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Posted by matbathome on 11-20-2004 at09:56:

lyrics to City of Refuge

Hello:

Does anyone have the lyrics to "I'm gonna run to the City of Refuge"? I've googled it with no luck.

Matt

Posted by carl on 12-10-2004 at11:28:

Same luck.

Here's what I could figure out:

wehhhhhehehehehehhhhhhhhhl
hibby was preaching the gospel
standing with a leather belt
I'll show you once a heaven
revealed to all who come in
well, let me tell you, I'm a sinner
if you want to join in heaven's band
well, you gots to be converted
from the guilt of a natural man
and you gotta run
run run and run and run
you gotta run
run run and run and run
run run and run and run

wehhhhhhhhhll, the Holy Ghost is a mystery
herds are playing all over the land
well, you're struggling hard with your master
gotta stay in Jesus' hand
well, a too biddy tabe a revelation
fall in love with a book and verse
well, the war broke out in heaven
begging John from the death of hell
wehhhhhhhhhll, you gotta run
I'm gonna run to the city of refuge
wehhhhhhhhhll, run run and run and run
wehhhhhhhhhll, run run and run and run

wehhhhhhhhhhhhhl
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH Tongue

Wehhhhhhlllllheeehehehehehehyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Wehhhhhhl, the wubby got a view of the table
when Judas was about to leave
Jesus told a fade a dibby huddy shake
the Holy Spirit set you free
when you're standing before your Maker
when you're rhyme all over the dud
will you kneel at the feet of the woman in the street
with the gutters around the flies
with the gutters around the flies

Wehhhhhhhhhll, you better run
Wehhhhhhhhhll, you better run
I'm gonna run to the city of refuge
I'm gonna run to the city of, city of

So, how'd I do? Tongue

Posted by 77 bc on 12-10-2004 at11:42:

I think that Carl's got it!

Posted by rob 3.0 on 12-10-2004 at11:55:

I haven't looked at the liner notes with any scrutiny but aren't the lyrics in the liner notes?

Posted by carl on 12-10-2004 at12:17:

Cool

No. Neither is the credit to Blind Willy. At least Mike repented of that in Charlottesville. Big Grin

Posted by rob 3.0 on 12-10-2004 at12:19:

ok but the rest of them are in there right? I'm not going crazy am I?

Posted by carl on 12-10-2004 at12:21:

Cool

Respectively...

1) Yes, the rest of them are there; 2) Who the faith am I to know if y'r crazy or not???? Roll Eyes

Posted by rob 3.0 on 12-10-2004 at12:31:

Ok well thanks for clearing that up for me carl.

Posted by Lovely Man on 01-05-2005 at09:05:

RE: lyrics to City of Refuge

"The wubby got a view of the table"? My 3-year-old niece has a blanket she calls "wubby". Other than that, I have no idea what one is. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Posted by carl on 01-05-2005 at11:01:

Cool

I think it's Mike yet again commenting self-deprecatingly upon his mortality and relentless aging -- to that inevitable point where all of us, sooner or later, become hopelessly and inexorably "wubby."

Posted by jopawil on 01-05-2005 at20:49:

lyrics to city of refuge

OK, here's what I've gleaned from my complete Blind Willie Johnson CD, if you're still interested. I'm pretty sure it's accurate, but it's by no means the definitive translation. Mike arranged it differently than Willie, and has changed some of the words or didn't listen as closely as I did. Mike also added a bit at the end of his version about kneeling at the feet with the woman in the street etc.. My voice recognition software doesn't like stylized words, so what sounds like "ahhmmona run" in the song, is written as: "I'm going to run"

I'm going to run, I'm going to run,
I'm going to run to the city of refuge, I'm going to run

Oh, Peter was preaching the gospel.
He's standing with 11 men.
I'm sure you wind up in heaven.
If you would just only come in.
I'm going to run, etc.

