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Palms of Victory

[ Roud 3540 ; Ballad Index R525 ; attributed to Rev. John B. Matthias (1836)]

Linzy Hicks of Beech Mountain, North Caroline, sang the gospel song Palms of Victory in 1966 to Anne and Frank Warner. This was printed in the Warner’s 1984 book Traditional American Folk Songs From the Anne & Frank Warner Collection, and was included in 2000 on the Appleseed Recordings anthology Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still (The Warner Collection Volume I). The album’s booklet noted:

We find this in Moody and Sankey’s Gospel Hymns Consolidated, 1, 2, 3, and 4 (1883), called Deliverance Will Come; words and music attributed to the Rev.  John B. Matthias, dated 1836.

Muckram Wakes sang Palms of Victory, “a Baptist hymn”, in 1980 on their Highway album Warbles, Jangles and Reeds.

Swan Arcade sang The Wayworn Traveller on 26 January 1986, with a chorus of Maddy Prior, Sara Grey, Ellie Ellis, Paul Adams, Linda Adams, Su Adams, Sara Wacend, Dave Howard, Jez Lowe, Anna Marie Flanagan, Bram Taylor, Dawn Caesar, Martin Carthy, Alison Whittaker, Alan Taylor, Alan Taylor, Dave Weatherall, Ada Anscrew and Martin Hall. This recording was included in the same year on the Fellside anthology celebrating the label’s first 10 years, Flash Company. Swan Arcade also sang Palms of Victory on their 1988 cassette Nothing Blue.

Martin Simpson played the tune of Palms of Victory on his 1993 album of instrumental arrangements of American gospel songs, A Closer Walk With Thee.

Cath and Phil Tyler sang Palms of Victory in a 2005 recording on their 2021 collection of compilation tracks and unreleased home recordings, Some Heavy Hand.

Lyrics

Linzy Hicks sings Palms of Victory

I saw a wayward trav’ler, in garments tattered clad
And trav’ling up the mountain, it seemed that he was sad.
His back was laden heavy, his strength was almost gone,
He shouted as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

Chorus (after each verse):
Then palms of victory, crowns of glory
Palms of victory I shall wear.

He sauntered by the arbour that stood beside the way,
Attracted his attention, invited his delay.
His watchword being “Onwards!”, he stopped his ears and ran
And shouted as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

I saw him in the evening, the sun was bending low,
He had over-topped the mountain and reached the vale below.
He saw the Golden City, his everlasting home,
And shouted loud, “Hosanna! Deliverance will come!”

Swan Arcase sing The Wayworn Traveller

I met a wayworn trav’ler, in tattered garments clad
And struggling up the mountain, it seemed that he was sad.
His back was laden heavy, his strength was almost gone,
And he shouted as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

Chorus (after each verse):
Singing palms of victory, crowns of glory
Palms of victory I shall wear.

The summer sun was shining, the sweat was on his brow,
His garments torn and dusty, his step were very slow.
But he kept pressing onward for he was wending home,
Still shouting as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

The songsters in the arbour that stood beside the way,
Attracted his attention, inviting his delay.
His watchword being “Onward!”, he stopped his ears and ran
Still shouting as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

I saw him in the evening, the sun was bending low,
He’d over-topped the mountain and reached the vale below.
He saw the Golden City, his everlasting home,
And he shouted loud, “Hosanna! Deliverance will come!”

I heard that song of triumph upon the other shore,
Crying, “Jesus has redeemed us to suffer never more.”
And casting his eyes backwards on the race which he had run,
He shouted loud, “Hosanna! Deliverance has come!”

Cath and Phil Tyler sing Palms of Victory

I saw a wayward trav’ler, in garments tattered clad,
And saw him up the mountain, it seemed that he was sad.
His back was laden heavy, his strength was almost gone,
But he shouted as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

Chorus (after each verse):
Then palms of victory, crowns of glory,
Palms of victory I shall wear.

He sauntered by the arbour that stood beside the way,
Attracted his attention, invited his delay.
For his watchword being “Onwards!”, he stopped his ears and ran
And shouted as he journeyed, “Deliverance will come!”

I saw him in the evening, the sun was siking low,
He had over-topped the mountain and reached the vale below.
He saw the Golden City, his everlasting home,
And shouted, “Hosanna! Deliverance has come!”