“The Old Ark's A-Moverin'”

Description

"O the old ark's a-moverin... an' I thank God." Sundry verses on the flood, salvation, and those who are too proud, e.g. "How many days did the water fall? Forty days and nights and all." "See that sister dressed so fine? She ain't got Jesus on her mind"

Notes

For the statement that the rain fell for forty days during Noah's flood, see Gen. 7:12 (the total duration of the flood is given in 7:17, 8:6? as 40 days and in 7:24, 8:3 as 150 days; the different numbers are believed to have come from different sources). The landing on Mount Ararat/Uratu is mentioned in 8:4. - RBW

Same tune

• Pete Seeger, "We'll All Be A-Doubling" (on PeteSeeger48)

Cross references

• cf. "Who Built the Ark?" (floating lyrics)

Recordings

• Alphabetical Four, "The Old Ark's a-Moverin'" (Decca 7546, 1938; on AlphabFour01)
• Atlanta Harmony Singers, "The Old Ark's a Moverin'" (Champion 15616, 1928)
• Fisk University Jubilee Quartet, "The Ole Ark" (Victor 16840, 1911)
• Homer Rodeheaver, "The Old Ark's a-Moverin'" (Silvertone 5141, c. 1927)
• Virginia Female [Jubilee] Singers, "The Old Ark's a-Moverin'" (OKeh 4482, 1922; rec. 1921)

References

1. Thomas-Makin', pp. 213-214, (no title) (1 text, with this chorus though many of the verses are about Jesus; it may be conflate, but in the present state of Thomas's text it's hard to tell)
2. Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 7, (no title) (1 fragment, the "Paul and Silas bound in jail" lyric but with an internal chorus that might be this -- or might not); p. 28, "The Ol' A'k's A-Movin'" (1 short text, with a slightly different form but too similar to classify separately)
3. Lomax-FSNA 248, "The Old Ark's A-Moverin'" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Creighton-SNewBrunswick 77, "The Old Ark" (1 text, 1 tune, with first verse and chorus from "The Old Ark's A-Moverin'" and additional verses from "Song of the Fishes (Blow Ye Winds Westerly)")
5. Silber-FSWB, p. 360, "The Old Ark's A-Moverin'" (1 text)
6. Roud #11948
7. BI, LoF248