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The Blind Boys of Alabama — Amazing Grace
Album: Spirit Of The Century
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3684









Released: 2001
Length: 4:19
Plays (last 30 days): 3
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Comments (352)add comment
 radioparadise38 wrote:
Yep - words of Amazing Grace to the tune of Rising Sun.

Sure, why not? 
 Jelani wrote:
Check out Bryan Ferry's version. Pretty much better than this dirge...https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
I'm a Ferry (and Roxy) fan - but where's the *power*, the *majesty*? 
Please go check out the link and tell me what I'm missing?
The link is very pretty, but doesn't *move*me like this does.
..dirge?..
Hell no!
Is there something I'm not hearing?

 meleager wrote:

It looks like they mixed the musical structure of the "House of the rising sun" and the text of "Amazing Grace". Am I wrong?



immediately what i thought.
 Alastair wrote:

Amazing Grace to the tune of a song about a whore house?  Is this irony?



Do some research before you post. 

House of the Rising Sun may be the name of the whore house within the song, but the subject of the song is repentence and forgiveness.  

Same themes, brilliant mashup. 

BTW, go see the Blind Boys live. You will be deeply moved, even if you remain an agnostic like me.  

LEGEND! 😎
Amazing Grace to the tune of a song about a whore house?  Is this irony?
This version almost rescues the song for me...
Amazing Grace has been played at too many damn funerals!!!
 French_Ferdinand wrote:

Leonard Cohen could certainly have done it more slowly
I wonder if Jimmy Scott ever sang it? His version would take an hour, easy.
It would be beautiful though.
c.

 Jelani wrote:
If this is what ninety year olds sound like....Bring it on    


Check out Bryan Ferry's version. Pretty much better than this dirge...https://www.youtube.com/watch?...


Gorgeous. 
I just sang House of the Rising Sun to the tune of Amazing Grace. I think they made the right choice in terms of which way round would sound best!

(or maybe my singing's not quite up to the same standard as the Blind Boys"
did a double-take
 jef wrote:

Slow version of  "House of the Rising Sun" ?


Yep - words of Amazing Grace to the tune of Rising Sun.
Every/any version will shy after hearing this gem.  Thanks Bill.
These guys are incredible. They performed last week in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The oldest one, Jimmy Carter, a tiny trembling man. But when he started to sing, he flabbergasted the whole audience! 
Slow version of  "House of the Rising Sun" ?
OH GREAT! I'm gonna see them this week! Together with Amadou & Mariam in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. After hearing them now for the first time.... It's gonna be EXCELLENT! 
Aren't the lyrics posted for this song incorrect?
See this quote below from another website:

An additional versed not penned by Newton was passed down orally by African Americans in the early 1800s:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,

Than when we first begun.[5



 2Hawks wrote:

I cannot stand this song. No matter who re-creates it, the song always sounds slow, pendulous, and boring. Why not sing it focused on the uplifting that goes on behind the happiness? But, no, alas, it's always going to sound like 90-year old people in church.




Check out Bryan Ferry's version. Pretty much better than this dirge...https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
 2Hawks wrote:

I cannot stand this song. No matter who re-creates it, the song always sounds slow, pendulous, and boring. Why not sing it focused on the uplifting that goes on behind the happiness? But, no, alas, it's always going to sound like 90-year old people in church.



Agree. There's no denying their talent. I saw them open for Gabriel a while back, too. But I've always hated House of the Rising Sun, and hearing its music slogging along behind something that's supposed to be uplifting makes no sense to my ears.
 2Hawks wrote:

I cannot stand this song. No matter who re-creates it, the song always sounds slow, pendulous, and boring. Why not sing it focused on the uplifting that goes on behind the happiness? But, no, alas, it's always going to sound like 90-year old people in church.






Leonard Cohen could certainly have done it more slowly
 maxvonevil wrote:

Sure, now put on your rick astley mix tape and go play in traffic


The Blind Boys opened up for, and sang with Peter Gabriel on his Up tour.  Really outstanding. 
Only two Blind Boys songs are currently on RP.    Together they average 8.5.    Are there not more to be played @BillG?
 cc_rider wrote:
Since HotRS is a traditional folk ballad, in the public domain for well over 100 years, The Animals would not have much standing. Besides, who sues blind gospel singers?
c.




