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Old Time Christian/I'd Rather Be an Old Time Christian Than Anything I Know
Old-Time Gospel Attributed to Albert Brumley copyright 1934
ARTIST: Norman and Nancy Blake; plus Melvine Wine;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes; EARLIEST DATE: 1934;
RECORDING INFO: I'd Rather Be an Old Time Christian
Rt - Walking in Old-Time Religion
Blake, Norman and Nancy. Just Gimme Something I'm Use To, Shanachie 6001, Cas (1992), trk# 13
Wine, Melvin. Hannah at the Springhouse, Marimac AHS 2, Cas (1989), trk# 20
Wine, Melvin. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p 86
Walking in Old-Time Religion
Rt - I'd Rather Be an Old Time Christian
Reams, James;, Walter Hensley & the Barons of Bluegrass. James Reams, Walter Hensley, and the Barons of Bluegrass, Copper Creek CCCD 0214, CD (2002), trk# 13
OTHER NAMES: "I'd Rather Be an Old Time Christian" "Walking in Old-Time Religion"
SOURCES: Mudcat; Melvin Wine;
NOTES: 2/4 time key of D major; one part;
Melvin Wine learned the tune from an revival preacher named Tom Skinner, who rode his horse to revivals and other religious events. Wine recalled, "We was in a tent revival, and he would be singing it, shouting and patting his hands as he went." Wine recorded the tune as an instrumental and these are Wine's lyrics:
I'd Rather Be an Old Time Christian- Melvin Wine
On Hannah at the Springhouse
I'd rather be an old time Christian
And I want the world to know.
Goin' to be a Christian,
(With) a Christian love to show.
While walkin' down the highway
And I'm telling everywhere I go
That I'd rather be an old time Christian, Lord
Than anything else I know.
Wine didn't know the origin of the old hymn he had learned. It was copyrighted by Albert Brumley in 1934. Brumley copyrighted some traditional songs that he arranged and rewrote.
OLD TIME CHRISTIAN
(Norman and Nancy Blake version's sticks close to the copyrighted lyrics (see Version 1) but the last verse is missing.
I'd rather be an old time Christian
Than anything I know.
There's nothing like an old time Christian
With a Christian love to show.
I'm walking down the grand old highway
And I'm telling everyone that I know
That I'd rather be an old time Christian
Than anything I know.
In this world I've tried most everything
I'm happy now to say
There's nothing like religion
In the good old fashioned way
I'm walking in the old time way
And I want the world to know
That I'd rather be an old time Christian, Lord
Than anything I know.
chorus
There are many things I'd like to be
As my journey I pursue
I would long to be a leader
As a mortal man would do
I'd like to be a millionaire
With a million to bestow
That I'd rather be an old time Christian, Lord
Than anything I know.
chorus
All the world is bright since I got right
I sing and pray and shout
All my burdens have been lifted
Since the savior brought me out
I will sing his praises far and near
As I travel here below
But I'd rather be an old time Christian, Lord
Than anything I know.
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