O'Donovan and DiMario met at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in spring of 2001. Former cellist Rushad Eggleston, who was studying at Berklee College of Music, and Liszt, a graduate student at MIT, were playing music together around the same time. When the four met that summer, they formed the band that would be Crooked Still. While its members finished school, Crooked Still played various Boston venues, growing in popularity and collecting favorable reviews from the local press, notably the Boston Globe, Northeast Performer, and the Boston Herald.
In 2004, the group was invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where their debut album, Hop High, was the top-selling CD. Following the success of this first festival appearance, Crooked Still went on to appear at concert halls, nightclubs, coffeehouses, and festivals in 23 states and several different countries. On August 22, 2006, they released their second CD, Shaken by a Low Sound.
In October 2007 the band announced that Eggleston would be leaving the group. Eggleston performed his last show with the band on November 18, 2007, at the Ironhorse in Northampton, Massachusetts. Cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddler Brittany Haas joined the lineup in January 2008. The band released its first album with the new lineup, Still Crooked, in June 2008.
Ain't No Grave
Crooked Still Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
when i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
go down yonder gabriel put your foot on the land and sea
oh gabriel don't you blow your trumpet until you hear from me
i see a band of angels and 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
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
when i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
i'm going down to the river jordan and i'm gonna bury my knees in the sand
holler "ah, hosanna" till i reach the promised land
then i looked way over yonder and what do you think i see?
i see a band of angels and they're coming after me
so meet me king jesus meet me wont' you meet me in the middle of the air
if these wings should carry me, i won't need another pair
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
when i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
The lyrics to Crooked Still's song "Ain't No Grave" speak to the idea of eternal life and resurrection after death. The opening lines "There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down" suggest the singer's confidence in their ability to overcome death and be resurrected. The repetition of this line throughout the song reinforces this idea.
The reference to Gabriel and his trumpet is a nod to the biblical story of the end times, where the archangel Gabriel blows his trumpet to signify the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead. The singer asks Gabriel not to blow his trumpet until he hears from them, indicating a desire to be ready for the coming of Christ.
The imagery of a band of angels coming for the singer, dressed in white and doing right, suggests a final judgement where the righteous are separated from the wicked. The singer's desire to meet Jesus in the air suggests a rapture, where believers are lifted up to meet Jesus in the sky.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of hope and belief in eternal life that is fundamental to many religious traditions.
Line by Line Meaning
There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
I am confident that no grave can prevent me from rising from the dead.
ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
I will rise from the dead just as my spirit longs to do.
when i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
Upon hearing the trumpet call from Gabriel, I will rise from beneath the earth.
aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
There is no earthly confinement that can prevent me from living again.
go down yonder gabriel put your foot on the land and sea
Gabriel, continue your work throughout the world and I will come to you when the time is right.
oh gabriel don't you blow your trumpet until you hear from me
Wait until I am ready to rise from the earth before you sound your trumpet, Gabriel.
i looked way over yonder and what do you think i see?
I gazed far into the distance and perceived something remarkable.
i see a band of angels and they're coming after me
An army of heavenly beings marches toward me, ready to assist me in my transition to the afterlife.
then i looked way down the river saw the people dressed in white
I peered at the river and saw a group of Saintly individuals adorned in white garments.
i knew it was god's people 'cause i saw them doing right
I discerned that these people were gods chosen ones by the righteousness of their behavior.
i'm going down to the river jordan and i'm gonna bury my knees in the sand
I will journey to the Jordan River, where I will immerse myself in the water in reverence of its significance.
holler "ah, hosanna" till i reach the promised land
As I head towards the promised land, I will chant to the heavens to show my gratitude.
so meet me king jesus meet me wont' you meet me in the middle of the air
Holy Father, please meet me halfway in the sky as my body rises towards you.
if these wings should carry me, i won't need another pair
Once I reach the heights of heaven, I will no longer need anything else to sustain me.
Contributed by Maria H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MarkosDantes
There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
Aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
Go down yonder gabriel put your foot on the land and sea
Oh gabriel don't you blow your trumpet until you hear from me
I looked way over yonder and what do you think i see?
I see a band of angels and 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
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
Aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
I'm going down to the river jordan and i'm gonna bury my knees in the sand
Holler "ah, hosanna" till i reach the promised land
Then i looked way over yonder and what do you think i see?
I see a band of angels and they're coming after me
So meet me king jesus meet me wont' you meet me in the middle of the air
If these wings should carry me, i won't need another pair
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
When i hear that trumpet sound i'm gonna get up out of the ground
Aint' no grave gonna hold my body down
Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down
@nellicosta7701
"Your mom is very easy to please"
"Im with you, my bar is very low"
@lilygreen221
Im like Dina then xD
@amysummer9076
Lily Green same
@nellicosta7701
@@lilygreen221 same here
@estelinkesnuevoyt6877
Amy Summer me too
@roblereck
@@estelinkesnuevoyt6877 Badass game.
@WilliamKrzykalski
The Last of Us 2
Dina when Ellie puts this song on: Oh F**k Yeah
@baryon9632
Swearing when new born baby is in room
@waves2378
Your mom is very easy to please.
@baryon9632
The Masterr Reactor great 😄👍