Uncloudy Day

1

Oh they tell me of a home far beyond the sky

Oh they tell me of a home far away

Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise

Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

   Oh the land of cloudless day

   Oh the land of an uncloudy sky

   Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise

   Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

2

Oh they tell me that he smiles on his children there

And his smile drives their sorrows away

Oh they tell me that no clouds ever come again

In that lovely land of uncloudy day

   Oh the land of cloudless day

   Oh the land of an uncloudy sky

   Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise

   Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

3

O they tell me of the King in His beauty there,

And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold,

Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,

In the city that is made of gold.

   Oh the land of cloudless day

   Oh the land of an uncloudy sky

   Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise

   Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

J. K. Atwood

The Unclouded Day - Ralph Stanley

Grandma's Feather Bed

Got to thinking about children's folk songs last night, and ran across this one. I don't think I learned it as a child, but it's a fun song that I haven't thought about in a long time.

When I was a little bitty boy just up off the floor

We used to go down to grandma's house every month end or so

We'd have chicken pie, country ham

Homemade butter on the bread

But the best darn thing about grandma's house

Was the great big feather bed

It was nine feet high and six feet wide

And soft as a downy chick

It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese

Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick

It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs

And a piggy we stole from the shed

We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun

On grandma's feather bed

After supper we'd sit around the fire, the old folks'd spit and chew

Pa would talk about the farm and the war

And granny'd sing a ballad or two

And I'd sit and listen and watch the fire till the cobwebs filled my head

Next thing I'd know I'd wake up in the morning

In the middle of the old feather bed

It was nine feet high and six feet wide

And soft as a downy chick

It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese

Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick

It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs

And a piggy we stole from the shed

We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun

On grandma's feather bed

Well, I love my ma and I love my pa, I love granny and grandpa too

I've been fishin' with my uncles, I wrestled my cousin

I even kissed Aunt Lou, ew!

But if I ever had to make a choice I guess it oughta be said

That I'd trade them all plus the gal down the road

For grandma's feather bed

I'd trade them all plus the gal down the road

For grandma's feather bed

It was nine feet high and six feet wide

And soft as a downy chick

It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese

Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick

It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs

And a piggy we stole from the shed

We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun

On grandma's feather bed

We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun

On grandma's feather bed

Songwriters: Jim Connor

Grandma's Feather Bed - Chuck Wagon Gang

Here's where I first heard it:

Grandma's Feather Bed - John Denver

That was way back in the 1900s...

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me

Jesus Savior pilot me

Over life’s tempestuous sea

Chart and compass come from thee

Jesus Savior pilot me

    Unknown waves before me roll

    Hiding rock and treacherous shoal

    Chart and compass come from thee

    Jesus Savior pilot me

When at last I near the shore

And the fearful breakers roar

May I hear thee say to me

Fear not I will pilot thee

    ‘twixt me and the peaceful rest

    Then while leaning on thy breast

    May I hear thee say to me

    Fear not I will pilot thee

Edward Hopper

(This is the Ralph Stanley verion)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xse5d4AMIuo&list=RDXse5d4AMIuo&start_radio=1

I never thought of this as a bluegrass song. Here's the more traditional hymn version, beautifully rendered by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVcNIvZjarQ&list=RDzVcNIvZjarQ&start_radio=1

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal;

Chart and compass came from thee:

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boist'rous waves obey thy will

When thou say'st to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous sov'reign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

The, while leaning on thy breast,

May I hear thee say to me,

"Fear not, I will pilot thee."

MARK 4:35-41

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Take Your Shoes Off, Moses

1

Well, God spoke to Moses at the burning bush

Burning bush, Lord the burning bush

God spoke to Moses at the burning bush

Saying I am the Lord, thy God

CHORUS

   Take your shoes off Moses you’re on holy ground

   Holy ground, you’re on holy ground

   Take your shoes off Moses you’re on Holy ground

   For I am the Lord, thy God

2

Go yonder Moses and smite that rock

Smite that rock, Lord smite that rock

Go yonder Moses and smite that rock

For I am the Lord, thy God [Chorus]

