"Shine On Me" - Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers

Set Two: Social Music; Disc Two; Track Thirteen: "Shine On Me" performed by Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers. "Vocal group with violin, piano, mandolin, guitars and clapping." Recorded in Bristol, Tennessee on November 29, 1928. Original issue Bluebird 5540A.

Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers were first recorded at the historic Bristol Sessions (where the Carter Family, Jimmie Rogers, Eck Dunford, and the Stoneman Family were also first recorded). No biographical information is available on Phipps nor is anything known about the other singers and musicians who performed on this recording. "Shine On Me" was recorded a little over a year after Phipp's recording debut.

According to Jeff Place's notes to the 1997 reissue of the Anthology, Phipps and his musicians were all members of an "Anglo-American holiness church in Kentucky."

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone,
And there's a cross for me.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

Sure, I must fight, if I shall reign.
Increase my courage, Lord.
Oh, bear the toil endure the pain
Supported by Thy Word.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

Must I be carried to the sky,
On flowery beds of ease?
While others false do win the prize,
And sail through bloody seas.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

Whoa, shine on me, Lord,
Shine on me.
Let the light from the lighthouse,
Shine on me.

"Shine On Me," according to Smith's original notes, is a version of a hymn that is usually titled "Maitland. C.M." by George N. Allen. Allen (1812-1877) was the composer of the melody only, which was put to the text "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" by Thomas Shepherd (1665-1739). Shepherd's original text reads as follow:

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone,
And there's a cross for me.

How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorrowing here;
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.

The consecrated cross I'll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there's a crown for me.

Upon the crystal pavement, down
At Jesus' piercèd feet,
Joyful, I'll cast my golden crown,
And His dear Name repeat.

O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
Ye angels, from the stars flash down,
And bear my soul away.

Note that the chorus ("Shine on me, Lord, shine on me") was not a part of Shepherd's original lyrics. The chorus seems to have come from a Negro Spiritual titled "Shine on Me." The lyrics to that song are as follows:

Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.
Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto to Me and rest.
Lay down thou weary one lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”

Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.
Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.

With pitying eyes the Prince of Peace
Beheld our helpless grief
He saw, and O amazing love!
He came to our relief.

Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.
Shine on me. Shine on me.
Let the Light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Note the lyric from the hymn "A Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say" in the first verse. A version of this spiritual (with completely different lyrics, except for the chorus) was recorded under the title "Let Your Light Shine On Me" by Blind Willie Johnson. The text of the Johnson song is as follows:

Let it shine on me,
Let it shine on me.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Let it shine on me,
Let it shine on me.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on.

My lord he's done
Just what he said.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Heal the sick,
And rise the dead.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Oh let it shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

I know I've got religion,
And I ain't ashamed.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Angels in heaven, done wrote my name.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Oh let it shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Oh let it shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Oh let it shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

Shine on,
Oh let it shine on.
Let your light from the lighthouse shine on me.

The question is, how did the chorus from "Shine On Me" get added to Allen and Shepherd's song?

"Shine On Me," as recorded by Phipps, consists of three verses with two rounds of the chorus following each verse. The first verse is the same as the first verse of "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone." The second verse is completely unintelligible to me (thanks to Jake Faulkner for his transcription of that verse), but it does not seem to correspond to any of the verses from Shepherd's text. The third verse does not come from "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" at all, but rather from a song called "On The Sea of Galilee," a song the Carter Family recorded on May 9, 1935. I have been unable to find any information on the history of "On The Sea of Galilee," other than the fact that it is credited to A.P. Carter. The fact that one of the verse of that song already existed when Phipps recorded "Shine On Me" in 1928 is a strong indication that Carter got the song from someplace else, but where?

Note: Thanks to readers Peter Golden and Don Wiley for pointing out that the lyric "Must I be carried to the sky..." appears in three Sacred Harp songs: "57 Christian Soldier, 309 Living Lamb, and 513 Joyful use these words."

One final link in the chain is the fact that former blues musician and gospel pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey borrowed the melody from "Shine On Me/Maitland/Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" for his song "Take My Hand, Precious Lord."

On the surface, "Shine On Me" is a simple song - perhaps one of the simplest on the religious disc of the "Social Music" volume. The song is a simple declaration of faith, a desire to share in the burden of Christ, and a desire to bathe in the glory of God (here compared to the light from a lighthouse). Attempting to tease out the origins of the song proves more complicated, however. "Shine On Me" seems to be built out of at least three songs (not taking into account the mysterious second verse, which might come from still a fourth song). In some ways, this song epitomizes the folk process, in which pieces of songs are assembled into something wholly new and different. All of this calls to mind Claude Lévi-Strauss and his theory of the bricoler or "brick layer." According to Lévi-Strauss, man does not invent things out of whole cloth, but rather assembles pieces of cultural detritus into something new. "Shine On Me" is a bricolage, an assembly of disparate parts of religious songs into one glorious burst of spiritual expression.

I don't know whether Smith was aware that Phipps had made his recording debut at the same session as the Carter Family, but it seems appropriate that Phipps should follow the Carters. Whether this is just chance or whether this is one of those connections of which Smith was so fond will probably never be known.

"Shine On Me" is the first of three songs in a row that feature group vocals and large instrumental aggregations.


The Shameless Plug Department: The fifth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all jazz episode featuring early jazz recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and a whole lot more! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

Here's an extraordinary 2005 performance of "Shine On Me."




Download and listen to Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers - "Shine On Me"

"John The Revelator" - Blind Willie Johnson

Set Two: Social Music; Disc Two; Track Eleven: "John The Revelator" performed by Blind Willie Johnson. "Vocal duet with two guitars." Recorded in Atlanta on April 20, 1930. Original issue Columbia 14530D (W150316).

