n you wash your feet
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    The only primitive that has any part
    Is the one that's at the washing with the pain at heart
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Now the missionary Baptists they believe
    Go under the water and not to wash their feet
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Now the Indian Methodists they believe
    Sprinkle the head and not to wash the feet
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Now the African Methodists they believes the same
    'Cause they know their denomination ain't a thing but a name
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Now the Holiness people when they came in
    They said, "Boys, we can make it by livin' above sin."
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

    Now the Church of God has it in their mind
    That they can get to Heaven without the sacrament wine
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus, I tell you that's all

Denomination Blues Pt 2- Washington Phillips

    You're fighting each other and think you're doin' well
    And the sinner's on the outside goin' to Hell
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    Now, the preachers is preachin' and thinks they're doin' well
    And all they want is your money and you can go to Hell
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    There's another class of preachers is high in speech
    They had to go to college to learn how to preach
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    But you can go to the college and you can go to the school
    But if you ain't got Jesus, you an educated fool
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    That kind of a man he's hard to convince
    A man can't preach, sir, unless'n he's sinned
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    When people jump from church to church
    You know the conversion don't amount to much, and
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    When Jesus came in at Dividing Day
    Gonna call the sheeps to Him and turn the goats away,
    And that'll be all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

    It's right to stand together and it's wrong to stand apart
    'Cause none's gonna enter but the pure in heart
    And that's all, I tell you that's all
    But you better have Jesus now, I tell you that's all

Denomination Blues- Mark Knopfler

Some people preaching
They do very well
They take all your money
And you can go to hell
And that's all
That's all
When you could have Jesus
And that's all

You can go to your college
You can go to your school
If you ain't got Jesus
You're just an educated fool
And that's all
That's all
You gotta have Jesus now
And that's all

If you pardon me sir
You ain't doin' too well
You spend your whole life sinning
And you're going to hell
And that's all
But that ain't all
Cuz you could have Jesus now
And that's all

It's good to stand together
It's bad to stand apart
The only ones going to heaven
Are the pure in heart
And that's all
That's all
You better get Jesus now
And that's all

Jesus is coming back on the dividing day
Taking in the sheep
Turning the goats away
That'll be all now
That'll be all
You better take Jesus now
And that's all

Denomination Blues- Ry Cooder

G D G

G) I wanna tell you people it's a nat'ral fact
Ev'ry man don't understand the Bible alike
And that's (C) all, I tell you that's (G) all
'Cause you better have (D) Jesus
I tell you that's (G) all

Well, the denominations have the right to fight
They ought go on and treat each other right
And that's all, I tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I tell you that's all

It's right to stand together, wrong to stand apart
When none will enter heaven but the pure at heart
And that's all, I'll tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I'll tell you that's all

Well, the primitive Baptists they believe
That you can't go to heaven 'less you wash your feet
And that's all, I'll tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I tell you that's all

Well, the African Methodists, they believe the same
'Cause they know demonination ain't a thing but a name
And that's all, I'll tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I tell you that's all

Well, people that jump from church to church
You can bet their conversion don't amount too much
And that's all, I'll tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I tell you that's all

Well, you can to your college, you can go to your school
But if you ain't got Jesus, you'se (you are) an educated fool
And that's all, I'll tell you that's all
'Cause you better have Jesus
I tell you that's all

Denomination Blues- The 77s