I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy
"Joy In My Heart," sometimes titled "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy" is a popular Christian song often sung around the campfire and during scouting events. It is often included in Gospel music and a cappella concerts, songbooks, and Christian children's songbooks.[1] The song was written by George William Cooke. Cooke was born in Yorkshire, England in 1884 and died in Jamestown, New York in 1951. He was the author of "Joy in My Heart" which was copyrighted in 1925 (but not renewed). At that time he was living in Wilmington, Delaware. He was a minister and associated with a group called Gospel Crusaders which was associated with the Methodist Church. He ran the Delmarva Camp, a Methodist camp that held gospel meetings and revivals. He was later minister of Methodist churches in Buffalo and Rochester New York. As a young man, he twice circled the globe in evangelistic tours with Commissioner Samuel L. Brengle of the Salvation Army.
Lyrics
There are many possible lyrics. The original lyrics and chorus are as follows:
- I have the joy, joy, joy, joy
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- I have the joy, joy, joy, joy
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart to stay
- I have the peace that passeth understanding
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- I have the peace that passeth understanding
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart to stay
- I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart to stay
- For there is there-fore now no condemnation
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart
- For there is there-fore now no condemnation
- Down in my heart
- Down in my heart to stay
Subsequent lyrics include:
- And I'm so happy
- So very happy
- I have the love of Jesus in my heart (down in my heart)
- And I'm so happy
- So very happy
- I have the love of Jesus in my heart
- I've got the far out faith that freaks out the farmers down in my heart...
- I've got the glorious hope of my blessed redeemer way down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the mighty Messiah that manifests miracles down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the beautiful blessing that baffles the Buddhists down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the Christian confession that confuses the Communists down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the far out feeling that freaks out the Pharisees down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the love of Jesus Christ my savior down in my heart...
- I've got the wonderful love of my blessed redeemer way down in the depths of my heart...
- And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack, ouch, sit on a tack, ouch, sit on a tack. And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack. Sit on a tack to stay.
- I've got the brightest light in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the infinite love of the living lord down in the depths of my heart...
- I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart...
- I've got that Happy Hope that heckles Heathen down in my heart...
- Gracious Grace that Gratifies Grannies...
- I've got that opposition to conscription down in my heart...[2]
In popular culture
The song is the origin of the title of William Stafford's prose memoir of his WWII pacifist service, Down In My Heart.[3]
References
- ^ For example, it is number 140 in Bobb, Barry All God's People Sing. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1992, 316 pp.
- ^ p. 47, Kim Stafford, Early Morning: Remembering My Father, William Stafford, Publisher Trinity University Press, 2014 ISBN 1595341862, 9781595341860
- ^ Kim Stafford, Early Morning: Remembering My Father, William Stafford, Publisher Trinity University Press, 2014 ISBN 9781595341860
External links
- I've Got the Joy lyrics (with guitar chords)
- I've Got the Joy Joy Joy is often sung quickly resulting in Misheard Lyrics
- The song, as sung by "Noelle & John" is available for free download in MP3 format