John the Revelator (song)

Infobox Song
Name = John the Revelator


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Artist = Blind Willie Johnson
alt Artist = Several artists
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Recorded = 1930
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"John the Revelator" is a traditional Gospel/blues call and response song. Sleeve notes from "Dark Was the Night" by Blind Willie Johnson, Columbia/Mojo Working Blues 1998] In the chorus, John of Patmos, the traditional author of the Book of Revelation, is writing "the book of the seven seals." In Christian tradition, John of Patmos is generally considered the same person as John the Apostle and John the Evangelist.

The song was recorded in 1930 by Blind Willie Johnson and is included in the Anthology of American Folk Music. [ [http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/j05.htm Keefer, Jane. Folk Music - An Index to Recorded Resources] ] [ [http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/SFW40090.pdf Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume 2: Social Music, Track 52, JOHN THE REVELATOR, Blind Willie Johnson] ] In this version Johnson's first wife Willie B Harris performs the response parts of the song. ['Austin 360' web-site, [http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/blindwilliejohnson_092803.html The Soul of Bline Willie Johnson (Michael Corcoran)] .] The Golden Gate Quartet performed and recorded the song a cappella in the 1930s. ["Golden Gate Quartet Vol. 1 (1937-1938)", published on CD in 2000] Son House recorded several "a cappella" versions in the 1960s.

The song has been covered by numerous bands and musicians, including The Blues Brothers, Beck, Billy Childish, John Mellencamp, Gov't Mule, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, R.E.M., Frank Black, The White Stripes, Ian Siegal, Phil Keaggy and many others. Similarly titled songs by Depeche Mode and Dave Matthews Band were inspired by the traditional gospel song. The movie "Blues Brothers 2000", in which the song is covered by both Taj Mahal and Sam Moore, also includes an additional verse written for the movie and performed by Joe Morton.

Lyrics

The lyrics below are Blind Willie Johnson's version of "John the Revelator" as found in the Anthology of American Folk Music. Subsequent versions feature a variety of substituted verses and different interpretations of Johnson's lyrics, all quoting passages from the Bible, in the tradition of African American spirituals.

: ["call"] Well who's that writin'? ["response"] John the Revelator [Revelation 1:1-3 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."] :Who's that writin'? John the Revelator:Who's that writin'? John the Revelator:A book of the seven seals [Revelation 5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals."]

: ["call"] Tell me what's John writin'? ["response"] Ask the Revelator:What's John writin'? Ask the Revelator:What's John writin'? Ask the Revelator:A book of the seven seals

:Well ooh ooh why me, thousands cried holy [Revelation 4:8 "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."] :Bound for some, Son of our God [Luke 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."] :Daughter of Zion, Judah the Lion [Revelation 5:5 "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."] :He redeemeth, and bought us with his blood [Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."]

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

:John the Revelator, great advocator [1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."] :Get's 'em on the battle of Zion:Lord, tellin' the story, risin' in glory:Cried, "Lord, don't you love some I"

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

:Well Moses to Moses, watchin' the flock [Exodus 3:1 "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb."] :Saw the bush where they had to stop [Exodus 3:2 "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."] :God told Moses, "Pull off your shoes" [Exodus 3:4-5 "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."] :Out of the flock, well you I choose [Exodus 3:10 "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."]

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

These are the lyrics for Son House's 1965 recording version, which explicitly reference three theologically important events: the Fall of Man, the Passion of Christ, and the Resurrection. Roughly similar lyrics, with an additional verse, are used in the movie Blues Brothers 2000.

: ["call"] Who's that writin'? ["response"] John the Revelator:Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator:Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator:Wrote the book of the seven seals

: ["call"] Who's that writin'? ["response"] John the Revelator:Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator:Well who's that writin'? John the Revelator:Wrote the book of the seven seals

:You know God walked down in the cool of the day [Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."] :Called Adam by his name [Genesis 3:9 "And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"] :But he refused to answer:Because he's naked and ashamed [Genesis 3:10 "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."]

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

:You know Christ had twelve apostles [Luke 6:13 "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles."] :And three he led away [Matthew 26:36-38 "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."] :He said, "Watch with me one hour, [Matthew 26:40 "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"] :'till I go yonder and pray."

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

:Christ came on Easter morning:Mary and Martha went down to see [Matthew 28:1 "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."] :He said, "Go tell my disciples [Matthew 28:5-7 "And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you."] :To meet me in Galilee." [Matthew 26:32 "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee." A variety of spiritual meanings have been attached to this line (see, for example, [http://www.springwater-pres.org/sermon-Easter-05.html] ).]

: [Repeat verses 1 & 2]

References and Notes