Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling

Subject: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 31 Oct 10 - 10:50 AM

I listen to this often, on a recording from a gospel workshop at a Getaway a few years ago. The recording has migrated to my ipod without attribution.

I think it's only part of the song, I find myself wanting more and can't find it anywhere! Though, of course, the search took hours and led me to all kinds of fun discoveries that aren't in my budget right now : ) more on that later!

Anyway, one of those wonderful FSGW folks sang:

"I'm looking for that rock that came rolling down from Babylon
looking for that rock that came rolling down from Babylon
looking for that rock that came rolling down from Babylon
tearing down the kingom of this world."

or something like that.

Closest I can find was recorded by the Stanley Brothers, and it goes like this, and sounds nothing like it:


My father found stone that was hewed out the mountain
Lord, my father found the stone that came rolling down from Babylon
My father found the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Lord it's tearin' down the kingdom of this world
Oh yes tearin' down the kingdom of this world

    I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
    Lord I'm looking for the stone that came rolling down from Babylon
    I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
    Lord it's tearin' down the kingdom of this world
    Oh yes tearin' down the kingdom of this world

my mother...

my brother...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling
From: W y s i w y G !
Date: 31 Oct 10 - 11:39 AM

I have that as sheet music around here somewhere and we do it sometimes. There are many gospel songs based on the odd 4/4-5/4 timing, the tune, and the text pattern. I know it as "Hewed out (of) the mountain" and "to-ar down the kingdom of this world, Oh, Lord."

In all those versions what they have in common most challenging to copy is that the thing switches from 4/4 to 5/4 to 4/4.....

At "ro-o-ol-ing down from Bab-y-lon! I'm"
(if I recall right-- strokebrain)
... that is the 5/4 part and the rest is 4/4.

Have fun with it. It's an ear worm hard to walk around with. :~) A dance step thrown into the 5/4 part helps.

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 03:55 PM

The Bluegrass Messengers' web site has a long article about the song:

Daniel Saw the Stone

Spiritual- Golden Gate Quartet 1941

Daniel Saw the Stone/Looking for the Stone

Traditional Old-Time, Gospel Spiritual and Bluegrass Gospel;

ARTIST: Golden Gate Quartet; OK 6204 New York, NY 18 April 1941: omit William Langford; add Clyde Reddick, tenor voice; unknown drums 30282-1

LISTEN: Silver Leaf Quartet
http://dusttodigital.bandcamp.com/track/daniel-saw-the-stone

YOUTUBE: Pilgrim Travelers with Lou Rawls
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/pdcmusic/looking-for-the-stone.html

SHEET MUSIC: http://books.google.com/books?id=9IptZOGMvX8C&pg=PA121

[in American Negro Songs: 230 Folk Songs and Spirituals, Religious and Secular by John Wesley Work (Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications, 1998—originally published 1907.)]

CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;

DATE: 1800s; 1907 Work; First recorded by Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk- 1931

RECORDING INFO: Daniel Saw the Stone

Golden Gate Quartet. New York, NY; April 18 1941 (omit William Langford; add
Clyde Reddick, tenor voice; unknown drums) 30282-1 Daniel Saw the Stone OK 6204

Phish; NY 1993

Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk- 1931

Work, John W. / American Negro Songs and Spirituals, Dover, Bk (1998/1940), p120/121

Work, John W. / Folk Songs of the American Negro 1907

OTHER NAMES: "Looking for the Stone" "Daniel Saw De Stone"

RELATED TO:

SOURCES: Meade; Folk Index

NOTES: The traditional gospel song, "Daniel Saw the Stone" was collected by John Work and published in Folk Songs of the American Negro- 1907. A second more popular version was published in American Negro Songs and Spirituals (see version 2) 1940. The song was first recorded by black gospel quartets (Golden Gate & also the Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk- 1931) and is now popular among white and black groups. The rock group, Phish, began using a version of "Daniel Saw the Stone" in their live shows on July 17, 1993.

"Looking for the Stone" by The Rosinators Song Notes:
In "Daniel Saw the Stone" (1931) the Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk describe a historical momentum that begins with Daniel staying the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar against the wise men of Babylon by giving a description and an interpretation of the king's restless dream. The vision is that of a rolling stone, hewn out of a mountain and not made of human hands, which breaks through Babylon, becomes a mountain, and fills the entire earth. As the Silver Leaf Quartette sing it, a young David as well as Jesus got hold of the same stone, and now they, with their families, want to get hold of it too. The stone, turned mountain, turned inheritor of earth, is the only game in town. Call it what you like. This rolling stone breaks down crowns and thrones and all that oppresses, and it somehow encompasses all good, drawing in and redeeming all manner of things, making them well and whole.

