Ain't No Grave

About Ain't No Grave

Ain't No Grave (also known as Gonna Hold This Body Down) is a traditional American gospel song attributed to Claude Ely (1922-1978) of Virginia. Claude Ely describes composing the song while sick with tuberculosis in 1934 when he was twelve years old. His family prayed for his health, and in response he spontaneously performed this song. Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in July 1942 (and released in 1943 as "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down") in a slower, African American gospel style and in 1946-7 by Sister Rosetta Tharpe with barrelhouse piano; the song in Ely's version was recorded in 1953 but composed in 1934. Many notable artists have performed the song, including Johnny Cash on the posthumous album American VI: Ain't No Grave. The slower, black gospel melody was used by Tharpe into the 1960s, and covered by folksinger Rolf Cahn, and gospel artist Liz McComb. In 1967 the song was featured in the film Cool Hand Luke while Luke (Paul Newman) is digging a grave, performed by Harry Dean Stanton. The lines "Meet me, Jesus, meet me / Won't you meet me in the middle of the air / And if my wings should fail me, Lord / Won't you provide me with another pair" in some recorded versions (including the one by Johnny Cash) are shared with some recorded versions of the traditional song "In My Time of Dying" (including those by Bob Dylan and by Led Zeppelin). more »

Year:

2010

3:08

2,095 Views

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Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When I hear the trumpet sound
Gonna get up outta this ground
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down

Go down yonder Gabriel
Put your foot on the land and sea
Ah Gabrial don't you blow your horn
Until you hear from me

I look way over yonder
What do you think I see
I see a band of angels comin' after me
And then I look way down the river
I saw the people dressed in white
I knew it was God's people
'Cause I saw them doing right

Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When I hear the trumpet sound
I'm gonna get up outta this ground
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down

I'm going down to the river Jordan
Gonna bury my knees in the sand
Hollar ah Suzanna, 
'Til I reach that promise land

When I look way over yonder
What do you think I see
I see a band of angles,
And they comin' after me

So meet me King Jesus, meet me
Oh won't you meet me in the middle of the air
If these wings should carry me
I wouldn't need another pair

Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When I hear the trumpet sound
I'm gonna get up outta this ground
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down

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Tom Jones

Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE (born 7 June 1940), known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. He became one of the most popular vocalists to emerge from the British Invasion. Since the mid-1960s, Jones has sung nearly every form of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records. more »

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