Several Lyric Versions Of "Twelve Gates To The City" (also known as "Oh! What A Beautiful City" & "Meet Me In The City")

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about Spiritual and Gospel versions of "Twelve Gates To The City" (also known as "Oh What A Beautiful City" and "Meet Me In The City").

Part II showcases several lyric versions of "Twelve Gates To The City".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/information-about-early-spiritualgospel.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information about the Biblical inspiration for "Twelve Gates To The City" and cites some early recordings of this song.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/rev-gary-davis-twelve-gate-to-city.html for Part III of this series. Part III showcases a sound file of Reverend Gary Davis singing "Twelve Gates To The City". Biographical information about Reverend. Gary Davis is also included in that post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-famous-davis-sisters-african.html for Part IV showcases several YouTube examples of the Famous Davis Sisters singing "Twelve Gates To The City" / "Meet Me In The City"/ "Have You Heard Of A City". Biographical information about the Famous Davis Sisters is also included in that post along with selected comments from two of the discussion threads for those featured examples.

Thanks to the unknown original composer/s of this song and thanks to all the known later composers/arrangers of this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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LYRICS FOR "OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY" (negrospiritual.com)
From http://www.negrospirituals.com/songs/oh_what_a_beautiful_city.htm
"OH ! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY

Oh! What a beautiful city!
Oh! What a beautiful city!
Oh! What a beautiful city!
Twelve gates to the city
!Hallelu!

Three gates in-a de east
Three gates in-a de west
Three gates in-a de north
Three gates in-a de south
Making it twelve gates to de city
Hallelu!

My Lord built-a dat city
Said it was jus-a fo’ square
Wanted all-a you sinners
To meet Him in-a de air
Cause He built twelve gates-a to city
Hallelu!

Who are all-a those children
All dressed up in white?
They must be the children
Of the Israelites
‘Cause He built twelve gates-a to city
Hallelu!

Who are all-a those children
All dressed up i[n] red?
They must be the children
That Moses led
The Lord built twelve gates-a to city
Hallelu!

When I get to Heaven
I’m gonna sing an shout
Ain’t nobody up there
Gonna take me out
‘Cause He built twelve gates-a to city
Hallelu!"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's note:
It's extremely rare for African American choirs to sing Spirituals in all of the dialect that is found in this song. For example "Three gates in-a de east" is now sung as "Three gates in the east".

Also, the verse

"My Lord built-a dat city
Said it was jus-a fo’ square
Wanted all-a you sinners
To meet Him in-a de air
Cause He built twelve gates-a to city
Hallelu!"

would be sung this way:

"My Lord built that city
Said it was just four square
Wanted all you sinners
To meet Him in the air
Cause He built twelve gates to city
Hallelu!"

However, the words

"When I get to Heaven
I’m gonna sing an[d] shout
Ain’t nobody up there
Gonna take me out"

would probably be sung that way.

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LYRICS FOR "TWELVE GATES TO THE CITY" ("OH! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY") as sung by Reverend Gary Davis
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=24482
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 04:32 AM
..."the Digital Tradition lyrics (Mudcat Folk Music Forum's lyric database):

TWELVE GATES TO THE CITY

cho: Oh, what a beautiful city.
Oh, what a beautiful city
Oh, what a beautiful city
Twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah
Three gates in the east,
Three gates in the west,
Three gates in the north
Three gates in the south
There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah.

Who are those children dressed in red?
There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah
Must be the children that Moses led
There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah

My God done just what He said
He healed the sick and He raised the dead.
When I get to heaven gonna sing and shout
Ain't nobody there gonna put me out.

Recorded by Gary Davis"

**
Subject: RE: 12 Gates to the City/Wade in the Water
From: Bud Savoie
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 07:26 AM

"The "children dressed in red" verse is a floater and works with innumerable other Gospel tunes like "Walk in Jerusalem Just Like John," "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep," and "I'm Gettin' Ready to Put on my Long White Robe."

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LYRICS: "TWELVE GATES TO THE CITY" (as sung by the Famous Davis Sisters)
From https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1179890/The+Davis+Sisters/Twelve+Gates+to+the+City

Three gates in the east
Three gates in the west
Three gates in the north
Three gates in the south
That makes twelve gates to the city Hallelujah

Chorus:
Oh what a beautiful city
Oh what a beautiful city
Oh what a beautiful city
There's twelve gates to the city Hallelujah

Walk right in, you're welcome to the city
Step right up welcome to the city
Walk right through those gates to the city
There are twelve gates to the city Hallelujah

Chorus

Who are those children all dressed in red
Twelve gates to the city
Must be the children that Moses sent
There are twelve gates to the city Hallelujah

Rich and the poor welcome to the city
Young and the old welcome to the city
Weak and the strong welcome to the city
There are twelve gates to the city Hallelujah

Chorus

Chorus
-snip-
These lyrics are attributed to Thelma Davis (a member of the Famous Davis Sisters). However, as presented in Part I of this pancocojams series, the song "Twelve Gates To The City"/"Oh! What A Beautiful City" predates the lyrics that were sung by the Famous Davis Sisters.

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LYRICS FOR "MEET ME IN THE CITY" (as sung by the Famous Davis Sisters around 1967 on)
Have you heard of a city, streets are paved with Gold
Have you heard of a city, streets are paved with Gold
Have you heard of a city, streets are paved with Gold
And There’s Twelve Gates To The City, Hallelu

Well I’m Crying Oh What A Beautiful City,
Oh What A Beautiful City
Oh What A Beautiful City
Twelve Gates To The City, Hallelu
Three Gates in the East,
Three Gates in the West
Three Gates in the North,
Three Gates in the South

There are Twelve Gates to the City
There are Twenty Four Elders in the City
There are Forty Eight Angels in the City
And They’ll be waiting for me in the City
Yes, were gonna shout Hallelujah in the City
And There’s A Great Big Beautiful City, Hallelu

(Oh Come On) Meet Me In the City
(Meet Me In The City) Meet Me In the City
(Meet Me In City) Meet Me In the City
(City Four Square) Meet Me In the City
(Twenty Four Elders in the City) Meet Me In the City
(Forty Eight Angles) Meet Me In the City
(Streets of Gold) Meet Me In the City
(Why Don’t You Meet Me) Meet Me In the City
(Over In The City) Meet Me In the City
(Mmmm Hmmm) Meet Me In the City
(Over In The City) Meet Me In the City
(Meet Me Yeah) Meet Me In the City
(Meet Me There) Meet Me In the City

And There’s A Great Big Beautiful City, Hallelu"

Source: https://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/the+famous+davis+sisters/twelve+gates+to+the+city_21122157.html
-snip-
Note: "Meet Me In The City" is an uptempo version of "Twelve Gates To The City".

Examples of "Meet Me In The City" are found in Part IV of this pancocojams series.

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This concludes Part II of this four part pancocojams series.

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