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
2019 rec by Molly Skaggs
Video by Crooked Still
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
Other notable covers & adaptations include:
- Harry Dean Stanton in the 1967 Hollywood film "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman
- Tim & Mollie O'Brien 1994
- Crooked Still 2006
- Johnny Cash — recorded in 2006 & released on a posthumous album in 2010 on Americana VI: Ain't No Grave
- Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs (2019)
Here are the lyrics on Sturdivant's original field recording of the song, which could be older than Ely's:
There ain't no grave can hold my body down (2x)
When I hear that trumpet sound, I'm gonna rise right out of the ground
Ain't no gravevcan hold my body down
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
Well, look down yonder, Gabriel, put your feet on the land & sea
But Gabriel, don't you blow your trumpet until you hear from me / There ain't no...
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 / Ain't no...
Well meet me, Mother & Father, meet me down the river road
And Mama, you know that I'll be there when I check in my load / Ain't no...
Alt Lyrics
"Cain't No Grave Hold My Body Down"
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
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
This is Sister Rosetta Tharpe's adaptation of a traditional gospel song called "Ain't No Grave".
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
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
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
—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
Version as copyrighted in 1954 by Brother Claude Ely:
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
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
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
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
There ain't no grave
Gonna hold my body down
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, oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue
Fear is a tyrant
He's always telling me to run
Oh, love is a resurrection and love is a trumpet sound
Love is my weapon
I'm gonna take my giants down
There ain't no grave
Gonna hold my body down
There ain't no grave
Gonna hold my body down
And 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, there was a battle
A war between death and 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 and He set all captives free
There ain't no grave
Could hold His body down
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 His body down
There ain't no grave
Could hold my body down
There ain't no grave
Could hold my body down
Oh, if you walked out of the grave, I'm walking too
If you walked out of the grave, I'm walking too...
Songwriters: Jonathan David Helser / Melissa Helser / Molly Skaggs
Ain't No Grave lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC