Variations, Oh Yes!

The spiritual, Oh, Yes! has many verses. The shape of this arrangement was inspired by the following choices, the same ones I used in the choral arrangement that inspired clarinetist James Gholson to commission this one.

Oh, yes! Oh, yes!
Oh, wait till I put on my robe,
wait till I put on my robe,
wait till I put on my robe.
Oh, yes! Oh, yes!

I tell you, bretheren, a mortal fact:
if you want to get to heaven don’t ever look back.
I want to know before I go,
yea, whether you love-a the Lord or no.
Ever since I have been newly born,
I love to see God’s work go on.

refrain – Oh, wait till I put on my robe.

I was in the church and prayin’ loud,
and on my knees to my Jesus bowed.
Ol’ Satan told me to my face,
“I’ll get you when you leave-a this place!”
Oh, brother, that scared me to my heart.
I was afraid to walk when it was dark.
I started home but I did pray,
and I met ol’ Satan on the way.
Ol’ Satan made-a one grab at me,
but he missed my soul and I went free.
My sins when lumb’rin’ down to hell,
and my soul went a-leapin’ up Zion’s hill.

refrain – Oh, wait till I put on my robe.

If ever I land on the other shore,
I’ll never come here for to sing no more.
All ‘round my waist a golden band,
and the palms of vict’ry in my hand,
and the golden slippers on my feet,
gonna walk up and down that golden street.

refrain – Oh, wait till I put on my robe.