Every Time I Feel the Spirit

"Every Time I Feel the Spirit"
Song
Written	before 1861
Genre	Spiritual
Songwriter(s)	Unknown

"Every Time I Feel the Spirit" (aka "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit") is an African-American spiritual dating to before the US Civil War. The song has been frequently recorded by contemporary artists and gospel music groups. ^{[1] [2]}

Lyrics

Refrain

Every time I feel the Spirit

moving in my heart I will pray.

Yes, every time I feel the Spirit

moving in my heart I will pray

Verse 1

Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke,

out of God's mouth came fire and smoke.

Looked all around me, it looked so fine,

till I asked my Lord if all was mine. [Refrain]

Verse 2

Jordan River, chilly and cold,

it chills the body but not the soul.

There is but one train upon this track.

It runs to heaven and then right back. [Refrain] ^[3]

Alternative Lyrics

Refrain

Every time I feel the Spirit

moving in my heart I will pray.

Yes, every time I feel the Spirit

moving in my heart I will pray

Verse 1

Upon the mountain, my Lord spoke,

out his mouth came fire and smoke.

All around me, looks so shine,

ask my Lord if all was mine. [Refrain]

Verse 2

Jordan River, runs right cold,

chills the body not the soul.

Ain't but one train on this track,

runs to heaven and right back. [Refrain]

Content

As a Spiritual, "Every Time" draws heavily from the Bible. The verse

Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke,

out of God's mouth came fire and smoke.

Is drawn from Exodus 19:18, which describes Moses' encounter with god on Mount Sinai where god "descended upon it in fire"

History

"Every Time" likey originated during the Antebellum South by enslaved people. Abraham Lincoln is claimed to have visited a holding camp for contraband in Washington, D.C. during the Civil War and heard the group of former slaves sing to him. it is said that "Ev'ry time" brought him to tears. ^[4] It remained a standard in black religious music and was standardized in hymn books in the early 20th century. ^{[5] [6]}

See also

• Christian child's prayer § Spirituals
• Spirituals
• Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
• Go Down Moses
• W. E. B. Du Bois
• Every Time I Feel the Spirit (album)

References

1. "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" at allmusic.com Archived 2014-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series". 1963.
3. "Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal 66. Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke - Hymnary.org".
4. Washington, John E. (1942). They knew Lincoln. Dutton. pp. 84–87. ISBN   0190270969 . Retrieved 28 August 2025.
5. Fenner, Thomas P. (1909). Religious folk songs of the Negro as sung on the plantations. Hampton, Va. : Institute Press. p. 168.
6. Johnson, James Weldon (1925). The book of American Negro spirituals. New York : Viking Press. p. 142.

External links

• Lyrics to "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" (first version) at negrospirituals.com Archived 2015-02-15 at the Wayback Machine
• Lyrics to "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" (second version) at negrospirituals.com Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
• History of "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" at History of Hymns: 'Every Time I Feel the Spirit'
• Lincoln Visits Contraband Camp at They Knew Lincoln