A 1953 African American Rendition Of "Take A Trip" And A 2010 Jamaican Rendition Of "I'm Gonna Take A Trip in That Good Old Gospel Ship"

Rev. Utah Smith - Take A Trip

knfuj, Mar 30, 2010

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about American religious songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles. This series traces the development of "The Old Gospel Ship" song to pre-Civil war religious songs, through The Carter Family's 1935 "The Old Gospel Ship" to the Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 Gospel song "Take A Trip" through B. Chase Williams' 1995 Gospel song "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" and afterwards.  

This post showcases an example of Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 record "Take A Trip" and presents the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song. That post presents information about African American renditions of  "The Old Gospel Ship" before B. Chase Williams' recorded his record "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship" in 1995. 

In addition this post showcases a 2010 Jamaican rendition of "I'm Gonna Take A Trip Of That Good Old Gospel Ship" and includes the lyrics for that version of that song. This post also includes the comments from the discussion thread for that YouTube video. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/lyrics-of-some-african-american.html for Part i of this pancocojams series. That post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known "The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns. 

That pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century. Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-carteer-familys-1935-record-gospel.html for Part iI of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/african-american-examples-of-take-trip.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases six YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of "The Old Gospel Ship". Thanks to the anonymous commenter who wrote in 2017 in the  discussion thread for my 2024 psncocojams post on "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" whose link is give below for letting me know about Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 "The Old Gospel Ship" record. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this YouTube example that isAnonymou featured in this post. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/five-examples-of-black-gospel-song-take.html for a 2014 pancocojams post on African American examples of this song. That post includes some videos and some information that aren't included in this 2026 post or in other parts of this pancocojams series. 

Here's the only visitor's comment from that post's discussion thread:

Anonymous, January 23, 2017 at 10:31 AM

"The Reverend Utah Smith also recorded a version of this song for the Checker label, c. August 1953, as "Take A Trip." He is accompanied by an unknown female choir and his electric guitar. It was issued as Checker single #785, c. November 1953."

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LYRICS FOR REVEREND UTAH SMITH'S "TAKE A TRIP" *

I have good news to bring
That is why I sing
I thought with you I'd share

I'm gonna take a trip
In that old Gospel ship
And go riding through the air.

Oooh, I can't even wait
I know I don't want to be late
To spend my retire
When my ship comes in
I'm gonna leave this old world of sin
And go sailin through the air.

Chorus: [with women singing along]
I'm gonna take a trip
In that old Gospel ship
Far beyond the sky
(I'm gonna) Shout and sing
Till the heavens ring
When I sing these word on high
(Oooh) me oh my I will not cry
When I'll be there I will sing.
I'll be like the birds and sing
And I know my spirit will ring
When I go sailing through the air

It's now coming to noon
I should be traveling soon
At a day it's always time.
????
????
Oh, if you're shamed of me
If you have your own point of view
You better have a care
It's too much power to find
You don't want to be left behind
When I go sailing through the air.

Chorus: [with women singing along]
I'm gonna take a trip
In that old Gospel ship
Far beyond the sky
(I'm gonna) Shout and sing
Till the heavens ring
When I sing these word on high
(Oooh) me oh my I will not cry
When I'll be there I will sing.
I'll be like the birds and sing
And I know my spirit will ring
When I go sailing through the air
-snip-
This is my attempt to transcript this audio recording. Additions and corrections are very welcome.

Rev. Utah Smith's rendition or one similar to it were undoubtedly a source for B. Chase Williams' 1995 "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" record 

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COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE YOUTUBE REV. UTAH SMITH VIDEO THAT IS EMBEDDED IN THIS POST

These are all of the comments that are found in this discussion thread for that YouTube video as of March 26, 2026 at 7:10 AM EDT. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVRZHaSXBwU

1. @theplanetariumscene, 2010
"Just got the book & cd last weekend. One of my favorite tracks on it. The tune has been on my mind a lot today."

**
Reply
2. @smallnail4104, 2018
"The electric guitar pioneer."

**
3. @mrtheoneandonly83, 2010
"Rev Smith was in chare of the evangelistc department in COGIC."
-snip-
"COGIC" is the Christian denomination "Church Of God In Christ".