The only qualification I'd add to this is that the teenaged Eric Burdon sang HotRS like nobody had ever sang it before. The Weavers, for example, sang HotRS in a traditional way, like everybody else had been doing. Then, Eric and his Animals came along and said "no, no,  sing it like this,..."
 2Hawks wrote:

I cannot stand this song. No matter who re-creates it, the song always sounds slow, pendulous, and boring. Why not sing it focused on the uplifting that goes on behind the happiness? But, no, alas, it's always going to sound like 90-year old people in church.


Sure, now put on your rick astley mix tape and go play in traffic.
I cannot stand this song. No matter who re-creates it, the song always sounds slow, pendulous, and boring. Why not sing it focused on the uplifting that goes on behind the happiness? But, no, alas, it's always going to sound like 90-year old people in church.
 Iggis wrote:

sounds like an Animals rip-off, House Of The Rising Sun, have they sued?

Since HotRS is a traditional folk ballad, in the public domain for well over 100 years, The Animals would not have much standing. Besides, who sues blind gospel singers?
c.


 bestatti2ud wrote:


Exactly what I thought
You are both correct. Same structure.
c.


A Real World Records production
I saw these guys at a festival years ago in Houston. I had goosebumps the entire show.
 meleager wrote:

It looks like they mixed the musical structure of the "House of the rising sun" and the text of "Amazing Grace". Am I wrong?



Exactly what I thought
 francesco_insyde wrote:
This is the good opportunity for Godlike (it's my choice)
"I was blind, but no I see"
And I believe in these miracles in a spiritual way
 
Since you're proclaiming your theism, your line in the middle, "I was blind but no I see," is most ironic. In an atheistic way...
This is the good opportunity for Godlike (it's my choice)
"I was blind, but no I see"
And I believe in these miracles in a spiritual way
I love this song/hymn and this rendering in particular. A 9 for me. Written by a slave ship captain, whose later becoming an abolitionist will hopefully save him from the blinkered history luddites.
Isn't this House of the Rising Sun??
 itsme_bygolly wrote:
 WeAdmire wrote:
At first a 9 but now surely a solid 10. They are due at The Royal Festival Hall in London next month.  (great acoustics the RFH btw) We have the tickets.   Kung Flu notwithstanding we will be there.  Thank you RP for the introduction.  How did I miss them the last 50 or so years?  
 Kung Flu? So you're one of those.

 

What do you call Zika, West Nile, Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ebola?
I favor Wuhan Sino Middle Kingdom Virus, WuFlu for short. It's their mess, they can own it by name. CCP Virus works as well.
Great adaption. Very enjoyable.
 SleeplessGuy2020 wrote:
I'm hearing the House of the Rising Sun here?  Educate me someone.  
 
It's on purpose.
I'm hearing the House of the Rising Sun here?  Educate me someone.  
 WeAdmire wrote:
At first a 9 but now surely a solid 10. They are due at The Royal Festival Hall in London next month.  (great acoustics the RFH btw) We have the tickets.   Kung Flu notwithstanding we will be there.  Thank you RP for the introduction.  How did I miss them the last 50 or so years?  
 Kung Flu? So you're one of those.

 Iggis wrote:
sounds like an Animals rip-off, House Of The Rising Sun, have they sued?
Which  the Animals stole from a traditional folk song.

loved the Animals' House of the Rising Sun and The Be Good Tanyas did an Amazing version of it. This is such an incredible version of Grace I might slip it into my "10 best funeral songs" heehee
Holy god this is amazing. Also, "House of the Rising Sun" isn't originally by The Animals. It's a traditional folk song. 
At first a 9 but now surely a solid 10. They are due at The Royal Festival Hall in London next month.  (great acoustics the RFH btw) We have the tickets.   Kung Flu notwithstanding we will be there.  Thank you RP for the introduction.  How did I miss them the last 50 or so years?  
It looks like they mixed the musical structure of the "House of the rising sun" and the text of "Amazing Grace". Am I wrong?
Fucking plagiat :(
If this isn't Godlike, what is?
sounds like an Animals rip-off, House Of The Rising Sun, have they sued?
They sang my dad's favourite verse which is so often left off. Still miss you and think about you every day dad.
Ruin two classics at the same time. Why not just do both individually? They are talented. 
This rocks! Oh, wait, I meant rots.
 GeorgeMWoods wrote:
Lame. And they ain’t blind.
 
