Gospel Song – Working On A Building
Gospel Song – Working On A Building.
This gospel song has an interesting racial history. It started out as, and in most ways remained, an African American gospel song. It was in a hymnal in 1929, and was included in a collection called “American Negro Songs” in 1940. But music historians claim that this is an African American song of “indeterminate origin”… unknown composer, unknown beginning. And then the Southern Gospel tradition (white Southerners) started putting out a variation of this song, beginning probably with the Carter Family, in 1934. The Carter Family’s version of the song has since become a bluegrass and Southern Gospel standard, covered by basically every bluegrass band that ever existed. In other words, this appears historically to be both a black song and a white song, an African American gospel song and Southern Gospel variation.
African American Gospel Lyrics – Working On A Building
- I’m working on a building; It’s a true foundation. I’m holding up the blood-stained banner for my Lord.
Well I never get tired, tired, tired of working on the building; I’m going up to heaven to get my reward.
2. When you see me prayin’ (singing, preaching, crying), I’m working on my building.
I’m holding up the blood-stained banner for my Lord.
As soon as I get through working on my building, I gonna get to heaven to get my reward.
“Working on a building” contains an important idea in gospel music and African American faith. One can easily cross-reference this with another gospel classic, “Sending Up My Timber.” The idea is that we here on earth have a hand in building our heavenly home. When we do good deeds, when we offer up to God selfless acts of faith and love, we in fact are ‘”sending up timber” for Jesus to use as He “prepares a place for us” (John 14:2) in heaven. When our earthly home is over and done with, we will go to heaven for our reward, a home built by Christ, with the materials being provided by us through our Christian deeds here on earth. Doing our Christian duty doesn’t earn us our salvation, but it does earn us our mansion in glory. We work every day to do whatever would be helpful to growing in the faith and building our home in the Kingdom. We send up our timber. We work on our building.
Southern Gospel Lyrics – Working On A Building
- If I was a sinner (drunkard, gambler, preacher, liar), I tell you what I’d do.
I’d quit my sinnin’ and I’d work on a building too.
I’m working on a building (3x), it’s a Holy Ghost building (3x), for my Lord, for my Lord.
Refrain: I’m working on a building (3x), Hallelujah, I’m working on a building, for my Lord, for my Lord.