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2-I'm GOING TO TAKE A TRIP IN THE GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP-GOSPEL TRAIN

Regina Thomas, Uploaded on Jan 20, 2010

JAMAICAN CONVOCATION 2009
-snip-
The choir and the congregation repeatedly sing these lyrics:
I'm gonna take a trip
In the good old gospel ship
And fly far beyond the sky,

I'm gonna sing and shout
until the heavens ring
And bid this world goodbye.
-snip-
In this video this song is sung during a church offering. As documented in YouTube videos of Black pentacostal church services in Jamaica and in the United Kingdom, most of the church songs consist of repeating the verses of a particular "old school" Gospel song as is documented in this video.

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INFORMATION ABOUT SOME 20TH CENTURY AFRICAN AMERICAN RENDITIONS OF "THE OLD GOSPEL SHIP" BEFORE G. CHASE WILLIAMS' 1995 RECORD "TAKE A TRIP ON THAT GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP"

From AI Overview write-up (as a result of my March 25, 2026 query on that subject.)
" "Take A Trip On the Old Gospel Ship" (or "The Old Gospel Ship") is a traditional gospel song frequently attributed to songwriter G.T. Speer and famously recorded by white country artists like The Carter Family in 1939. Early recordings by Black artists include soulful versions by artists such as Reverend Gary Davis and Sister Ernestine Washington.

Key Early Performers: According to recordings compiled by Smithsonian Folkways, artists like Reverend Gary Davis and Sister Ernestine Washington recorded the song as part of classic African American gospel recordings, often featuring in collections focusing on traditional and soul-influenced gospel.

Cultural Context: The song is a staple of Southern gospel that has been widely adopted across musical styles. While the 1939 Carter Family version is widely known, the song existed in Pentecostal and traditional settings beforehand.

Alternative Titles: The song is often recognized by its chorus lines: "I'm gonna take a trip on the Old Gospel Ship," and is sometimes confused with the traditional spiritual "The Old Ship of Zion".

While early recordings are often fragmented in digital databases, Reverend Gary Davis and Sister Ernestine Washington are among the documented Black pioneers of this song."
-snip-
The Carter Family's first recording of "The Old Gospel Ship" is usually given as 1935.

Unfortunately, I haven't found any YouTube recordings of "The Old Gospel Ship" by Rev. Gary Davis and/or Sister Ernestine Washington. However, I found an audio recording of Rev. Davis singing "The Old Ship Of Zion" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHXX--sdjJo. That rendition doesn't include any of the lyrics for "The Old Gospel Ship". 

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This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

African American Examples Of "Take A Trip" ("On That Good Old Gospel Ship") with lyrics

  

B Chase Williams and The ShaBach Choir - Take A Trip (Jesus Will Fix It) FULL VERSION

EʟAʏᴇ,  Oct 20, 2015

B. Chase Williams & Shabach Perform a Go-Go version of "Take A Trip" at Howard Theatre

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series about American religious songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles. This series traces the development of "The Old Gospel Ship" song to pre-Civil war religious songs, through The Carter Family's 1935 "The Old Gospel Ship" to the Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 Gospel song "Take A Trip" through B. Chase Williams' 1995 Gospel song "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" and afterwards.  

This post showcases six YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

This post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/lyrics-of-some-african-american.html for Part i of this pancocojams series. That post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known "The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns. 

That pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century. Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-carteer-familys-1935-record-gospel.html for Part iI of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-1953-african-american-rendition-of.html__ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases an example of Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 record "Take A Trip" and presents the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song. That post presents information about African American renditions of  "The Old Gospel Ship" before B. Chase Williams' recorded his record "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship" in 1995. The Addendum of that post showcases a Jamaican rendition of "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship and also includes the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song." 

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to B. Chase Williams the arranger of the version of "Take A Trip" (On The Good Old Gospel Ship") that is used by most of the African American choirs that I've found on YouTube. Thanks to all those who are showcased in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these YouTube examples that are featured in this post. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/five-examples-of-black-gospel-song-take.html for a 2014 pancocojams post on African American examples of this song. That post includes some videos and some information that aren't included in this 2026 post or in oher parts of this pancocojams series. 

