Topic: Sister O. M. Terrell Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister O. M. Terrell recorded six titles for Columbia Records in the period 1953--1955, accompanying herself on guitar, and by the sound of it, sometimes working a hi-hat or keeping time on a tambourine with her foot.  NOTE: Bruce Nemerov has supplied information that Sister Terrell was joined on some tracks by a session bass player who played the percussion.  She was originally from Georgia.  What biographical information I have on Sister Terrell is courtesy of the research of musician and musicologist Bruce Nemerov, who frequents this site.  A link to a piece he did for NPR around the time of Sister O. M. Terrell's death in 2006 can be found at:  http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=6431.msg51496#msg51496

For "The Bible's Right", Sister O. M. Terrell accompanied herself out of Vestapol tuning with a slide, also supplying percussive accompaniment as mentioned above.  Her time and phrasing, both instrumentally and vocally, were so free, exciting and loose.  The message of the song is pretty irresistible as she delivered it.  Here is her performance:



Dashes in the transcription indicate places where Sister Terrell concluded a vocal phrase with the slide on the guitar.

SOLO

REFRAIN: You know the Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right, somebody wrong
God knows, you are wrong

REFRAIN: I know the Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right--
You know the Bible right--
Well, well, well-a, you are wrong

Tell you once, tell you twice
Can't get to Heaven with another man's wife

REFRAIN: The Bible right, whoo
The Bible right, oh yes
The Bible right, oh yes
Somebody wrong

SOLO

Wait, let me tell you what you can't do
Can't tell lies and go there, too

REFRAIN: I know the Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right, somebody wrong
Great God, somebody wrong

SOLO

You snuff dippers, tobacco chewers
When you get to Heaven you won't have nowhere to spit

REFRAIN: I know the Bible right--
I know the Bible right, whoo
The Bible right, somebody wrong
I mean, you are wrong

SOLO

REFRAIN: I know the Bible right, somebody wrong
The Bible right--
I know the Bible right, somebody wrong
I mean, you are wrong

SOLO

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister O. M. Terrell chose cross-note tuning for her accompaniment to "Life Is A Problem".  What a ripping rendition this is!  This is probably the strongest and most richly varied slide performance in cross-note that I've ever heard (not excluding Booker White's slide performances in that tuning).  Sister Terrell's vocal delivery, phrasing and lyrics are every bit as strong as her instrumental work  "You may not have the longest end of the rope"--there's a line to remember!



SOLO

Life is a problem to live
If you haven't salvation within
You may not have the longest end of the rope
Long as you live, God knows, there's hope
Long as you live, there's hope
You may not have the longest end of the rope, ah Lord,
You, you, you thank God for the life you live, My Lord,
Long as you live, God knows, there's hope

SOLO

You may be poor, but there's hope
You may be blind, but there's hope
You may be lame, mmmmmm can not walk
Long as you live, God knows, there's hope

SOLO

Long as you live, God knows, there's hope
You may not have the longest end of the rope
You, thank God for the life you live
Well, as long as you live, God knows, there's hope

SOLO

All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister O. M. Terrell was back in Vestapol with her percussion accompaniment for "I'm Going to That City".  She must be counted one of the very strongest players of time in the style.  The spoken "no more"s are so punchy.  She must have been amazing to see in person.



Sister Terrell's spoken words are shown in parentheses.

SOLO

I'm going to that City to die no more (no more)
I'm going to that City to die no more
I'm so glad my heart ain't alone and sad
I'm going to that City to die no more

SOLO

Wait!  Let me tell you what happened to a woman one day
She was preaching the Word of God, fainted on the way
She called me to her side, you oughta heard the woman cry,
"I'm going to that City to die no more."

(No more, no more, no more, no more, no more)
Whoo, (no more, no more, no more, no more)
Well, I'm going to that City to die no more (no more)
I'm going to that City to die no more
I'm so glad my heart ain't 'lone and sad
Going to that City to die no more

SOLO

These are the words of the woman, just before she died,
"I been toiling now, a-crossing the swelling tide.
I been 'buked and scorned, called everything but a Child of God
I'm going to that City to die no more." (no more)
(No more, no more, no more, no more, no more, oh yes!)
(I mean, no more, no more)
(Oh, no more)
(I mean, no more, no more, no more)

All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister O. M. Terrell performed "The Gambling Man" out of Vestapol with a slide.  It is the most text-heavy of her songs thus far, and the guitar plays a much more subsidiary role on the song, mostly just keeping time, though she did that very admirably.  Spoken words in the transcription are in parentheses. 



