Lift Him Up That's All

"Lift Him Up That's All" is a gospel blues song recorded in 1927 by Washington Phillips. It is a solo performance, with Phillips' vocals and zither.[2]

"Lift Him Up That's All"
Single by Washington Phillips
Recorded	Dallas, Texas, December 2, 1927
Genre	Gospel blues
Length	3:31
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Unknown
Producer(s)	Frank B. Walker [1]

Description

The verses tell the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, found in the Gospel of John at 4:4-30.

The refrain draws from the Gospel of John at 12:32, often interpreted as a prophecy of the Crucifixion and/or the Resurrection of Jesus:

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

and runs as follows:[3]

Oh, lift Him up, that's all,
Lift Him up in His word,
If you'll tell the name of Jesus everywhere,
If you'll keep His name a-ringin' everywhere that you go,
He will draw men unto Him.

The song seems to have fallen into obscurity until revived in 2002 by the bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley.

Recordings

• 1927 – Washington Phillips, Columbia Records single [4][5][6]
• c. 1928 – Blind Benny Paris and Wife,[7] Victor Records(?)[8] single
• 2002 – Ralph Stanley, "Lift Him Up, That's All" [9][10] on the album Ralph Stanley
• 2011 – Ralph Stanley, "Lift Him Up, That's All" [9] on the album A Mother's Prayer [11]

Other songs

The refrain has some resemblances to that of the 1903 hymn "Lift Him Up" by Johnson Oatman, Jr., but the music and verses are different.[12]

See also

• "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well", a different gospel song on the same Biblical story

References

1. Corcoran, Michael (December 29, 2002). "Exhuming the Legend of Washington Phillips". Austin Statesman. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
2. "Washington Phillips discography". wirz.de. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
3. "Washington Phillips Lift Him Up That's All Lyrics". Retrieved August 23, 2015.
4. George Washington Phillips: Lift Him Up That's All at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
5. A.C. Forehand / Blind Mamie Forehand / George Washington Phillips: Lift Him up That's All at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
6. Lift Him Up That's All at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
7. Blind Benny Paris and Wife: Lift Him Up That's All at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
8. "Blind Benny Paris and Wife (Vocal group)". ucsb.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
9. Ralph Stanley: Lift Him Up, That's All, Composed by Washington Phillips at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
10. Ralph Stanley: Lift Him Up That's All at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
11. Deming, Mark. Ralph Stanley: A Mother's Prayer at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
12. "Lift Him Up (Oatman)". nethymnal.org. Retrieved August 23, 2015.