Daniel and the Sacred Harp
Daniel, Daniel and the Sacred Harp,
Dancin’ through the clover,
Daniel, Daniel, would you mind If I look if over?
I heard of this famous harp years ago back in my home town
But I sure never thought old Daniel be the one to come and bring it around Tell me, Daniel, how the harp came into your possession?
Are you one of the chosen few who were marching in the procession? And Daniel said, “The sacred harp was handed down from father onto son, And me, not being related, I could never be the one
So I saved up all my silver and took it to a man
Who said he could deliver the harp straight into my hand
Three years I waited patiently
Till he returned with the harp from the sea of Galilee
He said, ‘there is one more thing I must ask, but not of personal greed,’ But I wouldn’t listen’, I just grabbed the harp,
And said, ‘take what you may need.’”
Now Daniel looked quite satisfied and the harp did seem to glow,
But the price that Daniel had really paid, he did not even know
Back to his brother he took his troubled mind
And he said, “Dear brother, I’m in a bind!”
But the brother would not hear his tale;
He said, “Old Daniel’s gonna land in jail.”
So, to his father Daniel did run,
And he said, “Oh, father what have I done?”
His father said “Son, you’ve given in,
You know you won your harp but you’ve lost in sin.”
Then Daniel took the harp and went high on the hill
And he blew across the meadows like a whippoorwill,
He played out his heart just for the time to pass,
But as he looked to the ground, he noticed no shadow did he cast Daniel, Daniel, and the Sacred Harp
Dancin’ through the clover,
Daniel, Daniel, would you mind if I look it over?