Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a 1967 sound file & lyrics of Myrna Summers and her Gospel group singing the song "I'm Determined".
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, religious, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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FEATURED SOUND FILE: Myrna Summers 1st group singing I'm Determined 1967
Uploaded by gospellin on Feb 18, 2009
-snip-
The group may be named "The Refeshenettes". That's the name on the record cover that is shown in the sound file.
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LYRICS: I'M DETERMINED (as performed by Myrna Summers & Group)
(Composer: Rev. James Cleveland)
Group -I’m determined
[“To run this race”]
Leader – In spite of all the [“real”] evil things
That are said about me.
Though things may go wrong
I’ll keep on singin my song
For I’ll gain the victory.
I don’t care what you say
I’m gonna live this life day by day and
Group- I’m determined
Leader-Oh Lord
Group- [To run this race]
Leader – Lord
Leader – Now you see I have trials and trials
Group-I’ve had trials.
Leader -[“Great”] tribulations
Group-[“Great”] tribulations
Leader – [“I’ve had tryin times”]
Group - [“Tryin times”]
Leader – [“Many a day”]
Group – [“Many a day”]
Leader – I’ve been up
Group- Oh yes
Leader – I’ve been down
Group – Um hum
Leader – I’ve been almost
Group – Oh yes
Leader – To the ground
Group –Um hum
Leader – But God
Group-Oh yes
Leader – [“Delivered up”] my soul
Group –Um hum
Leader – And I’m determined
Group – Oh yes
Leader –To reach my goal.
And I got
Entire Group – Jesus
Leader –Oh!
Entire Group –I got the Master on my side.
Leader – Yeah! And I got
Entire Group – Jesus!
Leader – Yeah! Yeah!
Group –[“And He’ll work it all out. He’ll work it all out.”]
Leader – Now you see I’ve been [“cryin sometime”]
Group-[“Cryin sometime”]
Leader – [“I’ve had great”] tribulations.
Group –[”Great tribulations”]
Leader-[“Tryin times”]
Group-[“Tryin times”]
Leader – [“But I’ve had patience”]
Group- [“I’ve had patience”]
Leader – I’ve been up
Group- Oh yes
Leader – I’ve been down
Group – Um hum
Leader – I’ve been almost
Group – Oh yes
Leader – To the ground
Group –Um hum
Leader – But God
Group-Oh yes
Leader – “Delivered [up”] my soul
Group –Um hum
Leader – And I’m determined
Group – Oh yes
Leader –To reach my goal.
And I got
Entire Group – Jesus
Leader –Oh!
Entire Group –I got the Master on my side.
Leader – Yeah! And I got
Entire Group – Jesus!
Leader – Yeah! And I got
Entire Group – Jesus!
Leader – Yeah! Yeah!
Group –[“And He’ll work it all out. He’ll work it all out.”]
Leader – Now you see I’ve been [“cryin sometime”]
Group-[“Cryin sometime”]
Leader – [“I’ve had great”] tribulations.
Group –[”Great tribulations”]
Leader-[“Tryin times”]
Group-[“Tryin times”]
Leader – [“But I’ve had patience”]
Group- [“I’ve had patience”]
Leader – I’ve been up
Group- Oh yes
Leader – I’ve been down
Group – Um hum
Leader – I’ve been almost
Group – Oh yes
Leader – To the ground
Group –Um hum
Leader – But God
Group-Oh yes
Leader – Delivered my soul
Group –Um hum
Leader – And I’m determined
Group – Oh yes
Leader –To reach my goal.
And I got
Entire Group – Jesus
Leader –Oh!
Entire Group –I got the Master on my side.
Leader- Yeah! Yeah!
-snip-
*Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. The words that I'm not certain about are given in parenthesis and brackets. Additions and corrections are welcome.
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COMMENTS ABOUT THIS SONG AND ABOUT MY TRANSCRIPTION METHODS
In order to transcribe songs I listen to the sound file or video over and over again, usually stopping the recording line by line. Song transcriptions often are facilitated because some lines of the song are "floaters" (they are used in other songs). Examples of such floaters in this song are "sometimes I'm up/sometimes I'm down/sometimes I'm almost to the ground", and "I got the Master on my side". Also, some ending rhymes (or near rhymes) are commonly used in religious & non-religious songs - such as "soul, goal". That said, you can't assume that a verse will have the common ending rhyme or floater.
In my transcriptions I use the standard practice that I was taught to capitalize all references for God & Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Hence the word "Master" is capitalized.
I transcribe songs and playground rhymes, military cadences, and fraternity & sorority step chants from African American & other English language Black cultures around the world. I do so because I believe that these compositions are cultural artifacts which deserve to be documented, preserved, and shared for historical, folkloric, aesthetic, (and, in the case of Spirituals and Gospels, for inspirational and religious purposes.) I also transcribe these compositions because I enjoy doing so.
I wish that other people would post more lyrics online of old African American religious songs and old and present day African American playground rhymes.
When transcribing songs or spoken word examples, it helps to be steeped in (very familiar) with the culture (including songs, spoken words) from which that particular example needing to be transcribed comes. I believe that I meet that criteria with regards to this song because I'm an African American who was raised in the church [Baptist] and still has a love of Gospel music. That said, I didn't know this song before hearing it on YouTube. I came upon this song because I was looking for a Gospel song that I remember from the 1960s whose lyrics are
I'm determined
To run this race.
I'm determined
To see the Master's face.
I'm determined
For when I'm in doubt
I know
The Lord
Will bring me out.
-snip-
UPDATE: March 1, 2014: I just read this information from
"[Roberta] Martin also began to team up with a young James Cleveland, who composed songs for the group such as "I'm Determined" (1953)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roberta_Martin_Singers
If anyone has corrections for this transcription, please add a message below. Thanks!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composer and performers of this song. My thanks also to gospellin for uploading this song file on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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