1946

You Can Tell the World

Composed by Margaret Bonds

Text by Spiritual

Five Creek-Freedman Spirituals Song Collection

"You Can Tell the World" is the fifth song in the cycle Five Creek-Freedman Spirituals, composed by Margaret Bonds.

Audio

“You Can Tell the World” (from “Fire Creek-Freedman Spirituals”)

Jayme Alilaw, soprano; Lorna Griffitt, piano2:07

Margaret Bonds

Composer

Spiritual

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2022

Date

University of California, Irvine, Winifred Smith Hall

Location

This recording was part of a 5:30pm concert ("A Salute to Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)") on Saturday, October 15, 2022 during the 25th Anniversary African American Art Song Alliance Conference. The concert venue was Winifred Smith Hall at the University of California, Irvine.

Text

You can tell the world about this,
You can tell the nation about that,
Tell ’em what Jesus has done,
Tell ’em that the Comforter has come,
And He brought joy, joy, joy
To my soul.

He took my feet out the mercy clay.
Yes, He did
Yes, He did
He place d them high on the Rock to stay
Yes, He did
Yes, He did

You can tell the world about this,
You can tell the nation about that,
Tell ’em what Jesus has done,
Tell ’em that the Comforter has come,
And He brought joy, joy, joy
To my soul.

My Lawd done done jes what He said.
Yes, He did
Yes, He did
He healed the sick and raised the dead
Yes, He did
Yes, He did

You can tell the world about this,
You can tell the nation about that,
Tell ’em what Jesus has done,
Tell ’em that the Comforter has come,
And He brought joy, joy, joy
To my soul.
And He brought joy, joy, joy
To my soul.

Related Information

African Diaspora Music Project

africandiasporamusicproject.org/song/margaret-bonds/you-can-tell-world

Sheet Music

Rediscovering Margaret Bonds: Art Songs, Spirituals, Musical Theater and Popular Songs

Margaret Bonds

Buy via Classical Vocal Reprints