Uhh, let me tell you, my sinner.
If you want to join in the band.
Well, you've got to be converted.
And give the preacher your hand.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, the holy ghost is a mystery.
Paul said it in the land.
Was struggling hard at Damascus.
Trying to stay in Jesus' hand.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, the 12th chapter Revelation.
Come along with the 13th verse.
The Dragons of John they had their ___ bound.
Dragons ___ a death in hell.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, around that feasting table.
When Judas was about to leave.
Well, the apostles prayed down in their heart.
That the holy ghost set you free.
I'm going to run, etc.

Posted by carl on 01-06-2005 at06:01:

Cool

Well, yeah.... that one's pretty close too.... Roll Eyes

(seriously, thanks....)

Posted by phreak on 01-07-2005 at09:29:

RE: lyrics to city of refuge

quote:

Originally posted by jopawil
OK, here's what I've gleaned from my complete Blind Willie Johnson CD, if you're still interested. I'm pretty sure it's accurate, but it's by no means the definitive translation. Mike arranged it differently than Willie, and has changed some of the words or didn't listen as closely as I did. Mike also added a bit at the end of his version about kneeling at the feet with the woman in the street etc.. My voice recognition software doesn't like stylized words, so what sounds like "ahhmmona run" in the song, is written as: "I'm going to run"

I'm going to run, I'm going to run,
I'm going to run to the city of refuge, I'm going to run

Oh, Peter was preaching the gospel.
He's standing with 11 men.
I'm sure you wind up in heaven.
If you would just only come in.
I'm going to run, etc.

Uhh, let me tell you, my sinner.
If you want to join in the band.
Well, you've got to be converted.
And give the preacher your hand.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, the holy ghost is a mystery.
Paul said it in the land.
Was struggling hard at Damascus.
Trying to stay in Jesus' hand.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, the 12th chapter Revelation.
Come along with the 13th verse.
The Dragons of John they had their ___ bound.
Dragons ___ a death in hell.
I'm going to run, etc.

Well, around that feasting table.
When Judas was about to leave.
Well, the apostles prayed down in their heart.
That the holy ghost set you free.
I'm going to run, etc.

NICE!!

Posted by rob 3.0 on 01-07-2005 at13:25:

Wait, there's something wrong.
He forgot the wehhhhhhhhhhhhhl
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH
NEBBANEBBA NAM NEBBANEBBANAM
NUBBANUBBA NUH NUBBANUBBANUH part. Big Grin

Posted by Doctor Love on 01-07-2005 at20:30:

Well, that is at least as close as I got to it. I'm running out the door right now but I'll sit down with it later and try and decipher the gobbledegook that I made up to fill in the stuff I couldn't understand from listening to Blind Willie sing it.

I used to wonder why Robert Plant made up his own (also indecipherable) words to the Zeppelin version and Pagey took credit for the music -- it's pretty much a free-for-all given Blind Willie's impenetrable reading of the tune. Furthermore, to my knowledge there is no one left alive willing to take the money from any royalties generated. Heck, even CBS doesn't list the publishing anywhere on their archival collection of his recordings, so at this point it's a bit of a wash.

Having said the above, I am very sorry I forgot to credit Blind. It was simply an oversight on my part. We certainly won't be getting rich from it. I'm still thousands of $$ in debt for having just a little too much Fun With Sound!

Oh, and the last verse about the "woman in the street and the gutters will run with blood" is from Nick Cave's version. I don't know where he heard it, but it appears the song has now fallen into folk music's deep well of private interpretation. Regardless, Mark and I have loved it for years so he came up with the Zeppy arrangement and insisted that we cut it in a panic at the end of the album's sessions. It turned into a bit of a mess but we threw it on anyway. That's what the album was all about in the first place, but it got kinda serious along the way. "Refuge" pulls it up while the credits roll.

Posted by BigDork on 01-07-2005 at22:15:

Cool

hi Dr. Love

Posted by 77 bc on 01-08-2005 at07:47:

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love

Having said the above, I am very sorry I forgot to credit Blind. It was simply an oversight on my part. We certainly won't be getting rich from it. I'm still thousands of $$ in debt for having just a little too much Fun With Sound!

I rave about it as much as I can, and tell everyone they need to buy it. Trying to help out, but unless the money truck comes and drops some off at the door, that's about the best I can do.