Advanced syncopation, extended range, with an
American Southern English dialect.
Description
- Grade: Fifth
- Origin: USA – African American Spiritual
- Key: D Major
- Time: 2/4
- Form: AB – verse/chorus
- Rhythm: advanced: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta |
| ti ti ri ti ri ti ri | syncopation, | ta (ti) ti ri |
| ti ti ti ti ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti ri ti ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti ti ri | syncopation,
| ti ri ti ti ri ti ri | syncopation, | ri ti ri ta |
| ti ti ri ti ti ri | syncopation, | ti ti ri ti ri | syncopation, | ta (ti) ti | - Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Do – extended range
- Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi/So (m3), Mi\Do (M3), Do/So (P5), So/Do8 (P4), Do8\So (P4), La/Do8 (m3), La\Mi (P4), Do/Mi (M3), Do/Fa (P4), Fa/La\Fa (M3)
- Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, sixteenth; rest: eighth; pickup beat, vocal slur, syncopation, extended vocal range, tied notes, verse/chorus
- Key Words: USA history, African American history, sacred, loud, wait, children, right, left, white gate, road, rough, fix, golden star, bound, am (verb), crown, weary band, world of sin, knock,chance, sinful things, tired, die, watch, sky, wings, fly; contractions: gonna (going to), ain’t (is not) don’t (do not), I’ll (I will), they’ll (they will), you’ll (you will), we’re (we are); abbreviations: callin’ (calling), waitin’ (waiting), standin’ (standing), ’round (around), ’cause (because)
1. | I hear them angels calling loud: Keep in the middle of the road, They are waitin’ there in a great big crowd, Keep in the middle of the road. I see them standin’ ’round the big white gate, Gonna travel along before it gets too late, For it ain’t no use for to sit down, and wait, Right in the middle of the road. |
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Chorus: | |||||
So children, keep in the middle of the road, Children, keep in the middle of the road , Don’t you look to the right, don’t you look to the left, Just keep in the middle of the road. |
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2.
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I ain’t got time for to stop and talk Keep in the middle of the road. ‘Cause the road am rough and it’s hard for to walk, Keep in the middle of the road. I’ll fix my eye on the golden stair, And I’ll keep on a-going till I get there ‘Cause my head am bound for the crown to wear Keep in the middle of the road. |
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Chorus | |||||
3. | Come and join our weary band Keep in the middle of the road. Cause we’re bound for home in the happy land Keep in the middle of the road. Turn your back on this world of sin Just knock at the door, and they’ll let you in Cause you’ll never gonna get such a chance again Keep in the middle of the road. |
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Chorus | |||||
4. | This world am full of sinful things, Then keep in the middle of the road. When your feet get tired, just put on them wings, Keep in the middle of the road. If you lay down in the road and die, You can watch them angels in the sky, You can put on wings and get up and fly, Keep in the middle of the road. |
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Chorus | |||||
Additional Formats (click to enlarge)