Blind Willie Johnson was born on January 27, 1897 near Brenham, Texas. At an early age, he expressed a desire to be a preacher and built himself a guitar out of a cigar box. Born sighted, Johnson was blinded at some point before the age of eight. One story, told by Johnson's second wife, was when Johnson was seven, his stepmother threw lye in his face in retaliation for a beating she had suffered at the hands of his father.

Reportedly, Johnson's father would leave him on street corners where he sang for tips. Johnson's powerful voice and skill on the guitar allowed him to sing and preach for most of his adult life. Between 1927 and 1930, Johnson recorded thirty songs for Columbia Records, many of which were performed with his first wife, Willie B. Harris. "John The Revelator" was recorded on April 20, 1930, Johnson's last recording session.

Johnson made little money as a performer, and remained poor until the end of his life. He sang and preached on the streets of Beaumont, Texas. In 1945, his house burned down. Not having anyplace else to live, Johnson slept in the ruins, eventually contracting malaria. He died on September 18, 1945. Reportedly, Johnson's second wife, Angeline, tried to take him to the hospital, but they were turned away. Some accounts of the story have Johnson refused on the grounds of his race, while others claim that his blindness was the reason.

Johnson's music has been incredibly influential. His songs have been recorded by Son House, Reverend Gary Davis, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, the Fairport Convention, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Nick Cave, R.E.M. and the White Stripes. Johnson's 1927 recording "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" was included on the Voyager "Golden Record", which was sent into space with the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, making Johnson the only artist on the Anthology whose music will likely outlast the existence of the planet. "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" is also employed as the theme music on the podcast of Where Dead Voices Gather.

"John The Revelator" is a traditional "call and response" Gospel song. On Johnson's recording, Johnson sings the "call" ("Who's that writin'?", and Willie Harris sings the "response" ("John the Revelator").

Well, who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Tell me, what's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well ooh ooh why me, thousands cried holy,
Bound for some, Son of our God.
Daughter of Zion, Judah the Lion,
He redeem us and bought us with His blood.

Tell me, who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well, what's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Ah, John the Revelator, great advocator.
Get's 'em on the battle of Zion.
Lord, tellin' the story, risin' in glory,
Cried, "Lord, don't you love me some I?"

Tell me, who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well, what's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well, Moses to Moses, watchin' the flock,
Saw the bush, well he had to stop.
God told Moses, "Pull off your shoes.
Out of the flock, well you I choose."

Tell me, who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well, what's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
What's John writin'? 'Bout the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

Well ooh ooh why me, thousands cried holy,
Bound for some, Son of our God.
Daughter of Zion, Judah the Lion,
He redeem us and bought us with His blood.

Tell me, who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator.
A book of the seven seals.

"John The Revelator" refers to John of Patmos, the reputed author of the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The Book is written to the seven Christian churches of Asia (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea) describing two visions John had experienced that described the coming return of Christ and the Final Judgment of mankind. John of Patmos is also traditionally held to be the Apostle John and the author of the Fourth Gospel, although some biblical scholars now believe these to be separate individuals.

Johnson's recording is easily among the most powerful on this volume of the Anthology, simply because of the sheer force of the performance and the unearthly quality of Johnson's voice. Willie Harris's voice, by contrast, sounds tiny. She is literally overwhelmed by her husband. Although Johnson was a celebrated slide-guitarist, he does not employ the technique on this recording.

Blind Willie Johnson's recording of "John The Revelator" was made on April 20, 1930, exactly 80 years to the day before this post was written.

"John The Revelator" has received numerous covers over the years, among the artists who have recorded versions of "John The Revelator" are The Blues Brothers, The Golden Gate Quartet, Beck, Billy Childish, John Mellencamp, Nick Cave, Gov't Mule, Curtis Stigers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Trey Anastasio, R.E.M., Lee Roy Parnell, Frank Black, Hugo Race, Ian Siegal, A. A. Bondy, and Phil Keaggy.

One reason that Smith might have chosen to place "John The Revelator" in this particular sequence is twofold: Both "Dry Bones" and "John The Revelator" make mention of the same story about Moses. In "Dry Bones," Moses is warned that he is "treading holy ground," while in "John The Revelator," Moses is told to "take off [his] shoes." It is also significant that the next selection also deals with Moses.

Another reason for this song's placement might be for the contrast between Bascomb Lamar Lunsford's wry performance and Johnson's ferocity.

This is the third of four "song-sermons" in a row.

The Shameless Plug Department: The fifth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all jazz episode featuring early jazz recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and a whole lot more! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

The Shameless Plug for Someone Else Department: If you look at the list of blogs over on the right side of the screen, you'll see one called Excavated Shellac. It's a favorite of mine and well worth checking out. Jonathan Ward, the author of Excavated Shellac, has recently put together an amazing collection released on Dust-to-Digital's vinyl-only imprint Parlortone titled Excavated Shellac: Strings. It is a collection of fourteen recordings, all originally released on 78, from all around the world. There are tracks from Armenia, India, Bolivia, Congo, Vietnam, Georgia, and Iran, and that's just side one! Each cut features a different string instrument such as the guitar, the oud, the tar, the Paraguyan harp, the hardanger, and others. This is the best album I've heard yet in 2010 and is sure to be included in my top ten for the year. If you own a turntable, order yours today. You won't be sorry.

This is Nick Cave's performance of "John The Revelator" from The Harry Smith Project.



Here's the great Son House performing an a capella version of "John The Revelator."



Here's the White Strips (one of my favorite bands) performing "Cannon," which incorporates "John The Revelator."



Download and listen to Blind Willie Johnson - "John The Revelator"