“When my time comes around
Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth
No grave can hold my body down
I’ll crawl home to her.”

~ lyrics to the chorus of “Work Song,” written by Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier Byrne, originally published through Rubyworks under license from Columbia records. Featured on the “From Eden” EP (March 9th, 2014). Also available on Hozier’s first self-titled album from October 7th of the same year.

–

“No grave can hold my body down” is a familiar refrain from a a classic American spiritual, with a gospel influence from biblical stories (of the resurrection, I think? Or redemption day, I think).

The song “Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down” was originally written in 1934 – just before WWII era – by Claude Ely, a twelve year old child from Virginia who was sick with tuberculosis at the time. The first recorded performance of this song featured Bozie Sturdivant, and was included among a compilation of “[African American] Religious Field Recordings” from that era in the southeastern United States. In this recording, you can hear the crackle of the (record player? tape recorder?) in the digitized track circa 1994.

Many musical artists with americana heritage have recorded and performed their own unique covers of this song, including groups who perform contemporary bluegrass, gospel, country western, church choirs, rhythm and blues. Among my favorites is a cover from Crooked Still, fronted by Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan.

Johnny Cash made a cover of this song for the posthumously released American VI: Ain’t No Grave album (2010). The song was recorded in 2003, shortly before he died. In this recording, you can hear the frailty in the voice of an old man, and the sound of chains being dragged along the ground serves as percussion.

I’m pretty sure Hozier was among the first to take the worshipful devotion in these lyrics – “no grave can hold my body down” – and apply that to a woman instead of, like – God.

–

I just want an alto harmony cover of Hozier’s “work song,” for the sapphic euphoria moment. Or at the very least a love story featuring Edgar Alan Poe’s Annabell Lee.

Heck, I would even settle for a third season Good Omens.

–

The lyrics to the Johnny Cash track of Ain’t No Grave go something like this:

“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, I look way down the river
What do you think I see?
I see a band of angels
And 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 and sea
But Gabriel, don’t you blow your trumpet
Till you hear from me

There ain’t no grave
Can hold my body down
Ain’t no grave
Can hold my body down

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 grave
Can hold my body down
There ain’t no grave
Can hold my body down

Well, meet me, mother and father
Meet me down the river road
And mama, you know that I’ll be there
When I check in my load

There ain’t no grave
Can hold my body down
There ain’t no grave
Can hold my body down.”