Artist & Tune
1942 field rec by Bozie Sturdivant
1950s rec by Brother Claude Ely
slower version by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
1994 rec by Tim & Molly O'Brien
2006 rec by Johnny Cash
Video by Wilson Banjo Co.
2019 rec by Molly Skaggs
About the Song
An African-American gospel song, "C'aint no grave," has been traced back to a 1933 Church of God in Christ hymnal by blogger Debi Simons. That version was recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in July 1942 (and released in 1943 as "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down") in a slower, gospel style. That version was adapted by Sr. Rosetta Thorpe & released in 1946-47 bt the Black gospel singer Sr. Rosetta Thorpe as "Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down".
The song is usually credited to Bro. Claude Ely, a white itinerant gospel preacher who said he first was given the song at age 12 when the doctors said he was. dying of TB but he was healed. The song in Ely's version was recorded (and copyrighted) in 1953, even though he says that he wrote it as early as 1935.
The Long & Winding History of "Ain't No Grave" by Debi Simons (2024 blog post)
Secondhand songs list of covers to Ely version: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/114801/versions
Many of the covers have been blues and bluegrass bands.
Other notable covers & adaptations include:
- Harry Dean Stanton in the 1967 Hollywood film "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman
- Tim & Mollie O'Brien 1994 on "Away Out on the Mountain"
- Crooked Still 2006 on "Shaken by a Low Sound"
- Johnny Cash — recorded in 2006 & released on a posthumous album in 2010 on "Americana VI: Ain't No Grave"
- Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs (2019) — with a new verse & chorus on Jesus' resurrection
Here are the lyrics to song as recorded by Crooked Still in 2006:
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down (2x)
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna get up out of the ground
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Go down yonder Gabriel, put your foot on the land & sea
Oh, Gabriel don't you blow that trumpet until you hear from me
I looked way over yonder & what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels & they're coming after me
Then I looked way down the river, saw the people dressed in white
I knew it was God's people 'cause I saw them doing right
Going down to the river, Jordan & I'm gonna bury my knees in the sand
Holler "Hosanna" 'till I reach the promised land
Then I looked way over yonder & what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels & they're coming after me
Oh, meet me, King Jesus, meet me won't you meet me in the middle of the air?
If these wings should carry me, I won't need another pair
—credited to Ethan Johns, Public Domain & Tom Jones
lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis Songs Group. All rights reserved.
(see some of the many variants of lyrics below beginning with the Bozie Sturdivant field recording in Mississippi.)
Alt Lyrics
Here are the lyrics on Sturdivant's original field recording of the song, which could be older than Ely's:
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
Ain't no grave can hold my body down, my body down
When the first trumpets sound, I'll be getting up, walking around
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
(up 4) D - - - / - - A - / D - G D / A - D -
Then I heard of, beautiful city, & the streets was lined with gold
Then I have not been to Heaven, oh Lord, but I been told
Then I found this old grave, I'm gonna pawn my soul astray
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
D - G D / A - - - / D - G D / A - D -
(Bozie Sturdivant, lead vocal, Silent Grove Baptist Church Congregation, vocal accompaniment)
This is Sister Rosetta Tharpe's adaptation of a traditional gospel song called "Ain't No Grave":
"Cain't No Grave Hold My Body Down" (2nd version in upbeat blues style)
There ain't no grave can hold my body down
There ain't no grave can hold my body down
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
C - FG C / - - G - / C - F / C G CF C
It was early one morning, just about the break of day
The angel came from glory & rolled the stone away
But when the women came along & they found that the savior was gone
You know cain't no grave hold my body down
Well, look down yonder Gabriel, put your feet on the land & sea
But Gabriel don't you blow your trumpet 'til you hear it from me
I want you to blow (x8) / Ain't no grave...
Well, meet me Jesus, meet me. Meet me in the middle of the air
And if these wings don't fail me I will meet you anywhere
Well, meet me mother & father, meet me down the river road
And momma you know that I'll be there when I check in my load
Version as recorded & copyrighted by Brother Claude Ely in 1954:
There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down (2x)
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna get up out of the ground
'Cause there ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
G - - - D G - - - / C - - - D G - - - / G - C G / - - - - D G - - - -
Well, go down yonder, Gabriel, put your feet on the land & sea
But Gabriel, don't you blow your trumpet until you hear from me
Well, I look way over yonder, seen people dressed in white
I know it was God's people, I'd seen them doin' right
Well, I looked way down the river & what do you think I'd seen?
I'd seen a band of angels there's a-comin' after me
G - - - / - - D G :// )3x)
Well, I'm goin' to the river of Jordan, bury my knees down in the sand
Gonna holler "High, Hosanna" till I reach that promised land
Well, I looked way over yonder & what do you think I'd seen?
I'd seen a band of angels, there's a-comin' after me
Well, meet me, Jesus, meet me, well, meet me in the middle of the air
And if these wings should fail me, there won't be 9 other pairs
Johnny Cash as covered in a 2006 recording:
There ain't no grave can hold my body down (2x)
Dm - - - / Gm Am Dm -
When I hear that trumpet sound
I'm gonna rise right out of the ground
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
Dm - - - / / Gm Am Dm - /
Well, look way down the river, what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels & they're coming after me
Ain't no grave can hold my body down
There ain't no grave can hold my body down
Dm - - - / / Gm Am Dm - / / (other verses as v. 2)
Well, look down yonder, Gabriel, put your feet on the land & sea
But Gabriel, don't you blow your trumpet 'til you hear it from me
Well, meet me, Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air
And if these wings don't fail me, I will meet you anywhere
Well, meet me, mother & father, meet me down the river road
And momma you know that I'll be there when I check in my load
—credited to Johnny R. Cash / Claude Ely
Ain't No Grave lyrics © Fort Knox Music Inc., Trio Music Company, Seconds Out Publishing Llc, Three Crows Music, Song Of Cash Music, Three Crows Music (big Deal), Hipgnosis Beats. All rights reserved.
Version as adapted in 2018 by Molly Skaggs & Bethel Music & released in 2019:
Oh, shame is a prison as cruel as a grave
Shame is a robber and he's come to take my name
Oh, love is my redeemer lifting me up from the ground
Love is the power when my freedom song is found
There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down (2x)
When I hear that trumpet sound, I'm gonna rise up outta the ground
There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Oh, fear is a liar with a smooth & velvet tongue
Fear is a tyrant, he's always telling me to run
Oh, love is a resurrection & love is a trumpet sound
Love is my weapon, I'm gonna take my giants down
Oh, there was a battle, a war between death & life
And there on a tree, the Lamb of God was crucified
And He went on down to hell, He took back every key
He rose up as a lion & He set all captives free
(chorus 2)
There ain't no grave could hold His body down
When He heard the trumpet sound, He rose up outta the ground
There ain't no grave could hold His body down
There ain't no grave could hold my body down (2x)
(bridge) Oh, if you walked out of the grave, I'm walking too
If you walked out of the grave, I'm walking too...
—2018 adaptation of an older gospel song by Jonathan David Helser, Melissa Helser & Molly Skaggs
lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.