Scripture Verse

Forsake not the law of thy mother. Proverbs 1:8

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: John D. Mat­hews, in Glad News, ed­it­ed by W. N Cook (Hud­son, North Ca­ro­li­na: Teach­ers’ Mu­sic Pub­lish­ing, 1916), num­ber 30 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Mat­thews (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

If you go be­fore me to the heav’n­ly home,
Will you tell my mo­ther some time I will come?
Tell her that you left me in the nar­row way,
And I’ll sure­ly meet her there some hap­py day.

Refrain

Will you tell my mo­ther dear that I’m sad and lone­ly here?
When you meet up yon­der ’neath the heav’n­ly dome,
Tell my pre­cious mo­ther I am com­ing home.

Tell her that I miss her, and my heart is sad,
But the thought of Heav­en, oh! it makes me glad,
Just to know I’m go­ing to that realm so fair,
With my pre­cious mo­ther all its joys to share!

Refrain

I am press­ing on­ward to that hap­py land,
There to dwell with mo­ther ’mid the ran­somed band;
We shall sing to­ge­ther ’round the great white throne,
And no scenes of part­ing ev­er shall be known.

Refrain