The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #116137   Message #2513227
Posted By: Richie
11-Dec-08 - 11:43 PM
Thread Name: Origins: The authors of the 'Carter Family songs'
Subject: Lyr Add: RIVER OF JORDAN (Carter Family)
River of Jordan is listed under Some of These Days [Me III-C 27]. To complicate maters there's different song by Shelton Brooks titled "Some of These Days." Additional complications result from a different song by the Poplin Family titled "River Of Jordan."

I learned the song as "God's Gonna Set This World On Fire." Other names include:

"I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table"
"We Gonna Walk the Streets of Washington,"
"Walking on the Streets of Glory,"
"I'm Gonna Sit at the Freedom Table" (civil rights movement song)
"I'm Gonna Tell God How You Treat Me."
"One of these Days"
"Welcome Table"
"Streets of Glory"
"Jacob's Ladder"
"Some of These Days"

The earliest recording is the 1915 Fisk University Male Quartet then the 1922 Florida Normal Quartet.

Some Recordings:
Emmett Brand, "I'm Going to Cross the Rivers of Jordan, Some of These Days" (on MuSouth06)
Carter Family, "River of Jordan" (Victor 21434, 1928; Montgomery Ward M-4430, 1934; on Babylon)
Jaybird Coleman, "I'm Gonna Cross the River of Jordan - Some o' These Days" (Silvertone 5172, 1927; on Babylon)
Florida Normal Quartet, "The Welcome Table" (OKeh 40079, 1924; rec. 1922)
West Virginia Night Owls, "I'm Goin' to Walk on the Streets of Glory" (Victor 21533, 1928)
Charles Owens w. Isabel Owens, "The Welcome Table" (on NovaScotia1)
West Virginia Snake Hunters [John & Emery McClung], "Walk the Streets of Glory" (Brunswick 119, 1928, rec. 1927)
Alice Wine, "I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table" (on BeenStorm1)

This is another song the Carters learned through their African-American sources Leslie Riddle and Pauline Gray.

RIVER OF JORDAN- Carter Family 1934

    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I'm going down to the river of Jordan
Oh, yes
I'm going down to the river of Jordan
Some of these days (hallelujah)
I'm going down to the river of Jordan
I'm going down to the river of Jordan
Some of these days

I'm going to eat at the welcome table
Oh, yes
I'm going to eat at the welcome table
Some of these days (hallelujah)
I'm going to eat at the welcome table
I'm going to eat at the welcome table
Some of these days

    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I'm going to sing in the heavenly choir
Oh, yes
I'm going to sing in the heavenly choir
Some of these days (hallelujah)
I'm going to sing in the heavenly choir
I'm going to sing in the heavenly choir
Some of these days

I'm going to put on the silvery slippers
Oh, yes
I'm going to put on the silvery slippers
Some of these days (hallelujah)
I'm going to put on the silvery slippers
I'm going to put on the silvery slippers
Some of these days

    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I'm going to sit down by my Jesus
Oh, yes
I'm going to sit down by my Jesus
Some of these days (hallelujah)
I'm going to sit down by my Jesus
I'm going to sit down by my Jesus
Some of these days

- - -
Note: Jordan is pronounced (in the recording) "Jerdon"; choir is pronounced "kwar".