Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases four sound files of the African American Spiritual "My Way Is Cloudy" (also known as "Brother, My Way Is Cloudy" and "My Ways's Cloudy" and similar titles). Lyrics for two versions of this Spiritual are included in this post.
The content of this post is provided for cultural, religious, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks also to all those who are featured on these examples, all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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LYRICS
Example #1:
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=129086
Jubilee Songs, Fisk Jubilee Singers
Subject: My Way's Cloudy
From: Q
Date: 14 May 10 - 08:05 PM
No. 45. My Way's Cloudy
Chorus:
Oh! brethren, my way, my way's cloudy, my way,
Go send them angels down,
Oh! brethren, my way, my way's cloudy, my way,
Go send them angels down.
1
There's fire in the east and fire in the west,
Send them angels down,
And fire among the Methodist,
O send them angels down.
2
Old Satan's mad, and I am glad,
Send them angels down,
He missed the soul he thought he had,
O send them angels down.
3
I'll tell you now as I told you before,
Send them angels down,
To the promised land I'm bound to go,
O send them angels down.
4
This is the year of jubilee,
Send them angels down,
The Lord has come and set us free,
O send them angels down.
-snip-
In another comment on that same discussion thread* Q wrote:
"My copy of "Negro Spirituals or The Songs of the Jubilee Singers" was "published by W. J. Gibbs, Bromley, Kent and Ambleside, Clacton-on-Sea," no date. .."
-snip-
Other comments in that discussion thread suggest that the book that Q quoted was published in the late 1800s.
As demonstrated in some of the examples given below, the word "brethren" was probably pronounced "bretheren".
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Example #2
From http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/brother-my-way-seems-cloudy--belmont-silvertone.aspx
"Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers- (1939) & The Southern Wonder Quartet- (1940) ...
NOTES: "Brother My Way Seems Cloudy" is spiritual of unknown origin from Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers circa 1939. The song appears on Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers & Southern Wonder Quartet (1939-1940) CD from Document Records.
The song appears to be traditional and seems to have been adapted from a spiritual or is a unique spiritual.
Brother My Way Seems Cloudy- Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers
CHORUS: Brother my way seems cloudy (mighty cloudy Lord)
Brother my way seems cloudy (Hallelujah now)
Brother my way seems cloudy (Lord God Almighty now)
Lord send them angels down
CHORUS:
VERSE: There's fire in the east there's fire in the west
Lord send them angels down
There's a fire all around them sinner breast
Lord send them angels down
CHORUS: 2X
When I'm in the darkness what do I see,
Lord send them angels down.
King Jesus brought that light to me
Lord send them angels down.
CHORUS: 2X
There's a fire in the east and a fire in the west
Lord send them angels down.
There's a fire sent down was in my breast
Lord send them angels down.
-snip-
Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers' version of this song is given as Example #2 below.
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FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates on YouTube, with the video with the oldest date given first.
Example #1: Marian Anderson - My Way's Cloudy
pax41. Published on Dec 23, 2009
recorded 11/1923
-snip-
Here are two comments from that sound file's discussion thread
pax41, 2009
"I was once told that she had to be taught how to sing these spirituals because she was not raised on them. Do you know if that is true?"
**
NosHabebitHumus, 2010
in reply to pax41
"@pax41 What she meant was that she had to learn the arrangements by Harry Thacker Burleigh which were published in 1917, the first arrangements of spirituals as art songs for solo voice. Before that they were performed by groups such as the Jubilee singers. Marian Anderson got to know Burleigh well in New York and also, later, Hall Johnson, another great arranger of these songs. It took Ms. Anderson almost a year to record the six spirituals which were done by Victor in 1923-24."
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Example #2: Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers- Brother My Way Seems Cloudy
Nico Fournier Published on Jun 11, 2014
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Example #3: Leontyne Price - My Way Is Cloudy
#LeontynePrice, Published on Nov 5, 2014
Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment
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Example #4: "My Way's Cloudy" from BLACK NATIVITY, the original Broadway Cast, 1962
oiznas, Published on Dec 29, 2014
Great voices for an evergreen. The original recording was in mono but the impact of the "Prof. Alex Bradford singers" remains unparalleled even after more than 50 years.
-snip-
Another YouTube sound file of this same song identified the soloist as Henrietta Waddy.
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