Daniel Saw the Stone- Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk 1931 (one part song)- Excerpt

CHORUS: Oh Daniel saw the stone that was, hewed out the mountain
Now Daniel saw the stone came, rolling through Babylon
Daniel saw the stone that was, hewed out the mountain
And he joined that heavenly band. [Repeat]


In his book, A Treasury of Afro-American Folklore by Harold Courlander come the following:

The stone hewn from the mountain becomes the image on which all eyes are fixed
as the congregation sings:

Daniel saw the stone, hewn out the mountain,
Daniel saw the stone, hewn out the mountain,
Daniel saw the stone, hewn out the mountain,
Tearing down the Kingdom of this world.

Courlander gives you the lyrics to John Work's Version 2 (see below) then gives this variant:

Daniel saw the stone that came rollin' down the mountain,
Daniel saw the stone that came rollin' though Babylon,
Daniel saw the stone that was hewn out the mountain,
Tearing down the Kingdoms of this world.

Ralph Stanley recorded the song under the title "Looking for the Stone" on a 1975 album called Let Me Rest on a Peaceful Mountain. The following lyrics of "Looking for the Stone" were adapted by The Rosinators from Keith Whitley & Ralph Stanley:

Looking for the Stone (Keith Whitley & Ralph Stanley) by The Rosinators
Paul Castle, vocals, acoustic guitar Will Sneyd, fiddle, vocals Fliss Premru, fiddle, vocals

I'm looking for the stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
I'm looking for the stone that came rolling down from Babylon
I'm looking for the stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea
Tearing down the kingdom of this world

My father found a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
My mother found a stone that came rolling down from Babylon
My mother found a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea
Tearing down the kingdom of this world

My mother found a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
My mother found a stone that came rolling down from Babylon
My mother found a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea
Tearing down the kingdom of this world

King Jesus is a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
King Jesus is a stone that came rolling down from Babylon
King Jesus is a stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea
Tearing down the kingdom of this world

I'm looking for the stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
I'm looking for the stone that came rolling down from Babylon
I'm looking for the stone that was hewn out the mountain, Lord
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea
Tearing down the kingdom of this world, oh yea

TAG: Tearing down the kingdom of this world

DANIEL SAW THE STONE- Golden Gate Quartet; OK 6204 New York, NY 18 April 1941: omit William Langford; add Clyde Reddick, tenor voice; unknown drums 30282-1

CHORUS: Oh Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Daniel saw the stone that came rolling through Babylon
Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

Oh Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Daniel saw the stone that came rolling through Babylon
Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

VERSE: Well, meet me, Jesus, meet me
Meet me in the middle of the air
'Cause now if these wings should fail me
Lord, I want to hitch on another pair

Oh Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Jesus was the stone that came rolling through Babylon
Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

Oh Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Jesus was the stone that came rolling through Babylon
Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

VERSE: Oh, well the tree it was bending
Up in the heavenly land
Well, my God spoke unto the Holy Ghost
He said, "Come on and let's make man"

I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
I'm looking for the stone that came rolling through Babylon
I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
I'm looking for the stone that came rolling through Babylon
I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

VERSE: Well, now, early in the morning the trumpet's gonna sound
The dead in Christ is gonna rise
Well, if you ain't got good religion
Lord, then in hell you'll open your eyes.

I found that stone that was hewed out the mountain
I found the stone that came rolling through Babylon
I found the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

I found that stone that was hewed out the mountain
I found the stone that came rolling through Babylon
I found the stone that was hewed out the mountain
Coming down to redeem a mighty world

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolli
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 09:09 PM

Wow, Jim! Thanks!

Still, there is a pretty significant difference in the tune I hear on all these versions, and the one I heard @ Getaway.

I'll keep phishing! Ha! That was a joke, because they also have covered the song above. Still not quite it.

Dani

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling
From: GUEST,StevenD
Date: 13 Apr 11 - 02:03 PM

There's an Ann Nesby version of this song on the soundtrack to "The Fighting Temptations" with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyonce Knowles. It is a great song!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for that rock that came rolling
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 12 - 09:13 PM

Well old Danial had that stone that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
Old Danial had that stone that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
Old Danial had that stone that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord
                            2
Well my mother had that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
My mother had that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
My mother had that rock that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord
                              3
Well I'm searching for that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I'm searching for that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I'm searching for that rock that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord
                               4
Well I'm praying for that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I'm praying for that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I'm praying for that rock that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord
                               5
Well I found that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I found that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
I found that rock that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord
                               6
Well Jesus is that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
Jesus is that rock that came rolling down thru Babylon Lord
Jesus is that rock that was hewed out of the mountain Lord
Tearing down the Kingdom's of this world oh Lord



Randy Cantrell remembers his mother and dad singing this when I was growing up. dad was Rev.Ernel E Cantrell and mom was Lessie T. Cantrell. In memory of my Parents.