Granny (in the middle) and her cousins at the
Truett Family Reunion at Upper Peachtree Baptist Church (the old church)
Many folks grew up singing the hymn “I Can’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore” in church. In most modern hymnals the copyright and arrangement is by Albert E. Brumley who is most famous for writing “I’ll Fly Away.”
Interestingly Brumley did not write the song and no one knows for sure who did.
The Hymnology Archive websites says the origins of the song are unclear, but that it first appeared anonymously in Joyful Meeting in Glory Song Book No. 1 (1919). There was no music, only text.
A.P. Carter is well known for finding old songs and then copyrighting them. At some point he found “I Can’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore” and the Carter Family recorded it in 1931.
Jump over to Hymnology Archive to read the fascinating history of the song.
I hope you enjoyed hearing Paul and Granny’s singing!
Tipper
Original singles released on Spotify.
That excellent singing, close harmony was a rare treat. I also enjoyed seeing the picture of the church yard and all the people getting ready to go into the church. It reminded me of the day I got saved. I saw the preacher standing at the door with a cigarette in his mouth and I though that might be a good time to approach him with my request, and that was to get saved. Well, I made my request and he said to just wait until the assembly convened and then they would take care of it. That’s really what I wanted to avoid, but I went on up when they called all us sinners to the altar. They prayed over me until I let go of all the mean things I’d ever thought and done. After it was all over and the preacher declared me truly saved, I did indeed feel like a new person. One of the old deacons came up later, welcomed me to the church and told me my work was just beginning and to meet them the next Saturday to lay cinder blocks for a new chimney on the back of the church! After that, I must have helped build or renovate a dozen more churches. I really learned that being a Christian is real work!
That picture and the song is so special. I’ve sung that song ever since I baptized in April of 1978….I used to sing it while I worked one summer in college, cleaning the bathrooms of a department store.
Such a treat hearing Granny singing with Paul. I don’t think I ever heard this hymn before but I just loved it. Thank you also for the picture of Granny and her cousins. She sure was a beautiful woman and still is. God bless you and your lovely family. love to Granny.❤️
Granny is amazing!! I can hear her alto so clearly. Look at how the church folks are dressed. Things sure look different in churches now. Thank you Paul and Granny. Beautiful.
putting in a request for Life’s Railway and Royal Telephone and maybe Meeting in the Air…love hearing Granny sing
A favorite of mine! They sound so good. The old hymns are wonderful.
Always loved this song.
Oh I loved singing along with Granny and Paul. It’s one of the songs we usually sing when the family all gets together. We’ve always sung “the angels beckon me from heaven’s open door…” The information about it was very interesting.
Ron, I was thinking in the mid to late 50’s going by the automobiles. The man on the left side of the picture behind the lady in the dark dress reminds me of how my Granddaddy would look in his dark suit pants, white shirt, tie and hat. His hat ALWAYS came off as he stepped through the doorway to go inside of the church. RESPECT for church.
What a blessing!!!
Thanks for sharing. The song in itself is a blessing but to hear & see “Granny” & Paul together! Oh my! It made me feel so thankful for the time & place in which I grew up.
Good stuff! Enjoyed hearing one that I’ve sung with the Smith side of the family around the upright in the living room at my grandparents’ house and on the front porch with guitars. Harmony was our thing. We had all four parts. When Paul and Granny start taking requests, put me down for “The Royal Telephone,” “When I Take My Vacation in Heaven,” “Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad,” and maybe an old Roy Acuff song or two–“The Great Speckled Bird,” “The Crash On the Highway,” or “Way Back In the Hills.”
Gene, two of my favorite songs are “The Great Speckled Bird” sung by Roy Acuff and Oswald. I love a dobro, and Oswald was one of the best.“Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad” was one of my father in laws favorite songs, he would often sing it in church for the “special music.”
They do a great job singing together. These are the kinds of songs I have heard all of my life. Blessings.
I always liked that song! I love Granny’s harmony and Paul just showed me a new way to play rhythm guitar in the key of A. Thanks!
I love, love these old Southern hymns.❤️❤️❤️❤️
Granny can really find some nice harmonies!
