Born Rosetta Nubin on the 20th March 1915 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, she began performing at age four, billed as "Little Rosetta Nubin, the singing and guitar playing miracle", accompanying her mother, Church of God in Christ (COGIC) evangelist Katie Bell Nubin, who played mandolin and preached at tent revivals throughout the Southern U.S.A. Exposed to both blues and jazz both in the South and after her family moved to Chicago in the late 1920s, she played blues and jazz in private, while performing gospel music in public settings. Her unique style reflected those secular influences: she bent notes the way that jazz artists did and picked guitar like Memphis Minnie.
Rosetta also crossed over to secular music in other ways. After marrying COGIC preacher Thomas Thorpe (from which "Tharpe" is a misspelling) in 1934 and moving to New York City, she recorded four sides with Decca Records backed by "Lucky" Millinder's jazz orchestra. Her records caused an immediate furore: many churchgoers were shocked by the mixture of sacred and secular music, but secular audiences loved them. Appearances in John Hammond's 1938 extravaganza "From Spirituals to Swing", at the Cotton Club and Café Society and with Cab Calloway and Benny Goodman, made her even more popular. Songs like "This Train" and "Rock Me", which combined gospel themes with bouncy up-tempo arrangements, became smash hits among audiences with little previous exposure to gospel music.
Tharpe continued recording during World War II, one of only two gospel artists able to record V-discs for troops overseas. Her song "Strange Things Happening Every Day", recorded in 1944 with Sammy Price, Decca's house boogie woogie pianist, showcased her virtuosity as a guitarist and her witty lyrics and delivery. It was also the first gospel song to make Billboard's "race records" Top Ten -- something that she accomplished several more times in her career.
After the war Decca paired her with Marie Knight, a sanctified shouter with a strong contralto and a more subdued style than Tharpe. Their hit "Up above My Head" showed both of them to great advantage: Knight provided the response to Tharpe in traditional call and response format, then took the role that would have been assigned to a bass in a male quartet after Tharpe's solo. They toured the gospel circuit for a number of years, during which Tharpe was so popular that she attracted 25,000 paying customers to her wedding to her manager Russell Morrison (her third marriage), followed by a vocal performance, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. in 1951.
Their popularity took a sudden downturn, however, when they recorded several blues songs in the early 1950s. Knight attempted afterwards to cross over to popular music, while Tharpe remained in the church, but rebuffed by many of her former fans. Retreating to Europe, Tharpe gradually returned to the gospel circuit, although at nowhere near her former celebrity. Her performances were curtailed even further by a stroke in 1970 after which she lost the use of her legs. She died on the 9th October 1973 after another stroke, on the eve of a scheduled recording session.
Peace In The Valley
Sister Rosetta Tharpe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I must toll alone
Until the Lord comes to call
Call me away, oh yes
The morning, the morning is so bright
For the lamb, the lamb is the light
(You don't have to worry about the darkness)
As the day...
There will be peace in the valley for me, someday
There will be peace in the valley (I believe in it with all my heart)
Will be for me someday, Lord I pray
(This is what I'm waiting for brother)
There'll be no sorrow, no more sorrow
No more sadness, no more sadness
No more troubles, no more troubles
Will there be but everlasting peace
In the valley, thank God, for me
Well the bear will be gentle
He said the wolf will be tamed
You know the lion will lay down by the lamb, oh yes
Oh... the host from the wild
Will be led by a little, little child
We're going to change
We're going to change
We're going to change
We're going to change
We're going to change
The lyrics of “Peace in the Valley” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe express a desire for a sense of tranquility and hope for a divine intervention to bring about peace, serenity, and a much-needed change in the soul’s earthly journey. The first verse, “I'm so tired and so weary, but I must toil alone until the Lord comes to call me away,” reflects a weariness caused by life’s struggles, yet the faith in the Lord’s coming provides a sense of strength and motivates the believer to persevere. The second verse speaks of the light of the “Lamb” who guides the way, and the brightness of the morning, that surpasses the darkness of the night, signifying that the struggle will eventually end. The chorus reinforces the yearning for peace by stating that it will ultimately come, bringing an end to sorrow, sadness, and troubles, furthermore emphasizing that the singer believes in it with all of their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so tired and so weary
I am exhausted and fatigued
But I must toll alone
But I have to continue on my journey alone
Until the Lord comes to call
Until God comes to take me away
Call me away, oh yes
Please call me away from this world, God
The morning, the morning is so bright
The future is bright
For the lamb, the lamb is the light
The lamb symbolizes hope and faith
(You don't have to worry about the darkness)
Do not be afraid of the darkness
And the night, is as far (Thank my God)
The darkness is far away
As the day...
As far as the light
There will be peace in the valley for me, someday
Someday, I will experience peace in this world
There will be peace in the valley (I believe in it with all my heart)
I believe that peace will come upon us all
Will be for me someday, Lord I pray
I pray that peace will come for me too someday
(This is what I'm waiting for brother)
This is what I am waiting for
There'll be no sorrow, no more sorrow
There will be no more grief or pain
No more sadness, no more sadness
There will be no more sadness or sorrow
No more troubles, no more troubles
There will be no more problems or worries
Will there be but everlasting peace
There will only be everlasting peace
In the valley, thank God, for me
I will have peace in my life, and I am grateful to God for it
Well the bear will be gentle
Even ferocious animals will become gentle
He said the wolf will be tamed
Wild wolves will be tamed
You know the lion will lay down by the lamb, oh yes
Even fierce predators like lions will coexist peacefully
Oh... the host from the wild
Wild animals
Will be led by a little, little child
Children have the power to lead all creatures, no matter how powerful or fierce they are
We're going to change
We are going to change our ways
We're going to change
We are going to change our ways
We're going to change
We are going to change our ways
We're going to change
We are going to change our ways
We're going to change
We are going to change our ways
Writer(s): Rosetta Tharpe
Contributed by Sadie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MrTrackman100
I'm searching for more of Sister Tharpe's recordings. What a wonderful talent! Wish we heard of her before now.
Don Qiihottaja
I’m not angry not finding her earlier, glad I found her now, great.
Tom Rucco
Yes for sure
Yannick Lachavanne
Revenir 60 ans en arrière, rouler sur la route 66 avec la voix de Sister Rosetta dans les oreilles...Du bonheur à l'état pur.
united4631
God given talent
Fifer McGee
National Treasure.
Michael Komnenos
wonderful - without doubt, the greatest singer of the " wonder and horror Century 20" - now angels sing with her style.
Creative Thinking
Thank you for sharing old school gospel music. Have a wonderful week. 🙏764 likes
Florence Obura
I'm speechless! Just wow.
etancia
Beautiful!