3

Stand still Moses see salvation work

Salvation work, see salvation work

Stand still Moses and see salvation work

For I am the Lord, thy God [Chorus]

written by J D Jarvis

Take Your Shoes Off, Moses - Ralph Stanley

This song references three stories from the book of Exodus in the Bible -

EXODUS 3 

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

EXODUS 17 

And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

EXODUS 14 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

Let the Church Roll On

There’s a deacon in the church (oh my lord)

And he won’t do right (oh my lord)

What shall we do (oh my lord)

Turn him out and kick him out

And let the church roll on

There a drunkards in the church (oh my lord)

And he won’t do right (oh my lord)

What shall we do, take the liquor pour it out

And let the church roll on

There’s women in the church (oh my lord)

Got paint on their face (oh my lord)

What shall we do, take some water and wash it off

And let the church roll on

   Let the church roll on (oh my lord)

   Let the church roll on (oh my lord)

   Let the church roll on (oh my lord)

   Let the church roll on

Let the Church Roll On - Flatt & Scruggs

Here is my favorite version of this song --

Let the Church Roll On - Mahalia Jackson

This World is Not My Home

1

This world is not my home, I’m just-a-passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me to heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

2

Oh Lord, you know I have no friend like you

If heaven’s not my home, oh Lord what will I do

The angels beckon me to heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

3

They're all expecting me, and that’s one thing I know

I fixed it up with Jesus a long time ago

He will take me through, though I am weak and poor

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

4

Over in glory land there’ll be no dying there

The saints all shouting victory and singing everywhere

I hear the voice of them that’s gone on before

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

This World is Not My Home - The Statler Brothers

I don't know why the Statler Brothers feel like family to me. (Partly because Jimmy Fortune reminds me so much of Uncle Ron.)

Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland

(That time I decided to 'decorate' a hymnal.)

1

Many years I’ve been lookin’ for a place to call home

But I still didn’t find it so I must travel on

I don’t care for the fine mansions on earth’s sinkin' sand

Lord build me a cabin in the corner of gloryland

2

Listen Lord I’m not askin’ to live in the midst

For I know that I’m not worthy of such splendor as this

When I ask Him for mercy while humbly I stand

Lord build me a cabin in the corner of gloryland

3

I’ve many dear loved one’s who’ve gone on this way

On the grapevine of mournin’ shall I hear them all say

Come and join in the singin’ and play in our band

Lord build me a cabin in the corner of gloryland

CHORUS

   Lord build me just a cabin in the corner of gloryland

   In the shade of his tree of life that it may ever stand

   Where I can hear the angels and shake Jesus’ hand

    Lord build me a cabin in the corner of gloryland

Curtis Stewart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSR4q1SRwOg&list=RDBSR4q1SRwOg&start_radio=1

This was one of my mother's favorite songs. Here's what she wrote about it:

I never wanted a mansion or even a new house that most people consider beautiful.  My dream house was always a cabin.  That house in Watervliet seems like a perfect cabin to me.  Even when I was a little girl - I wanted a cabin.  When I was 10 years old, I started worrying about getting into Heaven since I didn't want one of those "mansions" Jesus had for us.  I wondered if I would even be allowed to go to Heaven since I didn't want one of those mansions, and I assumed there were not any cabins there - just mansions.  That thought stayed with me from then on until when I was 14 years old, I went to church with my good friend (Peggy).  It was a Pentecostal church and they were having a revival meeting.  During the goings-on, Peggy had gone to the front of the church for some reason and when she came back after a few minutes, she told me and another friend who was with us, and was also a member of that church, to get a song book and come on, we were going to do a trio for the congregation.  So we went up front and opened to the page Peggy said and I had never heard that song before but I was used to singing songs I didn't know and could read the music just fine so I was okay with it.  The piano player hit the keys and she played great - honky tonk style. She was one of those people who play by ear and she was good! And then I noticed the title: "Lord Build Me A Cabin".  And the first line in the chorus was "Lord build me a cabin, in the corner of Glory Land". Well, from that minute on all was well in my world! I knew that there was somebody besides me who just wanted a cabin in Heaven, not one of the mansions. And that was the man who wrote that song.  I have learned that it was the only song he ever wrote and it was only published once, in one book and that was the book they used there at that church where Peggy's daddy was the preacher.  God did all that for me so I could put my mind at ease.

My mother painted this picture. I wonder if she was thinking of this song when she painted it.