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by Clement Wood (1888 - 1950)

De Glory Road
Language: English 
O de Glory Road! O de Glory Road!
I'm gwine ter drap mah load upon de Glory Road!
I lay on mah bed untell one erclock,
An' de Lawd come callin' all his faithful flock.
An' He call "Whoo-ee!" an' He call "Whoo-ee!"
An' I knowed dat de Sabior wuz ercallin' me.
An' He call "Who-ee!" an' He call "Whoo-ee!"
An' I cry "Massa Jesus, is you callin' me?"
An' He call "Who-ee!" an' He call "Whoo-ee!"
An' I riz up f'um mah pallet an' I cry, "Hyahs me!"
De Lawd sez, "Brother, ain' I call yer thrice
Ter ride erlong behin' me up ter Paradise,
On de Glory Road! Glory Road! Glory Road!"
An' I clime up ter de saddle an' I jined de load!
De hawse he wuz longer dan a thousan' mile;
His tail went lashin', an' his hoofs wuz wil';
His mane wuz flamin' an' his eyes wuz moons,
An' his mouth kep's singin' Hallaluya tunes!
De Lawd sez, "Brother, why'n cher look erroun'?"
An' dar we wuz flyin' over risin' groun'.
Powerful hills, an' mountains too,
An' de earth an' de people wuz drapt f'um view. 
An' I hyahd all roun' me how de sperits sang,
An' de Lawd sang louder dan de whole she-bang!
De Lawd sez, "Brother, why'n cher look ergin'?"
An' dar wuz de Debbil, on de back av Sin,
A-bangin' on de critter wid his whip an' goad,
An' boun' he gwine ter kotch us on de Glory Road!
O Lawdy, it's de Debbil, comin' straight f'um Hell!
I kin tell him, by his roarin', an' de brimstone smell!
But de Lawd sez, "Brother, he ain' kotch us yit!"
An' He lashed an' He hustled an He loosed de bit.
Den de Debbil crep' closuh an' I hyahd him yell,
"I'm gwine ter kotch a niggah, fur ter roas' in Hell!"
An' I cried, "Lawd, sabe me!" An' de Lawd cry, "Sho!"
An' hyah it wuz Hebben an' we shet de do!
O Glory, Glory, how de angels sang!
O Glory, Glory, how de rafters rang!
An' Moses, 'n' Aaron, an' Methusalum,
Dey shout an' dey holler an' dey beat de drum.
King Solomon kissed me an' his thousan' wives,
Jes' like dey'd knowned me, durin' all dey lives!
An de Lawd sez, "Brother, take a gran'stan' seat.
But I specks youse hongry; have a bite ter eat?"
An' de ravens fed me, an' Elijah prayed,
An' de Sabed Ones gathered, while de organ played.
An' dey cry, "O sinnah, come an' lose yuh load.
On de Glory Road, on de Glory Road."
Sez de Lawd, "No, sinnah, you mus' trabble back
Ter he'p po' niggahs up de Glory Track;
Ter he'p old mo'ners, an de scoffin' coons,
By shoutin' loud Hallelujah tunes."
O come, ma breddren, won't yuh drap yuh load,
An' ride ter Hebben up de Glory Road,
Glory Road, Glory Road, Glory Road!

Text Authorship:

  • by Clement Wood (1888 - 1950) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Jacques Wolfe (1896 - 1973), "De Glory Road" [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 55
Word count: 485

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