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The Good Old Way

[Trad. arr. Watersons]

Sung by the Watersons (Mike, Lal and Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy) on their LP and CD For Pence and Spicy Ale. This was reissued in 1980 as title track of the Topic sampler The Good Old Way, in 1993 on the Topic anthology The Folk Collection, in 2000 on the English folk anthology And We'll All Have Tea, and in 2004 on the Watersons' 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song.

A.L. Lloyd said in the For Pence and Spicy Ale sleeve notes:

The 18th century saw the Great Awakening of religious dissenter groups with such slogans as “We'll take the Kingdom of Heaven by storm.” Under the banner of the Awakening were many ecstatic groups - Shakers New Lighters, Free Baptists, ultimately Ranters (Primitive Methodists), and others lumped together as Holy Rollers. Unlike John Wesley, who preferred the tunes of imported elite composers such as Handel, Giordani and their lesser fellows, the “gospel trumpeters” went in for folky tunes like Amazing Grace and The Good Old Way. John Cennick (1718-55), who broke away from the Wesleys, was the founder of folky hymnody with his Sacred Hymns (Bristol 1743), which had an enormous effect on the wildfire revivals in Britain and America. The Good Old Way is said to have been a favourite hymn of the wild evangelist John Adam Grenade (1775-1806). In America it acquired a “Hallelujah” chorus and in that form came back to England and was printed in the Ranters' Hymns and Spiritual Songs (c. 1820). Our version was collected by John Clague from a marble-mason on the Isle of Wight, John Cubbon. It appears in the Folk Song Journal (No. 30), and serves to remind us what grand tunes have been lost to our hymnbooks through the tyranny of Ancient & Modern.

Lyrics

Lift up your hearts, Emmanuel's friends
and taste the pleasure Jesus sends
Let nothing cause you to delay
but hasten in the good old way

Chorus (after each verse):

For I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
(For I have a sweet hope of glory)
I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
(I have a sweet hope of glory)
And I know I have, and I feel I have
A sweet hope of glory in my soul

Our conflicts here, though great they be
shall not prevent our victory
If we but strive and watch and pray
like soldiers in the good old way

Though Satan may his powers employ
our happiness for to destroy
Yet never fear, we'll gain the day
by marching in the good old way

Ye valiant souls, for heaven contend
remember glory is at the end
Our God will wipe our tears away
when we have run the good old way

And far beyond this mortal shore
we'll meet with those who have gone before
And shout to think we have gained the day
by marching in the good old way

Acknowledgements

Copied from the Digital Tradition by Garry Gillard.