Up Above My Head
I made the recording above in 2014 so that the Bodies, Voices & Spirit Choristas could learn the different parts of this song. And at that time I made up some new verses to recognize and celebrate a wider sacredness than just that of heaven.
I am very grateful to Ruthie Foster for her way of singing this great song. I had heard other versions before that, but it was her version which inspired me to start singing it. Here's Ruthie singing it live with a band. She plays it with a slow blues minor key feel that I like a lot.
I had not thought of the song in a long time, and this week as I was driving along I suddenly heard it on a CD I had brought for the ride. I loved singing it in the car, and since then I've been loving singing it as I walk along, as there is so much music in the air these days with the fullness of summer birds and crickets and cicadas and frogs. And of course, you and me, singing along. (Lyrics are at the bottom of this post.)
The very first recording ever made of the song has a much faster tempo. It's a 1940's duo by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. I could not find out on line whether one of them wrote it, or whether it was a traditional church song.
Here's another song by Sister Rosetta, filmed live in England in an outdoor concert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M It shows off her electric guitar playing and energetic and powerful stage presence. She was quite an original, playing in a style that is now recognized as a big influence on and precursor to rock 'n roll. Although she was extremely popular when alive, she was not widely credited in the later 20th century, perhaps due to homophobia and sexism. In 2008, Gayle Wald published a book entitled Shout Sister Shout: The Untold Story of Rock 'n Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Thank you Ms. Wald, for making many more people aware of Sister Rosetta's tremendous influence on the music that we hear today.
Up Above My Head
perhaps traditional African American Gospel
perhaps written by Sister Rosetta Tharpe or Marie Knight
with new verses © K Hannan 2014
Up above my head, I hear music in the air
Up above my head, I hear music in the air
I really do believe there's a heaven somewhere
Walkin' down the road, I hear music all around
Walkin' down the road, I hear music all around
I really do believe there is love in every sound
Underneath my feet, I feel music in the earth
Underneath my feet, I feel music in the earth
I really do know love's the reason for my birth
Down inside myself, I hear music in my heart
Down inside myself, I hear music in my heart
I really do know Love's the ending and the start
Up above my head
Walkin' down the road
Underneath my feet
Down inside my Self
I really do know there's a heaven everywhere!
I made the recording above in 2014 so that the Bodies, Voices & Spirit Choristas could learn the different parts of this song. And at that time I made up some new verses to recognize and celebrate a wider sacredness than just that of heaven.
I am very grateful to Ruthie Foster for her way of singing this great song. I had heard other versions before that, but it was her version which inspired me to start singing it. Here's Ruthie singing it live with a band. She plays it with a slow blues minor key feel that I like a lot.
I had not thought of the song in a long time, and this week as I was driving along I suddenly heard it on a CD I had brought for the ride. I loved singing it in the car, and since then I've been loving singing it as I walk along, as there is so much music in the air these days with the fullness of summer birds and crickets and cicadas and frogs. And of course, you and me, singing along. (Lyrics are at the bottom of this post.)
The very first recording ever made of the song has a much faster tempo. It's a 1940's duo by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. I could not find out on line whether one of them wrote it, or whether it was a traditional church song.
Here's another song by Sister Rosetta, filmed live in England in an outdoor concert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M It shows off her electric guitar playing and energetic and powerful stage presence. She was quite an original, playing in a style that is now recognized as a big influence on and precursor to rock 'n roll. Although she was extremely popular when alive, she was not widely credited in the later 20th century, perhaps due to homophobia and sexism. In 2008, Gayle Wald published a book entitled Shout Sister Shout: The Untold Story of Rock 'n Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Thank you Ms. Wald, for making many more people aware of Sister Rosetta's tremendous influence on the music that we hear today.
Up Above My Head
perhaps traditional African American Gospel
perhaps written by Sister Rosetta Tharpe or Marie Knight
with new verses © K Hannan 2014
Up above my head, I hear music in the air
Up above my head, I hear music in the air
I really do believe there's a heaven somewhere
Walkin' down the road, I hear music all around
Walkin' down the road, I hear music all around
I really do believe there is love in every sound
Underneath my feet, I feel music in the earth
Underneath my feet, I feel music in the earth
I really do know love's the reason for my birth
Down inside myself, I hear music in my heart
Down inside myself, I hear music in my heart
I really do know Love's the ending and the start
Up above my head
Walkin' down the road
Underneath my feet
Down inside my Self
I really do know there's a heaven everywhere!
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