SOLO

I wonder where's that gambler, that gambling man
I wonder where's that gambler, I wonder where that poor man's gone
Ain't it a awful pity?  Very, very sad
Mother's son was a gambler, lost all the son she had
I wonder where that gambling man
I wonder where, I wonder where that poor man's gone
The poor man said to his friends,
"Come, come and take me home.
I feel sick and very bad,
I don't want to go alone."
I wonder where, Lord, the gambling man, my Lord,
I wonder where that gambler, I wonder where that poor man gone

SOLO

Taken, the poor man to the door, he said,
"Stop, let me rest.  Praise, Lord been through me,
Seem like it's gonna take my breath."
Well I wonder where that gambler
I wonder where that poor mans' gone
Well they taken the poor man in his room
Well, they laid him on the bed
He called for a cool drink of water,
"Put a towel to my head."
I wonder where that gambling man
I wonder where that gambler, well,
I wonder where the poor man gone

SOLO

Well, mother, she ran out of the door
Hollering, screaming and crying
"My son's been gambling all night long,
Now I believe he's going to die."
I wonder where that gambling man
I wonder where, I wonder where the poor man's gone
(My Lord, oh yes, My Lord, whoo, yes Lord)

All best,
Johnm

[bnemerov]

Hi John,
I am in Perthshire just now and don't have access to my folder on Sister Terrell. As I recall Columbia producer Frank Walker had Ernie Newton play on the session. Newton, as you may know, was
the Nashville session bassist with the drum pad affixed to the upper bout of his bass violin. He plucked the bass note and then hit the drum pad with a brush held between his ring and middle fingers. He did a lot of sessions before full kits were used in Nashville, Bill Monroe among them.
I think this is what you are hearing on Sister Terrell's sides. I can check my copies of Walker's session sheets after I get home.
best,
Bruce

[Johnm]

Thank you for that information, Bruce.  I'll edit my previous post to indicate that Sister Terrell did not supply the percussion on the tracks where it can be heard.  An interesting thing about it is that on those tracks where percussion can be heard, no bass is audible, to me, at least.  That really must have been an experience to meet Sister Terrell and talk with her!  Thanks for making the information about her that you found available.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Swing Low Chariot", Sister Terrell is working out of Vestapol again, with percussion.  This rendition is probably the most trancey of the songs we've looked at thus far, with the most repetition in the lyrics.  Sister Terrell sounds to be working with religious ecstasy.



SOLO

Swing low, chariot, swing low
Swing low, chariot, swing low
Swing low, chariot, swing low
Well, low, low, low, Lordy, Lord, Lord

Swing low, chariot, I said, "Swing!"
Swing low, chariot, I said, "Swing!"
Swing low, chariot, swing low, mmmmm
Swing low, low, low, low, low

Swing down, I'm on this side, oh yes
Swing low, chari', I want to ride, oh yes
Swing low, chariot, swing low, oh
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lord, Lord

SOLO

Swing low, chariot, I said, "Swing, swing!"
Swing low, chariot, I said, "Swing, swing!"
Swing low, chariot, swing, swing, swing, swing
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord

SOLO

Swing low, chariot, swing, oh yes
Swing low, chariot, I said, "Swing!"
Swing low, chariot, swing low, mmmm
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lordy, Lord, Lord

All best,
John

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister Terrell used cross-note tuning to accompany herself on "How Long", as she did on "Life Is A Problem".  She really seemed to expend a special energy when playing in cross-note, though it just may have been the sound of the tuning coinciding with the texts that brought her out so vigorously.  In many ways, her music seems strongest when she is operating in a "scolding" mode.



SOLO

Mmmmmmm
How long
Great God, how long
How long you gon' live in your sin?
Great God, how long

SOLO

Wait a minute, woman
Tell you what's in your mind
Slippin' and dodgin' with the other woman's husband
Leaving yours behind
How long
Great God, how long
How long you gonna live in your sin?
Great God, how long

SOLO

Well, how long
Great God, how long
How long you gon' live in your sin?
Great God, how long

SOLO

Well, wait a minute, man
I'll tell you what's not right
Slippin' and dodgin' all night long
Playin' numbers and shootin' dice
How long
Great God, how long
How long you gon' live in your sin?
Great God, how long

SOLO

Well, how, I mean, how long
How long you gon' live in your sin?
Great God, how long

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sister O. M. Terrell was back in Vestapol for her accompaniment to "God's Little Birds", and was joined once again by the studio percussionist.  This is a beautiful set of lyrics.  One striking thing I learned in listening to all of Sister Terrell's songs in relatively rapid succession--she never played any chord changes, and all of her songs were one-chorders.  I wish there had been films made of Sister Terrell as there were of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.



SOLO

In the dark
In the dark
If you're down and all outcast in the dark
Just remember in His words
How He fed those little birds
If you're down and all outcast in the dark

In the dark, in the dark, in the dark, are you livin' in the dark?
If you're down and all outcast, mmmm, in the dark
Just remember in His words
How He fed those little birds
If you're down and all outcast in the dark

SOLO

Little birds flew to the sky
Well, to the sky, so high
Back to the ground did they fly, I know
My Lord looked down
He fed those little birds on the ground
Well, the same way He'll feed you if you leave the dark

In the dark, in the dark, well, dark
If you're down and all outcast in the dark
Just remember in His word
How He fed those little birds
If you're down and all outcast in the dark

The little birds on the ground
With their heads bobbin' up and down
Switchin' their little tails as they fly
See that they were glad-uh, by the food, you know, they had
Well, the same way He'll feed you if you leave the dark

SOLO

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Nothing to add here, really, but Sister O. M. Terrell came up on the quote generator, and I thought I'd bring folks' attention to this thread which has links to all of her recorded performances.  If you haven't heard them before or would like to re-listen, check them out.  God, she was good--one of the rippingest slide players and religious singers ever.  Enjoy!
All best,
Johnm