What a lovely photo! Thank you for sharing it with us, Tipper.
is that where granny met pap? God bless Granny Wilson
Norman-they didn’t meet there : )
Beautiful picture and beautiful singing! Always love to hear Granny and Paul and I just love the old hymns. What a special treat this morning!! Have a blessed Sunday everyone!!
I love that photo (and the song!) I remember the “stand out slips” that my sisters and I had to wear with those full-skirted dresses! Scratchy! My little friends and I called them “stick-out” slips.
Such beautiful ladies in that old picture! Now I am hinting at my age, but it looks like a crinoline is being worn by the lady on the right. Did any of the BP ladies like me have one as a must have in your closet? I was also taught no matter how shabby or old, you wore your best outfit, clean and pressed, to church out of respect for our Lord. That photo reminds me of going with my granddad and grandma to their little church when we visited them in the south. All the ladies wore hats and the men their summer straw hats. And the old hymns will always be the music of my heart.
Cheryl. Mama got me a crinoline when I was young, and we always wore our Sunday best to church. We had Sunday clothes and then play clothes.
I love that song and Granny and Paul sang it beautifully. I heard it all the time growing up in church. I couldn’t believe I remembered the entire first verse and chorus and sang right along with them. Good memories. Have a sweet Sunday everyone.
Loved hearing Paul and Granny sing. We used to sing that song at home, I don’t think they sang it at our church we attended in Ohio, but they did sing hymns. I don’t like a lot of the songs we sing at church now; but the hymns preach a sermon, and we don’t sing them enough. My mother always had me play old songs on the piano she grew up with. “I’ll fly Away” and “Turn the Radio On” were two others we used to sing. I’ve heard Katie and Corrie sing “I’ll Fly Away” and they do a great job. Tipper, what’s the date of the picture of Granny and her cousins above? Looks like middle 50s-early 60s.
Tricia-I would guess late 50s or early 60s. I’ll have to ask Granny 🙂
I wished Paul and Granny hadda swapped places so we coulda heard her a little better. I thought at first that her voice was getting weaker then I figured out that being closer to the microphone might fix a lot of that.
Still I enjoyed the song tremendously!!
I so enjoyed Paul and Granny singing gospel this morning. God bless “ya all”!
Always a joy hearing Granny and Paul singing. Especially one of those great old hymns such as this. A wonderful way to start a Sunday morning.
That “vintage” photo takes me back to my childhood; the cars, the hats, the white shirts, the dresses. It made me smile in fond memory even before I read the caption and there is Granny front and center. I’m guessing the date was about 1960. I like what I can see of the church to; simple, everyday, God-honoring elegance. And I feel what the song says, I am less and less at home here, though there is yet much to delight in. I am somehow reminded of words of another song “Standing by the River”.
“Here I stand beside death’s chilly waters waiting for my final call, standing by the river looking beyond.”
Thanks for the song and the reminder of sweet memories.
So sweet! I love hearing Paul and Granny sing together❣️
Granny was beautiful then and still is.
I loved hearing Granny sing. Paul is great as well.
You folks make me feel like we are family that I’ve known forever.
Blessings to you all.
That picture is a treasure, not only because of Granny, but the respect shown by the people attending by their mode of dress. In the modern world, I am ashamed to say, people dress as if they were shopping at WalMart. As far as old songs, my request at my going away is for I’ll Fly Away to be played over and over. Thanks for sharing. Blessings for Granny and you guys.
I am agree with you. I believe some would dress better if they were going to Walmart. I remember when people would dress respectfully for church. Yesterday, I mentioned men wearing hats at church, when they stepped inside the door, especially the auditorium, the hats came off. Personally I think a lady dressed like Granny and the others in the picture are a heck of a lot more attractive.
I agree, Glenda. That’s just the way everyone dressed back then! Dresses were fun!
This was the best! There’s nothing better than these old-fashioned hymns. I loved it – thank you for sharing.
Beautiful singing. l look forward to Paul and Granny making such wonderful music. More please!
I love listening to Paul and Granny sing.This is a song we would often sing at church in the past but have not heard in a long time. Every once and awhile our choir sings” I’ll Fly Away.” We still sing the old time hymns, none of today’s so called gospel music.
Just looked at the weather radar, looks like Tipper may be getting a “hurrinado” about now, a few more hours before it gets to me.