4 of the 8 are.
“Original by the Animals...” Seriously?
Lame. And they ain’t blind.
animals - the house of the rising sun.
original from Animals is better
My God, I am hearing this song for the first time in my 68 years.   Holy Crap, this is awesome and bring tears to my eyes  over lost parents and pets.
Those that don't "get" this overlay are missing both the histories of the two songs and the history of the Blind Boys. Amazing Grace is a spiritual - simple enough. But so is Rising Sun - it's a song of repentance. The Blind Boys are a deeply religious group, so spirituals and songs of gospel are standards within their repertoire, but they (it's an ever changing "they" as they started singing in 1939 - that's 80 years of members dying off and being replaced) or also rather savvy in their awareness of contemporary music and it's messages. I had the great fortune of seeing them in Vancouver in 2001 and they opened with Run On - which was a current Moby hit - and announced it with "This is how REAL Gospel sounds". Their band were young and tight and despite the gospel focus they ROCKED. Take some time and explore beyond the "it's different, I don't like it" response. It's an amazing world out there.
 RobN wrote:

I don't get the purpose or merit in doing this. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

As an aside, I found the history of this hymn and its author quite an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
 
"Purpose or merit"?  It's hard to say; maybe it seemed like an interesting or engaging idea to them.  I'm not sure why the concept of mingling two songs together is such a bizarre concept to some people; it's been a pretty common practice for a long time.  By the way,  the song "House of the Rising Sun" was not written by Bob Dylan or Eric Burdon; it's about 100 years old.
 noe.architecte169 wrote:
There is a house in New OrleansThey call the rising sunAnd its been the ruins of many a poor boyAnd god I know Im oneMy mother was a taylorShe sewed my new blue jeansMy father was a gamblin?manWay down in New OrleansNow the only thing a gambler needsIs a suitcase and a trunkAnd the only time you keep him satisfiedIs when hes all a drunkOh mother tell your childrenNot to do what I have doneSpend your life in sin and miseryIn the house of the rising sunI got one foot on the platformThe other on a trainAnd Im goin?back to New OrleansTo swing that ball and chainYeah, there is a house in New OrleansThey call the rising sunAnd its been the ruins of many a poor boyAnd God I know Im one
 
Thanks Eric Burdon 
There is a house in New OrleansThey call the rising sunAnd its been the ruins of many a poor boyAnd god I know Im oneMy mother was a taylorShe sewed my new blue jeansMy father was a gamblin?manWay down in New OrleansNow the only thing a gambler needsIs a suitcase and a trunkAnd the only time you keep him satisfiedIs when hes all a drunkOh mother tell your childrenNot to do what I have doneSpend your life in sin and miseryIn the house of the rising sunI got one foot on the platformThe other on a trainAnd Im goin?back to New OrleansTo swing that ball and chainYeah, there is a house in New OrleansThey call the rising sunAnd its been the ruins of many a poor boyAnd God I know Im one
 Chi_Editrix wrote:
I keep expecting this to be "House of the Rising Sun" when I hear the intro. Then I realize they are singing the song to that tune. Weird.
 

personally love the mix of lyrics and music. Mankind been doin' it ever since he discovered something called 'Music."
I keep expecting this to be "House of the Rising Sun" when I hear the intro. Then I realize they are singing the song to that tune. Weird.
There is a dissonance in my head, it should be house of the rising sun and the fact it is not makes me annoyed/disturbed...
 Proclivities wrote:

 It seems that the entire point of this recording is to sing the lyrics to "Amazing Grace" over the chords of "House of the Rising Sun".  It's "similar" on purpose.
 
I don't get the purpose or merit in doing this. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

As an aside, I found the history of this hymn and its author quite an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
A story of the lyrics (psaume) can be found in the Alan Moore novel Jerusalem, je dis ça je dis rien :) 
Lyrics from God! V
 uniguide wrote:
First time listening to this song... and I'm thinking "there is a house in New Orleans..." 
Sorry, but no matter how great songs are, if they are too similar to other 'hit songs' then it's not something I can appreciate.
 
 It seems that the entire point of this recording is to sing the lyrics to "Amazing Grace" over the chords of "House of the Rising Sun".  It's "similar" on purpose.  It doesn't work for me either.
First time listening to this song... and I'm thinking "there is a house in New Orleans..." 
Sorry, but no matter how great songs are, if they are too similar to other 'hit songs' then it's not something I can appreciate.
 Johnnyb0517 wrote:
How do you destroy 2 classic songs at 1 time?  Ask this band! 

 exactly!

