Were You There (AOV 1/103) Posted on October 10, 2011 by admin This is a traditional African American song, suitable for Good Friday services if you can handle it. A soloist or small ensemble performs “Were You There?” from Off-stage in order to enhance reflection and not detract from the characters. Just like most other spirituals, “Were You There… Were You There When They Laid Him In The Tomb? with which the third line begins, and the repetition and expression of the word ", "Can't Keep It to Myself - Marion Williams | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "The Man in Black: 1959-1962 - Johnny Cash | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies, Roy Acuff, part 1", "Christ His Passion: Remembering the Sacrifice - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Lift Every Voice and Sing - Max Roach | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "The Singer - Diamanda Galás | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Scenic Roots - The Seldom Scene | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "MUTE • Diamond Version • Release new album 'CI' on 2/3 June + Listen to first track 'Were You There' feat Neil Tennant", "Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands", "Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns - Chris Rice | Songs, Reviews, Credits", Recording of performance by ReThink Worship, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Were_You_There&oldid=1024563458, United States National Recording Registry recordings, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-LCCN identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 May 2021, at 22:09. Selah has a very popular version of this hymn using this soloist-choir combination. Our series of hymn recordings celebrates the rich intersection of music and theology in our Lutheran heritage. Were You There was the first spiritual to be included in any major American hymnal. Were You There Raymond Haan - MorningStar Music Publishers Were You There Raymond Haan - MorningStar Music Publishers. Were You There When They Laid Him In The Tomb? shine? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. The standard verses read: “Were you there…when they crucified my Lord, when they nailed him to the tree, when they laid him in the tomb, when He rose up from the grave” (also, “when God raised him from the tomb”). Many artists have covered the songs including Johnny Cash, Phil Keaggy, Marion Williams, Harry Belafonte, and Neil Tennant. Imagine if you were present at the crucifixion of Christ. 1942 Meter: 10 10 with refrain Key: E♭ Major Date: 1994 Source: African-American spiritual. Were You There When They Nailed Him To The Tree? Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? Gather Comprehensive #416. / Oh, were you there when they crucified my Lord? Report abuse. There is no strumming pattern for this song yet. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. side? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or. 5 Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? [1] In 1940, it was included in the Episcopal Church hymnal, making it the first spiritual to be included in any major American hymnal. Oh! Were you there when He rose up from the grave? The line of spiritual inquiry remains instructive for our time. [19] This expression of likening one's experience to Jesus' is underscored by the first-person, present-tense perspective of “Were You There”; the singer personally witnesses the crucifixion. Blessed Assurance #9. Sensing the Power of the Crucifixion Good Friday is a day of confrontation, a day when the forces of hatred and evil tried their best, or rather, their worst, to destroy Jesus. O sometimes it causes me to tremble! Rock of Ages #5. Were you there when they nail'd him to the cross? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Were you there when He rose up from the grave? 1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were You There When They Laid Him In The Tomb? The tune names (in CAPS) and composers are noted. "Were You There" could also be accompanied very beautifully by guitar or piano. Our Songs and Hymns 228), WERE YOU THERE (The Worshiping Church 218), Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #228, Lift Up Your Hearts: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs #166. The points by the author are realistic and relavent. tell me if thou hast understanding. Were you there when the sun refused to shine? 3 Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? is perfect for anyone who loves art and stories behind each picture. It dwells on the details of the crucifixion, and the separate stanzas add only a single line each to the song. Read more. Sing as a call and response: have a soloist begin each verse with the congregation coming in on "Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble". Oh! Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were You There When God Raised Him From The Tomb? Some tunes have been altered to suit the new lyrics. 3247814L 2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? The following lyrics are those printed in the 1899 Unicorn. Were You There was selected by our adult education class for a lenten study piece. Stanzas 1-3 on Good Friday; stanzas 1-4 during the Paschal Vigil or at Easter sunrise services. Were You There? (Were you there?) Were you there when he rose up from the grave? “Christ Arose” is a congregational … Sheet music is available for Piano, Voice, Guitar and 27 others with 19 scorings and 3 notations in 19 genres. Level. The phrases are short, and the words are common and easy to understand. “Were You There” utilizes a system of coded language in its lyrics like most, if not all, African-American spirituals. Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Geography, time, culture – none of these hinder our togetherness in the body and blood of Christ. A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. The use of first person pronouns in the spiritual reflects a sense of “communal selfhood” formed by African-American slaves in the face of oppression. Pastor Vince Gerhardy. Love Lifted Me #8. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? In the Garden #6. It is a tender and beautiful hymn, the climax of its effect depending largely on the hold and slur on the exclamation "Oh!" Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Were you there when they pierced him in the side? tree? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? ('Tree" in stanza 2 refers, of course, to the cross, but it was undoubtedly significant to black slaves who witnessed lynchings.). Scripture References: Oh! st. 3 = Luke 23:55 In the last verse, instead of responding to the question with “Oh sometimes, it causes me to tremble,” some versions respond with “Sometimes I feel like shouting glory. Additional stanzas are available from oral and written tradition: Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Songs written for the Bible study book Were You There When They Crucified Our Lord? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Good News Translation Were you there when I made the world? Hear the Seminary’s choir, Laudamus, sing “Were You There” as we move into Holy Week and prepare to celebrate Easter. There are a number of ways this hymn could be used in the Lenten season: FlexScores are available in the Media section below. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? tremble! tremble! If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. [2] As reported in Howard Thurman's autobiography, the song was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorites. Each one of these pictures depicting a time in Jesus life, leaves you with a breathtaking experience. In a culture that tells us that we should get what we want and what we’re entitled to, and that we ought to live our happiest, best life, it definitely goes against the grain to dwell on something sorrowful. In some versions of the song, the singer asks “Were you there when they nailed Him to the Tree?” Replacing Jesus’ cross with a tree further strengthens the metaphor between Jesus’ suffering and slaves’ suffering. Price. Other commonly used verses include “when they pierced him in the side,” and “when the sun refused to shine.” However, depending on how you use the song in a service, or when it’s used during the Lenten season, you could ask questions about being in the garden, at the courtyard, etc. If the congregation sings the entire time, support it with some piano or light guitar. 27:55-56 Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Uncloudy Day #2. Engraved by Verovio 3.4.0-dev-59f6e4f Were Were Were Were Were Were you you you you you you Verse E = 132 there there there there there there when when when when when when they they they the they he cru nailed pierced sun laid rose ci him him re him up fied to in fused in from my the the to the the B Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. [19] Metaphors, especially those involving Old Testament figures, as well as Jesus, are often central to the meanings of spirituals. Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Four Walls #3. Quantity. tremble! The spiritual's earlier roots include a white spiritual known in Tennessee as "Have you heard how they crucified my Lord?" Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord) #3. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?) Were you there when they crucified my Lord? —William Eleazar Barton, Old Plantation Hymns (1899), "Were You There" was likely composed by enslaved African-Americans in the 19th century. tremble! One of the beautiful things about this hymn is that the text can be changed quite freely to fit your need during a service.
