"Surely I Will" (comments, examples, & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part series on the Gospel songs "Surely I Will" and "I'm Bound For Mt. Zion".
This post features lyrics and videos/sound files of examples of the song "Surely I Will", although Example #2 given below could have been posted to the companion pancocojams post on the song "I'm Bound For Mt. Zion" Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/im-bound-for-mt-zion-comments-lyrics.html for that post.

The content of this post is provided for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of this song and thanks to all the vocalists/musicians those who are featured in these examples. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT:
The lyrics to the songs "Surely I Will" and "I'm Bound For Mt. Zion" have so many similarities that it seems obvious to me that one song was the source of the other. The composer of "Surely I Will" is Albert E. Brumley, (1905–1977) http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=75990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E._Brumley indicates that Albert E. Brumley was an American shape note gospel music composer and publisher. As no racial identification is given for this composer in his Wikipedia article or elsewhere, I gather that he was Anglo-Anglo-American. Brumley is said to have composed 800 songs. Some of his songs that are favorites for Gospel singers (regardless of race) are "I'll Fly Away," "Turn Your Radio On," "If We Never Meet Again (This Side of Heaven)," "I'll Meet You In The Morning," and "He Set Me Free

In contrast , I can find no information on the composer/s of the song "I'm Bound For Mt Zion" or when that song was first recorded. While it's possible that Albert E, Brumley based his song on an earlier song or a contemporaneous song, it seems more likely that the "I'm Bound For Mt. Zion" songs are adaptations of the Brumley's song "Surely I Will".

It's interesting that there are YouTube examples of "Surely I Will" by Anglo-American and African American singers while the YouTube examples of "I'm Bound for Mt Zion appear to be only of African American singers.

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LYRIC: SURELY I WILL, LORD
(Albert E. Brumley; copyright Stamps-Baxter, 1956)

If working and praying has any reward,
Then surely some morning, I'll meet my dear Lord;
With God as my pilot, I'll climb the high hill,
If anyone makes it, then surely I will.

CHORUS
Surely I will, Lord; surely I will.
If anyone makes it, precious Lord,
Then surely I will.
I am bound for Mount Zion,
Far away on the hill,
If anyone makes it, (all the way home) then surely I will.

With faith as my weapon and hope as my stay,
The battle's half over, I'm well on my way;
Though I may grow weary, I'm traveling still,
If anyone makes it, then surely I will.

CHORUS

from the songbook The Best of Albert E. Brumley, Albert E. Brumley & Sons, 1966

Source: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=75990

Read that discussion for more text (lyric) examples of "Surely I Will" and for comments about this song, including this comment posted by GUEST,Truman Keesey (11 Jan 08 - 12:40 PM)
"I heard a song on black gospel radio by female, with lyrics, "If anybody makes it surely I will" in late 60's or 70's. It is not in the internet except in this page.

I heard it again and again, black female. Could be the same song. Popular in its day. Somebody into black gospel should be able to answer who it was sang it, which would lead to finding out the provenance."

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube, with the oldest examples given first etc.

Example #1: Iris DeMent--Surely I Will, Lord


kingofthecastle7, Uploaded on Aug 18, 2009

The first song of her set at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, August 15, 2009; a song written by Alfred E. Brumley.
-snip-
Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=75990 for the lyrics of this song as sung by Iris De Mint. Open mike, a commenter on that discussion thread wrote that "Iris Dement, one of the most celebrated country-folk performers of our day".

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Example #2: Voices Of Faith - Surely I Will



DeepGospelSound, Uploaded on Jul 28, 2011

Deep Georgia gospel.
If you know anything about the performers, please get in touch. If you own the copyright to this recording or song and want to have it removed, please write to me and I will.
-snip-
Here's my transcription of this rendition of this song. Additions and corrections are welcome.

[Only the soloist lines are given below. The soloist sings a line and the group repeats that exact line.]

Oh surely I will
Surely I will
Oh surely I will
And if anybody makes it
Surely I will

I’m bound for Mt Zion
Way high on the hill
And if anybody makes it
Surely I will

If anybody makes it
Oh I surely I will
I know that I will
And if anybody makes it
Then surely I will

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Example #3: Surely I Will - The Dixie Knights



Sam Capps' Gospel Music Collection, Published on Mar 6, 2014

Dixie Knights were a popular 1950's gospel group from Knoxville TN. They appeared on TV and traveled with Archie Campbell, sang at the first radio gospel broadcast in Bonifay, FL, and were featured at the first National Gospel Convention hosted by Blackwood brothers and Statesman in Memphis TN. Although there are some 78 and 45 records included in this collection, most of these songs were taped on Reel to reel with a hand held microphone.

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