Once touched by religious emotions, however, the mountaineer seems to lose his sense of the ridiculous entirely—the deeps of his nature are reached at last. The metaphors of Scripture, the natural expression of the Oriental mind, are taken with a literalness and seriousness against which one cannot help thinking a touch of humor might be a saving grace.
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, the old Ship of Zion,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes.
She'll be loaded with bright angels when she comes, etc.
Oh, brothers, what will you do when she comes? etc.
We will flee to the rocks and the mountains, etc.
Repetition carried to the point of wearisomeness is a favorite form of revival hymns:
Some have fathers up in glory,
Some have fathers up in glory,
Some have fathers up in glory,
On the other shore.
Some bright day we'll go and see them,
Some bright day we'll go and see them,
Some bright day we'll go and see them,
On the other bright shore.
![\new Staff \relative { << \new Voice = "a" { \key f \major \autoBeamOff a'4.^\markup { \italic Andante. } a8 a c, c c f4.(g8) a2 g4. a8 g f d d f4.(g8) a2 d4. e8 f d a a c2 d4 r \bar "||" a4. a8 f[(d)] e8. e16 d1 \bar "||" } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set associatedVoice = #"a" I4. be8 -- lieve in be -- ing rea2 -- dy, I4. be8 -- lieve in be -- ing rea2 -- dy, I4. be8 -- lieve in be -- ing rea2 -- dy, When4. this8 world's4 at8. an16 end.1 } >>
}](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/s/a/say6qy9m73aifdn6o5rxyzgtbpfcnlj/say6qy9m.png)
Oh, just let me in the kingdom,
Oh, just let me in the kingdom,
Oh, just let me in the kingdom,
When this world's at an end.
Here a feeling for the supernatural is uppermost. The oddly changing keys, the endings that leave the ear in expectation of something to follow, the quavers and falsettos, become in recurrence a haunting hint of the spirit world; neither beneficent nor maleficent, neither devil nor angel, but something,—something not to be understood, yet to be certainly apprehended. It is to the singer as if he stood within a sorcerer's circle, crowded upon by an invisible throng.
RAIN, MIGHTY LORD
![\new Staff \relative { << \new Voice = "a" { a'2.^\markup { \italic Andante. } (e4) a2.(e4) g2 g4 a e(f8[ e dis e]) a4 ~ a1 a4 a gis b a g e2 d4.(b8) cis4 cis b2. gis'4 a a gis b a g e2 e4(fis) g a b2 a4 \fermata a fis fis a fis e d b2 d4.(b8) cis4 cis b1 \bar "||" } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set associatedVoice = #"a" Rain,1 oh, rain,2 might4 -- y Sav1 -- iour, Rain4 con -- vert -- ing pow -- er down,2 Rain, might4 -- y Lord.2. The4 way the ho -- ly proph -- ets went,2 Rain, might4 -- y Sav2 -- iour,4 The road that leads from ban -- ish -- ment,2 Rain, might4 -- y Lord.1 } >>
}](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/o/3/o3wb0gfvam7ntyrdre206guceqc9aye/o3wb0gfv.png)
Shout, shout, we're gaining ground,
O halle-hallelujah;
The power of God is a-comin' down—
O glory hallelu'.
I do believe beyond a doubt,
O halle-hallelujah;
The Christian has a right to shout—
O glory hallelu'.
It is their one emotional outlet. Having no theatre, no bull-fight, no arena, no sensational feature of any kind in their lives, they must, being a high-strung race, find vent some other way.
They rock to and fro softly, crooning and moaning, until the impulse comes upon them to leap into the air and scream and shout until exhausted. It is common for women, and even men, to injure themselves unawares; or, at baptizings, to pitch headlong into the water. I have seen convulsions and even temporary insanity brought on by these excesses. It is the music that produces this feeling; but these songs cannot be fairly judged
