Wynona Merceris Carr è nata a Cleveland, Ohio,nel 1923 dove ha iniziato come cantante gospel, formando il suo gruppo di cinque elementi The Carr Singers intorno al 1945 e girando l’area di Cleveland / Detroit. Art Rupe la mise sotto contratto con la sua etichetta Specialty, dando a Carr il suo nuovo nome d’arte “Sister” Wynona Carr.
La voce contralto di Carr ha una qualità sensuale piuttosto insolita (o addirittura inappropriata) per i cantanti gospel del suo tempo, che ha facilitato il suo passaggio al R&B e rock & roll. Lo stesso vale per il suo uso idiosincratico di metafore e temi nelle sue canzoni gospel: baseball (“The Ball Game”), boxe (“15 Rounds For Jesus”) e un popolare programma televisivo (“Dragnet For Jesus”).
L’unico suo grande successo fu all’epoca The Ball Game, ma nello stesso periodo cantò anche “Operator, operator” che divenne poi un successo nella versione dei Manhattan Transfer.Dopo un tentativo di ampliare il repertorio verso il rock e il pop, non ebbe più altri successi e mori nel 1976. Nel 1961, Carr firmò con la Reprise Records di Frank Sinatra e pubblicò un album pop senza successo. Tornò a Cleveland, sprofondando nell’oscurità e soffrendo di salute e depressione; Morì lì nel 1976.
Quello che per noi è notabile è la religiosità totalmente immersa nella cultura popolare americana, per cui “life is a Ball Game” la vita è come il baseball, ma devi giocare pulito. Se del caso puoi provare ad essere in linea con Gesù direttamente.
Accludo qui i testi e i link di ball Game e Operator, Operatore in più un Nusery Ryme rock,esempio della sua bravura, aldilà del repertorio gospel.
Ecco musiche e canzoni
Sister Wynona Carr — The Ball Game – 1952
Life is a ball game
Bein’ played each day
Life is a ball game
Everybody can play
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Yes you know, Jesus standing at the home plate
He is waiting for you there
You know, the life is a ball game
But you’ve got to play it fast
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The first phase is temptation
You know the second phase is sin
The third phase tribulation
If you pass, you can make it in
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Old man Solomon is the umpire
And Satan pitchin’ a game
He’ll do his best, strike you out
He playin’ just the same
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You know, Daniel’s up to bat first
You know, he pray three times a day
Yes Satan pitched him a fast ball
But he hit it anyway
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Yes you know, Job is up to bat next
Satan’s struck him in every way
But Job hit a home run
And he came on in that day
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Yes you know, prayer is a strong bat
To hit at Satan’s ball
And when you start to swing it
You got to give it your all and all
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Yes you know, the priest gonna be your catcher
And on him you can depend
Oh Jesus standing at the home plate
And He is waiting for you to come in
——————————-
Yes you know, Moses is on the sidelines
Waiting to be called
You know, the day he parted the Red Sea
Little price all and all
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Then John came in the ninth inning
And the game was almost done
Then God gave John a vision
And he knew we’d already won
——————————-
Yes you know life is a ball game
Being played each day
You know life is a ball game
Each and everybody can play
——————————-
Yes you know, Jesus is standing at the home plate
He is waiting for you there
Well you know, life is a ball game
But you’ve got to play it fair
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Sister Wynona Carr – Operator Operator — 1954
Operator
Give me information
Information
Give me long distance
Long distance
Give me heaven…
Operator
Information
Give me Jesus on the line
Operator
Information
I’d like to speak to a friend of mine
Oh prayer is the number
Faith is the exchange
Heaven is the street
And Jesus is his name
Operator
Information
Please give me Jesus on the line
——————————-
Operator
Information
Won’t you tell me why
Tell me why
Operator
Information
Don’t try to tell me
What number to call
My mother used this number
When I was very small
And every time she dialed it
She always got ‘t call the
Operator
Information
Please give me Jesus on the line
——————————-
Operator
Information
Please hurry if you can
Oh Operator
Information
Please connect me
With the man
Don’t worry ‘bout the money
You know I will pay the charge
Just give me on the line
I’m callin’ from my heart
Operator
Information
Please give me Jesus on the line
Please give me Jesus on the line
——————————-
Won’t you please
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus on the line
Sister Wynona Carr – Nurserey ryme- 1956
