Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a rendition of "Didn't It Rain" that I would categorizes as a "Gospelized Spiritual*".
Information about early versions of "Didn't It Rain" is included in this post along with my attempted transcription of a "Gospelized" version of this song.
[Update]: This post also includes a 2005 video of "Didn't It Rain" as performed by The Bethune Cookman College Concert Chorale (with Dwayne Lightsey singing lead and Adrian Worsley playing the organ).
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks to Adrian Worsley and Dwayne Lightsey (Rowoches) for their rendition of "Didn't It Rain" and their publication of this video on YouTube. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
Special thanks to Gigi Erba from Italy for requesting a transcription of this song.
-snip-
* I coined the term "Gospelized Spirituals" to refer to African American Spirituals that are performed in a Black Gospel style. "Gospelized hymns", a closely related term, refers to hymns that are sung in a Black Gospel style.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/didnt-it-rain-gospel-song-lyrics.html for a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Didn't It Rain" (Gospel song lyrics & examples).
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL "DIDN'T IT RAIN"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didn%27t_It_Rain
""Didn't It Rain", sometimes given as "Oh, Didn't It Rain", is an American gospel song.[1] It originated as a Negro spiritual or work song,[2] and appeared in sheet music for piano art song form in a 1919 arrangement by Henry Thacker Burleigh (1866–1949).[3]
References:
1. The American Journal of Religious Psychology and Education 3, p. 350. Granville Stanley Hall, Alexander Francis Chamberlain - 1909: "The present-day song that apparently originated in the above song is less elaborate, having only portions of the old song, and not being much in demand. It, too, is called "Didn't it rain?" God told Noah 'bout de rainbow sign — Lawd, didn't it ".
2. Newman I. White, American Negro Folk-Songs, 1928, p. 141: "Did n't it rain" occurs in Negro work songs. Cf. Odum, 1925, p. 129. Old Jonah got mad cause de rain kept a droppin', Did n't it rain, O didn't it rain! It rained forty days; forty nights without stoppin', O did n't it rain, Did n't it rain! C Reported from [text ends here]"...
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: "Didn't It Rain"- Adrian & Dwayne
Rowoches, Published on Feb 17, 2016
My buddy, Adrian, and I were reminiscing about our days at Bethune-Cookman, as well as our days as members of the B-CC Concert Chorale, and decided to pull another song out of the bag. "Didn't It Rain" is a song you've heard me sing many times. It's the song that I led with the Bethune-Cookman College Concert Chorale. Enjoy!
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LYRICS*: DIDN'T IT RAIN
(as sung by Adrian & Dwayne in the YouTube video embedded in this post.)
First voice: Didn’t it rain, children
Talkin about
Rain, oh my Lord.
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Oh my lord didn’t it rain.
Well, didn’t it rain, children
Talkin about
Rain all night long
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Oh oh oh my Lord didn’t it rain.
Oh it rained forty days forty nights without stopping
Won’t we be glad when the rain stop droppin
Knock knock at the window
Knock at the door
Cryin "Brother Noah won’t you take one more"
"No", cried Noah. "You’re full of sin
God got the key and you can’t get in."
Just listen
Second voice: (to the rain)
To the rain
Just listen
(just listen)
To the rain
Just listen
(to the rain)
To the rain
Just listen
(just listen)
To the rain
Stop moanin
Stop moanin
Stop moanin
Ohhhhhh
Ohooooo
Oh ohohohohoh
mmmm
Listen
(to the rain)
To the rain
Listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Some mornin
(listen to the rain)
Some dawnin
(listen to the rain)
Stop cryin
(listen to the rain)
Start prayin
(listen to the rain)
just listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
Didn’t it rain, children
Talkin about
Rain, oh my Lord
Oh my lord didn’t it rain.
Ohhhhh-oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
God sent a raven to spread the news
He height his wings and away he flew
To the north
To the east
To the west
And to the south
All day
And all night
All night
And all day
Just listen
(listen to the rain)
[The second voice repeats this line after every line that the first voice sings]
To the rain
Just listen
To the rain
Water risin[g]
In the mornin
Water risin
In the noon day
Water risin
In the evenin
Water kept risin late at night
Water kept on risin
Kept on risin
Kept on risin
Kept on risin
Kept on risin
Kept on risin
Kept on risin
All day the raven flew
The raven flew
Couldn’t find no land
No where
In the north
In the south
In the east
In the west
All day
All night
Listen to the rain
Just listen to the rain
Drip
Drop
Drip
Drop
Drip
Drop
Drip drippy drip drippy drip drippy drip [sings extemporaneously]
Drippy drip drippy drip
[This next part is sung without the second voice singing]
Didn’t it rain, children
Talkin bout rain Oh my Lord
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Didn’t it
Oh oh Lord, didn’t it rain
[instrumental
-first voice: Hey!-
[end of Instrumental]
Well it rained 40 days
And it rained 40 nights
There wasn’t no land no where in sight
When I get to heaven gonna put on shoes
Walk around heaven gonna spread the news
It rained
(listen to the rain)
All day
It rained
(Listen to the rain)
All night
(Listen to the rain)
All day
(Listen to the rain)
All night
(Listen to the rain)
In the morning
(Listen to the rain)
in the evening
(Listen to the rain)
Oh it rained
(Listen to the rain)
it rained
(listen to the rain)
Well it rained all day
(listen to the rain)
and it rained all night
(listen to the rain)
It wasn’t no land no where in sight
(listen to the rain)
Ohhhhhhhh hhhh- hhhh- hhh
Didn’t it rain, children
Rain oh my Lord
Oh my Lord
[Oh, my Lord]
Didn’t it rain
Hallelujah.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from this embedded video. Additions and corrections are welcome.
The words sung by the "second voice" are given in parenthesis.
Additions and corrections are welcome for this transcription.
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UPDATE: Video: "Didn't It Rain"- Dwayne Lightsey & the Bethune-Cookman College Concert Chorale
Rowoches, Published on Aug 9, 2008
February 9, 2005 at New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida.
The Bethune-Cookman College Concert Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Walker Steele, sings "Didn't It Rain," with none other than your host of the YouTube channel, Rowoches.
Chris Watford- Clav (Piano)
Adrian Worsley- Organ
Brandon Williams- Drums
**The song fades out for a few seconds at the end, but fades back in.**
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