Rest in Peace to Blind Boys of Alabama co-founder Clarence Fountain who died last week at the age of 88.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/clarence-fountain-blind-boys-of-alabama-leader-dead-at-88-w521090
I sang this song to my Mom, just hours before she passed away. (Not quite like these guys do!)
That was 6 years ago. This still takes me to that place, only now I can smile a little bit...
The power of music and a little faith!!
Saw them about ten years ago in Anchorage. AK and they were neither blind nor very good. Lackluster show. 
 dlaumor wrote:
 C'est quand même autre chose que la reprise de Johnny Hallyday {#Cowboy}

 
Non mais j'y crois pas là un Nantais sur RP ^^ (j'en connais d'autres j'ai des noms)
 ziggytrix wrote:

You knew Roger Clark? I'm pretty sure I used to have a copy of that song that I recorded off the Doctor Demento show on the radio.

 
I didn't know Roger Clark; I guess the guy I knew was one of his "sidemen" or at least he worked on the recording.  The guy's name eludes me, but it was a long time ago - yeah, closer to 40 years ago, as Bill mentioned.
 Proclivities wrote:

About 30 years ago, in NYC, I knew a guy whose band had recorded and released a record of the Gilligan's Island Theme, sung to the "Stairway To Heaven".  Eventually they were legally forced to remove it from the stores and destroy all copies.  It's apparently pretty rare these days.

 
More like 40 years ago. We used to play that on KFAT back in 1979 or thereabouts. Always thought it was kinda brilliant. 

Horrible audio, but it still lives:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTCYLbFxTpI 
 Proclivities wrote:

About 30 years ago, in NYC, I knew a guy whose band had recorded and released a record of the Gilligan's Island Theme, sung to the "Stairway To Heaven".  Eventually they were legally forced to remove it from the stores and destroy all copies.  It's apparently pretty rare these days.

 
You knew Roger Clark? I'm pretty sure I used to have a copy of that song that I recorded off the Doctor Demento show on the radio.
Tom Waits in there no?
 The_Enemy wrote:
 AvoidingWork wrote:
Perhaps if they had sung Amazing Grace to the tune from Gilligan's Island it wouldn't have freaked people out so much.  

What also works is the lyrics to Gilligan's Island to the tune of Stairway to Heaven.

(pub I used to know had a sign banning people from playing Stairway on jam nights. One guy did the above to skirt the rule {#Lol} )

 
About 30 years ago, in NYC, I knew a guy whose band had recorded and released a record of the Gilligan's Island Theme, sung to the music of "Stairway To Heaven".  Eventually they were legally forced to remove it from the stores and destroy all copies.  It's apparently pretty rare these days.
 Typesbad wrote:
At first I thought that this song was going to be very ponderous if it continues the chorus all the way.  It didn't, and then in just a little while it kind of became great.

 
this {#Arrowu}
How do you destroy 2 classic songs at 1 time?  Ask this band! 
This is what is so beautiful about life. We can take what life has to offer and (artistically) make something out of it.
it suck big time
Worst. Mash-up. Ever.
 kingart wrote:
 
Posted: May 13, 2015 - 13:21
 

 
I just jumped in to say the same thing... 


Someone (t)here is sampling someone then.  I'm mixing them up. 
 



 
I heard it, too. Not my imagination then. So which came from which?
Blew me away.  Stroke of genius by these guys.
sweet and beautiful... amen. RIP Lemmy, Bowie, Frey, Rickman
way to ruin two songs in one go.
At first I thought that this song was going to be very ponderous if it continues the chorus all the way.  It didn't, and then in just a little while it kind of became great.
Even tho this is an iconic song from the annals of American Music History, I cannot enjoy it because, well, I actually hate the song. 
 
Posted: May 13, 2015 - 13:21
 

 aristoteles wrote:
 There is a House in New Orleans,....{#Music}

  
I just jumped in to say the same thing... 


Someone (t)here is sampling someone then.  I'm mixing them up. 
 


 Skydog wrote:
Different.
Music of one song and lyrics of another.
How about the lyrics of Hank William's "This Little Light Of Mine" to the music of Madonna's "Like A Virgin"?

