VOCAL VERSION

KARAOKE VERSION

Luke 16:31: (a message from Heaven spoken by Abraham to the rich man concerning the directions on how to get there) “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

Forgiveness of sins is such a huge blessing, it would, in and of itself, be a more than adequate incentive to accept Jesus as your Savior. But God also includes an added bonus: eternal life in heaven. This hope makes it easy to bear hardship on this lousy planet. To quote some lyrics from this site, “it’s just a passing fancy” (Holding On), and “the fashion of this world is passing by” (SDA). The last word on the subjects of Heaven and earth is found in Revelation 21:1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

After the affected song “Manna,” and the slide guitar excesses of “A Prophecy” and “Nazarites,” I thought that something very simple would be appropriate. I listened to enough gospel music by the Carter Family to learn that they have a basic musical style that is simplicity itself. The problem: the pre-existing lyrics for this song bloated it to almost twice the length of most of the Carter Family songs it seeks to emulate!

LYRICS

When I Die

8 When I

8 Die, I wanna go to Heaven. When I

8 Die, I wanna go to Heaven. When I

8 Die, I wanna go to Heaven. I wanna go to

8 Heaven when I die, for I am

8 Wasting away down here below.

8 Heaven is where I want to go. I am

8 Pestered by sinners wherever I turn. It’s more than e-

8 nough to make my stomach churn. They barely

8 Listen to the story that I tell, of the glory of

8 Heaven, and the fire of Hell. Some will not

8 Pay me the slightest heed. They just con-

8 tinue with their evil deed. When they

8 Die, they need to go to Heaven. When they

8 Die, they need to go to Heaven. When they

8 Die, they need to go to Heaven, but they must

8 First forsake their wicked ways. It is

8 Unwholesome, a life of vice. To get to

8 Heaven you gotta be nice. You must

8 Be on your best behavior, if you want to

8 Please your bles-sed Savior. You must try

8 Harder to get along, and learn the

8 Difference between right and wrong. The Holy

8 Spirit, He will assist, when you re-

8 pent, when you resist. When you

8 Die, you gotta go to Heaven. When you

8 Die, you gotta go to Heaven. When you

8 Die, you gotta go to Heaven, because

8 Heaven is where you need to be. The Great

8 Commission, it recommends, we tell our

8 Neighbors, we tell our friends, And distant

8 Nations who’ve not yet heard, about sal-

8 vation, and the Holy Word. Some are hard-

8 hearted, but some are not. Still I keep pro-

8 claiming the message I got. There are plenty of

8 Fish in the sea so I keep casting. I want to win a

8 Crown that’s everlasting. When I

8 Die, I want to go to Heaven. While I

8 Live, I’m spreading the news. I’ve de-

8 cided which direction to travel, the

8 Direction I’m asking you to choose.

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