I'm Working on a Building

"I'm Working on a Building" is a song in the both the African-American spiritual and southern gospel traditions. The song has become a standard of the genres. It has been recorded countless times by artists such as The Carter Family,[1] Bill Monroe[2], Elvis Presley[3], the Oak Ridge Boys[3], B. B. King,[4] and John Fogerty.[5]

History

One version of the song is credited to Lillian Bowles and Winifred O'Hoyle,[3] though it existed as a traditional folk song for longer than that, likely a negro spiritual of indeterminate origin. An early version of the song was collected in a 1929 book, Old Songs Hymnal by Dorothy G. Bolton; the song is described has having a calypso feel to it, leading to speculation that it may have originated in Florida or the Caribbean.[6]

The song became popularly associated with Southern gospel music when The Carter Family recorded in in 1934 for Bluebird Records; this version is copyrighted to A. P. Carter. Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, added it to his regular set-list due to numerous requests from fans, and because he appreciated the construction metaphor in the song's lyrics. It is believed that the Carter version was itself based on a much older version which the folklorist John Wesley Work III later included in his 1940 collection American Negro Songs and Spirituals.[7][8]

Blues legend B. B. King first learned the song as a young street musician, and it became a regular part of his repertoire during his early career.[9] John Fogerty included the song in his first solo project, The Blue Ridge Rangers.[5]

References

  1. ^ Zwoniter, Mark; Hirschberg, Charles (2002). Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone: The Carter Family and Their Legacy in American Music. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 137. http://books.google.com/books?id=qTdns8tiSqUC&pg=PA137&dq=i'm+working+on+a+building&hl=en&ei=LE97TuONOYaDtgfP7KEP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=i'm%20working%20on%20a%20building&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  2. ^ "Track details: I'm Working on a Building". Smithonian Folkways. http://www.folkways.si.edu/TrackDetails.aspx?itemid=28997. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  3. ^ a b c "I'm Working on a Building"". Southern Gospel History. http://www.sghistory.com/index.php?n=I.I_m_Working_On_A_Building. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  4. ^ "B. B. King Sings Spirituals". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-spirituals-r107315. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  5. ^ a b "The Blue Ridge Rangers". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-blue-ridge-rangers-r60595. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  6. ^ Erbsen, Wayne (2008). Hymns of the Old Camp Ground. Native Ground Books and Music. p. 69. http://books.google.com/books?id=2aKIGrGlnwsC&pg=PA69&dq=i'm+working+on+a+building+song&hl=en&ei=NVF7Tv3jBo65tgeBzOTkDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  7. ^ Rosenberg, Neil V.; Wolfe, Charles K. (2007). The Music of Bill Monroe. University of Illinois Press. p. 94. http://books.google.com/books?id=PmiFb1e1Fm4C&pg=PA94&dq=i'm+working+on+a+building+song&hl=en&ei=NVF7Tv3jBo65tgeBzOTkDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=i'm%20working%20on%20a%20building%20song&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  8. ^ Nemerov, Bruce (2009). "A Tennessee folklore sampler: selections from the Tennessee folklore society". Univ. of Tennessee Press. p. 323-324. http://books.google.com/books?id=0Z90XdzMKE0C&pg=PA324&dq=i'm+working+on+a+building+song&hl=en&ei=flZ7TvlDiqK2B9vqse4P&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CFcQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=i'm%20working%20on%20a%20building%20song&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
  9. ^ McGee, David (2002). B.B. King: There is Always One More Time. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 24. http://books.google.com/books?id=uuZiCElcWTQC&pg=PA24&dq=i'm+working+on+a+building+song&hl=en&ei=6Fh7TrmXO4i6tgfYk4H6Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-22.