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WHEN WAS B. CHASE WILLIAMS' "TAKE A TRIP ON THAT GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP" RECORDED?
From https://www.bchasewilliams.com/biography

"Minister Brian Chase Williams (B. Chase Williams), a native of Cincinnati, Ohio was destined for greatness since birth. At the tender age of 7 years old, he began playing the piano in his local church. At the age of 10, B. Chase began directing choirs and expanded within his musical gifts.

[...]

in 1993, he started the ministry of “ShaBach”; a group of remarkable, anointed, skilled, and unique singers who love God.

[...]

B. Chase Williams and “ShaBach” soared to unexpected heights in music, ministry, and profession. He recorded his debut album “Take a Trip” with Light Records where that same named tune peaked the Billboard Charts at #10 for 29 consecutive weeks. A sophomore album titled ‘Give it Up’ released in 1997 and peaked at #36 of the Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart."...

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LYRICS: TAKE A TRIP (On that good ole Gospel Ship)

(B Chase Williams)

I'm gonna
(take a trip)
On that
(good ole gospel ship
And we'll go sailing through the air

And when my
(ship comes in)
Gonna leave
(this ole world of sin)
And we'll go sailing through the air.

Repeat

Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes
Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes
I lay awake a night, but that's alright;
Jesus he will fix it after while

Stepped in the furnace a long time ago;
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
They wasn't worried, this I know
Jesus he will fix it after while

Jesus,He will fix it (repeat)
Right now.

Source http://www.lyriczz.com/lyrics/b-chase-williams/98499-take-a-trip/
[This link is no longer active. However, the lyrics with the exception of the "Stepped in the furnace" verse are found at https://allgospellyrics.com/printwin.php?id=1221 ]

Almost all of the examples of "Take A Trip" (On the Good Old Gospel Ship" that I've found on YouTube are covers of B. Chase Williams's "Take A Trip" song. Those songs usually combine the Gospel song "Jesus Will Fix It" with the "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" lyrics except for the "Stepped in the furnace" verse.. 

Notice that the exception in this compilation is Showcase Video #6 whose tune and lyrics are different than other African American versions of that song that I've found.  

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ADDITIONAL  VIDEOS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EXAMPLES OF "TAKE A TRIP" ("ON THAT GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP")

With the exception of Showcase Video #1 and video #2, these examples are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 -  B. Chase Williams & Shabach Perform a Go-Go version of "Take A Trip" at Howard Theatre

AlwaysAList, Dec 12, 2016

B. Chase Williams & Shabach perform a Go-Go version of "Take A Trip" during a headlining performance at The Processional, a concert by John Hart & The Ministry Chorale at Howard Theatre in Washington, DC.
-snip-
In the context of this video, "Go-Go" refers to a percussive style of music that is associated with Washington, D.C.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Medley of Old School Gospel Music

This video can only be watched on YouTube. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1XMxy8pTGo

EbenezerFortWashMD, Sep 28, 2009

first song - take a trip - b chase williams

second song- victory - brenda waters

third song - perfect peace (how excellent) walt whitman
-snip-
The first song in this medley ends at 2:00 in this video.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 -New Growth Mass Choir Sings "Take A Trip"

daraymurphy8487, Nov 20, 2009

The New Growth Mass Choir reunited at Deacon William H. Marks Wake. Under the direction of Maurice Marks. This is mos def a throwback

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - "TAKE A TRIP ON A GOSPEL SHIP" BY EVANG. GUSSIE TURRENTINE



Pearl Morgan, Jan 28, 2013

Evang. Gussie Turrentine sings "Take A Trip" as our New Life of St. John Baptist Church Family give our tithes, where Rev. Gordon Wells is our Pastor and 1st Lady, Evang. Shirley Wells

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 - I’m Going To Take A Trip, On That Old Gospel Ship - Bishop Herman Murray 🔥🔥🔥 OLD SCHOOL GOSPEL



Grace Sounds, Jul 28, 2024

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series on "Take A Trip" ("On The Good Old Gospel Ship") 

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

The Carter Family's 1935 Record "Gospel Ship" (with information about White Americans' versions of that hymn)

 

The Carter Family - Gospel Ship (1935)

 The Carter Family Channel, Jan 12, 2022

27th Recording Session and the 162nd song The Carter Family recorded on 7th May 1935 At ARC Studios, 1776 Broadway, New York.

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about American religious songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles. This series traces the development of "The Old Gospel Ship" song to pre-Civil war religious songs, through The Carter Family's 1935 "The Old Gospel Ship" to the Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 Gospel song "Take A Trip" through B. Chase Williams' 1995 Gospel song "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" and afterwards.  .

This post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/lyrics-of-some-african-american.html for Part i of this pancocojams series. That post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known"The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns. Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post...

That pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer of and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/african-american-examples-of-take-trip.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases six YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-1953-african-american-rendition-of.html__ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases an example of Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 record "Take A Trip" and presents the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song. That post presents information about African American renditions of  "The Old Gospel Ship" before B. Chase Williams' recorded his record "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship" in 1995. The Addendum of that post showcases a Jamaican rendition of "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship and also includes the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song." 

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Carter Family for their musical legacy. Thsnks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube examples that are featured in this post. 

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LYRICS - GOSPEL SHIP
(traditional; arranged by The Carter Family)

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I have good news to bring and that is why I sing

All my joys with you I'll share

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

And go sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

 

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

 

I can scarcely wait, I know I won't be late

I'll spend my time in prayer

And when the ship comes in I'll leave this world of sin

And go sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

If you are ashamed of me you ought not to be

Yes, you'd better have a care

If too much fault you find you'll sure be left behind

While I'm sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

online source- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yn10rbB3Sg&list=PLO931CkouO9vhQeKSKviX1CYWxrHjwYWk "Carter Family-Gospel Ship"
published by ILOveOldies, Mar 9, 2011

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EXCERPT OF AN AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SONG "GOSPEL SHIP" WITH A FOCUS ON WHITE AMERICANS' VERSIONS OF THAT SONG

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSkIKUSsRM "The Old Gospel Ship" - Landmark Baptist,May 22, 2024

"actual author unknown, Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1856-1922), A.P. Carter (1891-1960), arranged during the 1930s by Alphus Laferve (1912-1988)"

 … it's called "The Old Gospel Ship" and it's kind of a sing along song. After you hear the chorus I hope you'll want to sing along. But uh I started recently searching it and it was presumed by title to have been written by uh Johnson Outman Jr. Now he wrote a lot of old songs and we've already spotlighted him. The old hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" - he wrote that song. But it appears that this gentleman Mr Oakman wrote a song called "The Old Gospel Ship" but it's not this version of the Old Gospel Ship. I got to reading through his lyrics kind of looking at the music. I thought "That's different".

So but as it turns out it's very likely that this old hymn had roots in Southwest Virginia believe it or not because even though he's not listed on the sheet music it appears that it's possible that Mr. AP Carter from over in Hilton's in Scott County discovered this song.

Now what Mr Hilton would do is he would go around as a traveling salesman he'd visit the Country Store that dotted the mountains and the hills and hollers of Virginia. West Virginia. Tennessee uh that he covered. And he would find old older people, usually, that would sing mountain songs for him. So it's very likely that he uh found this song .It's  not that likely he wrote it. A lot of AP Carter and the Carter family's music was songs that he discovered and then he got credit for arranging the song. So really the y'all like a good mystery you told me before it's really a mystery who wrote the words to this song.

But there are some things that we do know uh about this song. The arrangement that appears on the sheet music uh appears uh to have been uh uh arranged in the early 1930s by a man by the name of uh Alphus Laferves. Anybody heard of The Alphus Laferves Trio and then later The Laferves Quartet? So he arranged this song and it's a real bouncy type of rhythm that's in the song. Not sure you'll pick up on that with me and Dean a capella but nonetheless it's was really kind of probably an old trio or quartet song back in that day as well.

