O What A Beautiful City (Traditional)

O what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
Twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

Three gates into the East
Three gates into the West
Three gates into the North
Three gates into the South
A-making that twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

But o what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
Well twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

See those children yonder
They are dressed in red
They must be the children
Children that Moses led
You know there're twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

But o what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
Well twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

When I get to Heaven
I'm gonna sing and shout
There ain't nobody up there
Who's gonna put me out.
You know there're twelve gates into the city, hallelujah

Well o what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
O what a beautiful city
Well twelve gates into the city, hallelujah
hallelujah, hallelujah

Oh Lord, what a beautiful city
Oh
Oh Lord, what a beautiful city
Twelve gates to the city, hallelujah

If you see my dear old mother
Won't you do this favor for me
Won't you please tell my mother
To meet me in Galilee
Well, it's twelve gates to the city, hallelujah

Oh Lord, what a beautiful
Yeah
Oh Lord, what a beautiful
Twelve gates to the city, hallelujah

God Almighty!
What you talkin' 'bout?
Oh, Lordy
Whoo!

Oh Lord, what a beautiful
Whoa!
Oh Lord, what a beautiful city
Twelve gates to the city, hallelujah

Oh Lord, what a beauty
Whoa!
Oh Lord, what a beauty
Twelve gates to the city, hallelujah


Transcribed by Frank Basile from the cd, "Reverend Gary Davis" (Heritage HT CD 
02) 


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Twelve Gates to the City

Oh, what a beautiful city,
Oh, what a beautiful city,
Oh, what a beautiful city,
There are twelve gates to the city, Alleluja!
Three gates to the East,
Three gates to the West,
Three gates into the North,
Three gates into the South, making that
Twelve gates into the city, Alleluja!
Oh, what a beautiful city ...
When I get to Heaven,IТm going to sing and shout!
There ainТt nobody up there
WhoТs going to put me out, you know thereТreTwelve gates into the city, Alleluja!
Oh, what a beautiful city ...

In the Bible, both Ezekiel (Chapter 48) and
Revelations (Chapter 21) describe twelve-gated
cities. Ezekiel describes an area about 1¼ (one-and-a quarter) miles square that contains the holy
temple, situated at the center of a sacred plot of
ground which is part of the land that the twelve
tribes of Israel are to receive as an inheritance.
Revelation describes a heavenly Jerusalem 1500
miles in length, width and height whose
foundation stones are jewels and whose streets
are Уpure gold, like transparent glass.Ф These
visions were a source of comfort and inspiration to
African-American slaves in pre-Civil War America.

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Twelve Gates to the City

cho: Oh, what a beautiful city.
     Oh, what a beautiful city
     Oh, what a beautiful city
     Twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah
     Three gates in the east,
     Three gates in the west,
     Three gates in the north
     Three gates in the south
     There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah.

Who are those children dressed in red?
     There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah
Must be the children that Moses led
     There's twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah

My God done just what He said
He healed the sick and He raised the dead.
When I get to heaven gonna sing and shout
Ain't nobody there gonna put me out.

Recorded by Gary Davis
RG