You Can’t Hurry God

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This is in the Amidon’s book “Fifty-five Anthems for the Small Church Choir“. Sung here by the Starry Mountain Singers. We learned this song from the singing of the late Tom Gibney, a gifted traditional singer from Princeton New Jersey.  Mary Alice and Peter loved singing with Tom – he was a great interpreter of traditional songs and had a distinctive beautiful voice.  On his CD “Tom Gibney” (which Tom’s wife Patty put together after Tom died).

Peter more or less transcribed the Amidon/Bode quintet (Sam, Stefan, Peter, Mary Alice Amidon and Zara Bode) improvised harmonies to come up with this arrangement.

LYRICS

You Can’t Hurry God
African American spiritual, from the singing of Tom Gibney

Though the path you tread
May seem so dark and dreary.
Burdened with care no light anywhere.
‘neath your heavy load you may become so weary;
He will come and answer prayer.

CHORUS
You can’t hurry God
Why don’t you wait my brother,
Just obey the word that you have heard
Keep on calling him for in one day or another,
He will come and answer prayer.

Often you have felt you could endure no longer;
Burdened, you call on your all in all
Asking God to make you just a little bit stronger;
He will come and answer prayer.

On your bed of sickness, what a terrible feeling:
Nerve wracking pain again and again.
Call on god and tell him that you need his healing;
He will come and answer prayer