Also. [I] want you to pay attention to this song. This song is very indicative of songs that came out of the Great Depression.

[...]

In America ...people in in that era were were extremely depressed in their nature as the economy of the United States was greatly depressed. Now I said all that to say this since this song came about uh I believe 1934 was when it was arranged it appears and a lot of the old hymns from that era were songs about the Rapture of the church. A lot of them. And I've thought about that and thought about that and thought about that those people were probably so depressed in their existence that boy they were really looking forward to going home really looking forward to going home.

Now the theme of this song as you listen to the words comes from First 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and following. Listen what it says "But I would not have you be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep ...but ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also all which sleep in Jesus will God bring him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise."...

Comfort one another with these words. And this is a song about comfort. This is a song about Rapture this is a song about eternity."...
-snip-
This transcript continues with the speaker and another man singing the same lyrics to the song "The Gospel Ship" as given above for The Carter Family's 1935 record. 

****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Lyrics Of Some African American Spirituals That Refer To Gospel Ships Sailing: These Are Probable Precursors Of Black American And White American Versions Of "The Old Gospel Ship"/"Take A Trip" Hymns & Gospel Songs

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series about examples of American religious songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles. This series traces the development of "The Old Gospel Ship" song to pre-Civil war religious songs, through The Carter Family's 1935 "The Old Gospel Ship" to the Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 Gospel song "Take A Trip" through B. Chase Williams' 1995 Gospel song "Take A Trip On The Good Old Gospel Ship" and afterwards.  

This post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known"The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns.

I believe that these Spirituals are probable precursors of 20th century Black American and White American Gospels and Hymns with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship" or "Take A Trip". 

This pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer of and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century.

Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-carteer-familys-1935-record-gospel.html for Part iI of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/african-american-examples-of-take-trip.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases six YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-1953-african-american-rendition-of.html__ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases an example of Rev. Utah Smith's 1953 record "Take A Trip" and presents the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song. That post presents information about African American renditions of  "The Old Gospel Ship" before B. Chase Williams' recorded his record "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship" in 1995. The Addendum of that post showcases a Jamaican rendition of "Take A Trip On That Good Old Gospel Ship and also includes the lyrics to that version of that Gospel song." 

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these Spirituals and thanks to all those who collected those songs. Thanks to Sam Lucas for his cultural legacy. Thanks also to Dicho (Frank Staplin) and the other members of the Mudcat folk music forum who are quoted in this pancocojams post.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only. 

from https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41005

 1. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 06:24 PM
THE OLD SHIP OF ZION I

[…]

...“Written down in 1850, this fragment from Cincinnati is one of the earliest recorded spirituals. In Dena Epstein, 1977, Spiritual Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War, Univ. Illinois Press.”

[…]

THE OLD SHIP OF ZION III

Cho.

Don't you see that ship a-sailin',

Gwine over to the Promised Land?

I asked my Lord, shall I ever be the one,

Shall I ever be the one, shall I ever be the one,

To go sailin', sailin', sailin', sailin',

Gwine over to the Promised Land?

 

2. She sails like she is heavy-loaded, etc.

3. King Jesus is the captain, etc.

4. The Holy Ghost is the pilot, etc.

 

The above, from North Carolina, is in Allen, 1867, Slave Songs of the United States.

@religion @spiritual

THE SHIP OF ZION V

 

Dis de good old ship o' Zion, (3 times)

An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.

 

She hab angels for de sailors (3 times)

An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.

 

An' how you know dey's angels? (3 times)

An' she's etc.

 

Good Lord, shall I be de one? (3 times)

An' she's etc.

 

Dat ship is out a-sailin', sailin', sailin',

An' she's etc.

She's a-sailin' mighty steady, steady, steady,

An' she's etc.

She'll neither reel nor totter, totter, totter,

An' she's etc.

She's a-sailin' away cold Jordan, Jordan, Jordan,

An' she's etc.

King Jesus is de captain, captain, captain,

An' she's making for de Promise Land.

 

From T. W. Higginson, 1867

 

THE SHIP OF ZION VI

 

De gospel ship is sailin', Hosann-sann.

