Don't Wait Till I'm Under the Clay- Wade Mainer

Don't Wait Till I'm Under the Clay
"Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath the Clay"
Wade Mainer 1976

Don't Wait Till I'm Under the Clay/Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath the Clay

Traditional Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel

ARTIST: Wade Mainer, From the Maple on the Hill, Old Homestead OHTRS 4000, LP (1976), trk# C.06

SHEET MUSIC:

CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;

DATE: probably 1800s; First Recorded by Amory Male Quartet 1928

RECORDING INFO: Don't Wait Till I'm Under the Clay [Me III-C 89] -
Mainer, Wade. Mainer, Wade. From the Maple on the Hill , Old Homestead OHTRS 4000, LP (1976), trk# C.06

RECORDING INFO: Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath the Clay

Alfred G. Karnes - 1928
Amory Male Quartet 1928;
Kentucky Ramblers 1930;
Sweet Harmony Singers 1932
Kid Walter Smith 1936

OTHER NAMES: "Don't Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath the Clay" "Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath The City"

SOURCES: Meade

NOTES: This version of the traditional gospel song, "Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath the Clay" is from Wade Mainer's From the Maple on the Hill recording. One early version was recorded by Alfred G. Karnes (lyrics below)in 1928 at the Bristol Sessions. Other early recordings include Amory Male Quartet 1928; Kentucky Ramblers 1930; Sweet Harmony Singers 1932 and Kid Walter Smith 1936. 

The song has a similar theme as "Give Me The Flowers While I Live" recorded by the Carter Family.

Do Not Wait Till I'm Laid Beneath The Clay - Alfred G. Karnes 1928

[brief guitar intro]

CHORUS: Do not wait till I'm under the clay- ay- ay,
Let your blessing be given today,
Let your kindness be shown ere my spirit has flown
Do not wait till I'm laid 'neath the clay.

If you have any flowers on my grave to be stored,
I would gladly receive them today.
You may scatter them now while I can cherish them so,
Do not wait till I'm laid 'neath the clay.

CHORUS:

If you have any words that would comfort and cheer
Any words that would brighten my way
you may speak them today while I am anxious to hear,
Do not wait till I'm laid 'neath the clay.

CHORUS:

[brief guitar interlude]

If you have any smiles that you freely will give
As an emblem of love's brightest ray,
You should give them today while I am tarryin' here
Do not wait till I'm laid 'neath the clay.

CHORUS:

CHORUS:

Don't Wait Till I'm Under the Clay [lyrics upcoming] same song as above