Mormon Folk Music

I've been listening to a lot of Bob Marley recently and I'm impressed by his ability to write songs on a variety of topics: religion, social issues, politics and even romance. Sometimes he even mixes several of these topics in one song. But at all times he manages to keep from sounding shallow. Every song he sings like he means it from the bottom of his soul. Johnny Cash is the same way and this quality likewise makes his music timeless.

This got me thinking about folk music since I kind of lump Johnny and Bob in the folk music category, in modern pop/folk Bob Dylan-y sort of way.

Thinking about folk music made me wonder if there is any Mormon folk music, so I did a quick internet search and found this gem:

Link

The above is a link to a page with an MP3 file you can download. The MP3 is of a folk singer doing a little demonstration of Utah/Mormon folk songs from the 1800s (and one song from the 1960s). The songs range from silly to sobering. My favorite revelation were the real words to "The Handcart Song".

Currently, the LDS Children's Songbook has only the following lyrics:

"When pioneers came to the west,
With courage strong they met the test.
They pushed their handcarts all day long,
and as they pushed they sang this song:

"For some must push and some must pull
As we go marching up the hill.
And merrily on our way we go,
Until we reach the Valley-o."

I've always loved this song but it seemed like there should be more to it. After hearing the version in the MP3, I found some other verses on line. I've clumped all the verses together and edited some of the language to be more consistent. Now there's a real song!

The Handcart Song

Ye saints who dwell on Europe’s shore,
Prepare yourselves and many more
To leave behind your native land,
For sure God’s judgments are at hand.
For we must cross the raging main
Before the promised land we gain,
And with the faithful make a start
To cross the plains with our handcarts.

Chorus
For some must push and some must pull
As we go marching up the hill;
So merrily on the way we go
Until we reach the Valley-o!

That land that boasts of liberty,
I never again would wish to see,
Where poor men toil and want for bread
And rich men's dogs are better fed.
This land that boasts of modern light,
We know it's all as dark as night,
And so from it we make a start
To cross the plains in our handcarts.

Chorus

As on the roads our carts we'll pull,
‘Twould very much surprise the world
To see the old and feeble dame
Thus lend a hand to pull the same!
And maidens fair will dance and sing,
Young men more happy than a king,
And children too will laugh and play;
Their strength increasing day by day.

Chorus

And long before the valley’s gained,
We will be met upon the plains
With music sweet and friends so dear
And fresh supplies our hearts to cheer.
And then with music and with song
How cheerfully we’ll march along
And thank the day we made a start
To cross the plains with our handcart.

Chorus

When we get there amongst the rest,
Obedient be and we'll be blessed,
And in our chambers be shut in
While judgments cleanse the world from sin.
For we do know it must be so,
God's servants spoke it long ago.
And so it's time to make a start
To cross the plains in our handcarts

Chorus