O, Jesus is de captain, Hosann-sann.

De angels are de sailors, Hosann-sann

O, is your bundle ready? Hosann-sann.

O, have you got your ticket? Hosann-sann.

 

Versions 4-6 from T. W. Higginson, Negro Spirituals, Atlantic Monthly, 1867.

See Fenner, Dett and others for other early versions."

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2. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (DON'T YE VIEW DAT SHIP)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 08:36 PM

"OLD SHIP OF ZION VIII

(DON'T YE VIEW DAT SHIP)

 

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? Hallelujah!

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? (3 times)

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? Hallelujah!

 

Dat ship is heavy loaded, Hallelujah!

Dat ship is havy loaded, (3 times)

Dat ship is heavy loaded, Hallelujah!

 

She neither reels nor totters, Hallelujah! etc.

 

She is loaded with bright angels, Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, how do you know dey are angels? Hallelujah! etc.

 

I know dem by-a de'r mournin', Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, yonder comes my Jesus, Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, how do you know it's Jesus? Hallelujah! etc.

 

I know him by-a His shinin', Hallelujah! etc.

 

Chorus: Indicated as 1st verse plus 1st line of second verse.

 

From Fifty Cabin and Plantation Songs, 1874, Thomas P. Fenner, Hampton Inst.

@religion @spiritual

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3. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 11:29 PM

"I sing lead on this song with a black male gospel chorus. the words basically come from a recording by the Jackson Southernaires. Leadbelly also recorded a version of this, Susan, if you want to tie together blues and gospel..

 I was standing on the banks of the river

 Looking out over life's troubled seas

 When I saw the old ship that was sailing

 Is that the old Ship of Zion I see?

 

  Her hull was bent and battered

  From the storms of life I could see

  Waves were rough, but the old ship was steady

  Is that the old Ship of Zion I see?

 

  At the stern of the ship stood the Captain

  I could hear him when he called out my name

  Get on board the old Ship of Zion

  It will never pass this way again

 

  As I step on board, I'll be leaving  

  All my troubles and heartaches behind

  I'll be safe with Jesus, the Captain

  Sailing out on the old Ship of Zion

  Sailing out on the old Ship of Zion

 

The recording by the Jackson Southernaires is one of the most beautiful gospel recordings I have ever heard.

Jerry Rasmussen"

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4. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:43 AM

"It's on The Jackson Southernaires: Live and Annointed (Malaco MCD 6012)[released 1992; I hope it's still in print]. Yes, Leadbelly's version is HERE. Other recordings were made by Roberta Martin Singers, Norsalus McKissick, Bessie Griffin, Brother Joe May, Pilgrim Jubilee Singers, Marion Williams, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Pilgrim Jubilees, Sallie Martin Singers, Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Quartet.

~Masato"

**
5. Subject: Lyr Add: DE OLE SHIP OB ZION
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:35 PM

"DE OLE SHIP OB ZION

 

De day did break an' de sun did rise,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

An' I seen dem angels up in de skies,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

O de ole ship ob Zion is a-gwine to sail,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

An' she's only waitin' for de Gospel gale,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

Yes, I'se done quit all my worldly ways,

Done quit all my worldly ways,

Yes, done quit all my worldly ways,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

 

De anchor's weighed an' de sails are set,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

An' soon we're a-gwine to sail, don' you fret,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

De Keptin an' crew dey am comin' on board,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb,

De chorus am a-singin' an' praisin' de Lord.

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

Let's stop a moment befo' we go,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Tro' out a plank, gib de sinners a show,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Gospel band am a-gwine to play,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

As soon as de ship am a-sailin' away,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

 

Composed by Sam Lucas (b. 1848) and published 1881?, in Ethiopian Jubilee and Minstrel Songs along with 19 others by various composers. From African-American Sheet Music Collection, 1850-1920, Brown University; American Memory, Library of Congress website. Whether the song was arranged for minstrelsy or for gospel use is not clear. Only the birth date of the composer is given.

@religion @gospel? @minstrel"

**
6. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:47 PM

"Sam Lucas was Afro-American. He formed a minstrel troupe that toured widely in the 1860s and 1870s. He was the first Afro-American to play Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin and toured with the play Out of Bondage."