 
LOL  LOVE IT
Outstanding!!  :-))
Different.
Music of one song and lyrics of another.
How about the lyrics of Hank William's "This Little Light Of Mine" to the music of Madonna's "Like A Virgin"?
 aristoteles wrote:
 There is a House in New Orleans,....{#Music}

 
I just jumped in to say the same thing... 
2 for the melody taken over one of the best songs ever... 1 otherwise!
 The_Enemy wrote:
 AvoidingWork wrote:
Perhaps if they had sung Amazing Grace to the tune from Gilligan's Island it wouldn't have freaked people out so much.  

What also works is the lyrics to Gilligan's Island to the tune of Stairway to Heaven.

(pub I used to know had a sign banning people from playing Stairway on jam nights. One guy did the above to skirt the rule {#Lol} )

 
I love that!  I'm gonna have to practice that one.
 dlaumor wrote:
 C'est quand même autre chose que la reprise de Johnny Hallyday {#Cowboy}

 
Je suis completement d'accord
 aristoteles wrote:
 There is a House in New Orleans,....{#Music}

 
Kinda cool...!
 There is a House in New Orleans,....{#Music}
LOVE this song!! Awesome. So like that Radio Paradise includes inspiring, more spiritual songs in their line-up. We need more of that in this crazy world we are living in right now!
Is this what the kids call a 'mash up' ?
 
 C'est quand même autre chose que la reprise de Johnny Hallyday {#Cowboy}
 rpdevotee wrote:
I don't like this song for anything other than background music.
 
Agree!
I don't like this song for anything other than background music.
 andrecosta wrote:
This music reminds me very much from House of the Raising Sun

 

There's a really good reason for that... : ) 
 andrecosta wrote:
This music reminds me very much from House of the Raising Sun

 
Rising Sun. From the first chords, I expected to be hearing someone else's version of that. Old spirituals whatever singer or version. 
This music reminds me very much from House of the Raising Sun
 nate917 wrote:

I don't know about that, but I was wondering — doesn't 2755 miles due east of Paradise put you in the Atlantic Ocean, 300 miles east of New York Harbor?

 
Okay, you got me. Not exactly "due east"--more like ESE, poetic license and all that; but trust me, I'm on dry land. I just double-checked with Google Maps, and the mileage is spot on. BTW, this rendition of "Amazing Grace" is beyond awesome. Really.
 Stingray wrote:

What is brilliant, please? DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

 
They usually cover this subject matter in 5th or 6th grade. Maybe you missed that day in class?

Here goes:
 
Brilliant    (brilyənt)
Glorious; magnificent.
Superb; wonderful
Exceptionally clever or talented



There are on-line courses for any other lessons you might have missed from this period of time in your life
Dieter: best hous of the rising sun copy!!
Beautiful! Makes even my atheist heart weep with joy! {#Meditate}
 Stingray wrote:
Hahaha - the real CHEFE!

Where are you, my friend? Are you even here any longer?

Tell me!

 

Yes, I still be here, you nut...  good to see you making spunky song comments...  I hope you are having a marvelous Monday there in the future...

we be dancing in soooo slow-motion...  I leave this song unrated...  great harmonies, but very sedated...
 
 Stingray wrote:

What is brilliant, please? DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

 

no one will ever be able to explain it to you, a hint,  the way you feel about live traffic. 40,000 headmen
 ccjemmett wrote:
Brilliant
 
What is brilliant, please? DO NOT UNDERSTAND!
 Lazarus wrote:
big stud Romeo Tuma wrote:
sounds like they took Quaaludes before they recorded this...
 
I be the holy ghost of big stud Romeo Tuma, and I take credit for that gracious remark...
 

 

Hahaha - the real CHEFE!

Where are you, my friend? Are you even here any longer?

Tell me!


This was simply mind-blowing live - I hadn't heard it until I saw the BBoA open for Peter Gabriel and I was gob-smacked! I now can't sing Amazing Grace to the traditional tune anymore!
 by_jove wrote:

Awesome track! I didn't know this had been recorded.

Amazing Grace can be sung to the tune of even more songs than songs that this—and visa versa—including "O, Susannah!," "Camptown Races," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "I've Been Working on the Railroad." We like to mix up these songs for our own amusement:

I come from Alabama,
With my Banjo on my knee,
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.



 

Don't forget there are some Christmas Carols as well.  Like "Jingle Bells".  And my favorite, the theme to Gilligans Island.

Luke 15
Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Amazing Grace = Song of the Lost Son