I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge
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| "I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Blind Willie Johnson | |
| Recorded | Dallas, Texas, December 5, 1928 |
| Genre | Gospel blues |
| Length | 3:21 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
"(I'm Gonna Run to) The City of Refuge" is a gospel blues song recorded in 1928 by Blind Willie Johnson, with backing vocals by Willis B. Harris, who may have been his first wife.[1] It is an adaptation of the traditional song "You Better Run".[citation needed]
The earliest known recording of the song (titled "You Better Run") was by Wiseman Sextette, c.1923.[2]
The title relates to the Biblical concept of
Holy Ghost; to Book of Revelation 12:13 ("And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child"); and to the Last Supper.[citation needed
]
Other recordings
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"I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge"
- 2004 – 7 & 7 Is, on the album Fun with Sound
"City of Refuge"
- 1988 – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, on the album Tender Prey
- 2008 – The 77s, on the album Holy Ghost Building (a different version from that released in 2004 by 7 & 7 Is)
- 2011 – Abigail Washburn, on the album City of Refuge
"You Better Run"
- 1934 – Louis Washington, unreleased [2]
- 1965 – C. J. Johnson, on the album of the same name.[3]
- 1972 – Elvis Presley with J. D. Sumner and the Stamps, on the album Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances
References
- ^ "I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge". Smithsonian Folkways. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ a b Haymes, Max. "Roots of Blind Willie Johnson – Part 1". Retrieved February 1, 2015. Also lists other recordings of the song.
- AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
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