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:53 PM

"Sam Lucas played Uncle Tom in the 1914 silent film, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The video is available from Grapevinevideo.com"

**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 12:17 AM

"Newman L. White, in American Negro Folk Songs, 1928 (rep. 1965) says the earliest mention of the song that he found is in: Sarah Josepha Hale, 1853, "Liberia, or Mr. Peyton's Experiment," "where it is sung by both white people and Negroes as a familiar camp-meeting song." In white songbooks, it appears in the Zion Songster, 2ed., 1827."

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ADDENDUM- INFORMATION ABOUT SAM LUCAS
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Lucas
"Sam Lucas (August 7, 1840 – January 10, 1916)[1][2] was an American actor, comedian, singer and songwriter. His birth year has also been reported as 1839, 1841, 1848 and 1850.[2][3][4]

Lucas' career began in blackface minstrelsy, but he later became one of the first African Americans to branch out into more serious drama, with roles in seminal works such as The Creole Show and A Trip to Coontown. He was the first black man to portray the role of Uncle Tom on both stage and screen. James Weldon Johnson described him as the "Grand Old Man of the Negro Stage".[5] He was vocal about liberating himself from the minstrel profession and was the only composer of spirituals in his time to present them consistently within the context of jubilee concerts.[6]

Early career

Lucas was born Samuel Mildmay Lucas (or Samuel Lucas Milady)[7] in Washington Court House, Ohio to free black parents. He showed a talent for guitar and singing as a teenager. While working as a barber, his local performances gained him a positive reputation.

In 1858 he began his career as a performer with the traveling African-American minstrel companies. Over the next five years, he sang and acted on stage and riverboats, and composed music for his shows. Meanwhile, he found ways to integrate his African-American roots into the mostly white form; for instance, his tune "Carve Dat Possum" borrowed its melody from a black religious song, although Henry Hart (musician) may have been the source. As black minstrelsy grew popular with the general public, Lucas became one of its first celebrities, particularly known for his portrayals of pitiable, comic characters.[8]

His fame allowed him to choose his engagements and he performed with some of the best black minstrel troupes, never as leader, including Lew Johnson's Plantation Minstrels (1871–73), Callender's Georgia Minstrels (1873–74, 1875–76) and Sprague's Georgia Minstrels (1878–79) in Havana, Cuba.[3] After his time as a minstrel performer, he began to work vaudeville.

As a writer and performer of jubilee songs, Lucas was unique in branding himself a "jubilee singer" and in forming a jubilee group in 1881 to highlight the popular songs of black composers, as well as his own character songs. His jubilee troupe never performed jubilee songs in the original sense of arranged traditional spirituals. Instead, he mixed commercial spirituals, cultivated songs, instrumental selections and comedy, forging a new kind of concert that was part variety, part band concert and part art music. Besides his own ensemble, "Mr. Sam Lucas and quartet", he was involved with numerous other jubilee ensembles such as the Norfolk Jubilee Singers, the Harper's Ferry Jubilee Singers, the Original Nashville Singers, the Southern Jubilee Singers and the Hyers Sisters, among others.[9]”…
-snip-
Here's some information about "jubilee songs" from AI Overview (results of my March 25, 2026 query)

"Jubilee songs are traditional African American spirituals, popularized by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers in the 1870s, which express faith, sorrow, and hope for freedom. These songs originated from slave songs and became a cornerstone of African American heritage, often featuring choral arrangements of spirituals that served as both religious music and protest.

Key facts about Jubilee songs:

Origin: The term "Jubilee" comes from the Biblical Year of Jubilee, a time when enslaved people were to be set free.

Fisk University Jubilee Singers: Formed in 1871 to raise funds for their school, this group introduced these songs to the world, performing in Carnegie Hall and internationally.

Characteristics: These songs, originally performed in a cappella style, often featured strong harmony and a mix of traditional spirituals with Western, religious, and sometimes patriotic melodies.

Examples: Popular songs in their repertoire include "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Steal Away," "Go Down Moses," "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"... 

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