Bringing in the Sheaves
Encyclopedia
"Bringing In the Sheaves" is a popular American hymn
used almost exclusively by Protestant
Christian
s (though the content is not specifically Protestant in nature). The lyrics were written in 1874 by Knowles Shaw
, who was inspired by Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Shaw also wrote music for these words, but they are now usually set to a tune by George Minor
, written in 1880.
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
. Members of the Crickets
(as portrayed by Gary Busey
, Don Stroud
and Charles Martin Smith
) sing a line of the song during a recording session in the film The Buddy Holly Story
. The song was also a recurring favorite on Little House on the Prairie
when the Ingalls family went to church. It is also featured in an episode of The Oblongs
on Cartoon Network. Frank Zappa
also used the song´s refrain as an intro to his song "Wonderful Wino".
"Bringing in the Sheaves" is found at the end of Losing Battles by southern American writer, Eudora Welty. It was also sung briefly by Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum
) in The Night of the Hunter
. The song is also heard being played by the three-piece marching band in the "Batman and the Bomb" scene in 1966's The Batman movie starring Adam West. The song was also a frequent favorite of Irene Ryan (Granny) on the Beverly Hillbillies television show in the 1960s.
In the "Milo Interrupted" episode of The Oblongs
, Helga's temporary guardian sings this spiritual as well. In "A Jock Strap In Hell" (S06E05) of Two And A Half Men
, Charlie Sheen is singing it in the church. This song was sung by Mounties in the film The Missouri Breaks
while the horse thieves deride them.
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
used almost exclusively by Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
s (though the content is not specifically Protestant in nature). The lyrics were written in 1874 by Knowles Shaw
Knowles Shaw
Knowles Shaw was an American author and composer noted for his gospel hymns.Shaw was born in Butler County in southwestern Ohio. He was a member of the non-instrumental churches of Christ, also known as the Christian Church or Disciples of Christ at this time...
, who was inspired by Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Shaw also wrote music for these words, but they are now usually set to a tune by George Minor
George Minor
George Minor was an American composer. Minor attended a military academy in Richmond, and served during the American Civil War as Chief of Ordnance and Hydrography of the Confederate States Navy. After the war, he went into the music field, teaching at singing schools and conducting at musical...
, written in 1880.
Lyrics
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain
In popular culture
The song was sung by Lefty Enright in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and has been sung by various characters in various episodes of The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Members of the Crickets
The Crickets
The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957....
(as portrayed by Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, Don Stroud
Don Stroud
Donald Lee Stroud is an American actor and surfer who appeared in many films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and has starred in over 100 films and 175 television shows to date.-Early life:...
and Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith is an American film actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator, while his uncle Paul J. Smith was an animator as well as a director for the Walter Lantz Studios...
) sing a line of the song during a recording session in the film The Buddy Holly Story
The Buddy Holly Story
The film was adapted by Robert Gittler from Buddy Holly: His Life and Music, the biography of Holly by John Goldrosen. It was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:...
. The song was also a recurring favorite on Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
when the Ingalls family went to church. It is also featured in an episode of The Oblongs
The Oblongs
The Oblongs is an American animated television program aimed at teenagers and adults. It is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in creator Angus Oblong's picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children...
on Cartoon Network. Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
also used the song´s refrain as an intro to his song "Wonderful Wino".
"Bringing in the Sheaves" is found at the end of Losing Battles by southern American writer, Eudora Welty. It was also sung briefly by Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
) in The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter (film)
The Night of the Hunter is a 1955 American thriller film directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. The film is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb, adapted for the screen by James Agee and Laughton...
. The song is also heard being played by the three-piece marching band in the "Batman and the Bomb" scene in 1966's The Batman movie starring Adam West. The song was also a frequent favorite of Irene Ryan (Granny) on the Beverly Hillbillies television show in the 1960s.
In the "Milo Interrupted" episode of The Oblongs
The Oblongs
The Oblongs is an American animated television program aimed at teenagers and adults. It is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in creator Angus Oblong's picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children...
, Helga's temporary guardian sings this spiritual as well. In "A Jock Strap In Hell" (S06E05) of Two And A Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, Charlie Sheen is singing it in the church. This song was sung by Mounties in the film The Missouri Breaks
The Missouri Breaks
The Missouri Breaks is a 1976 American western film starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. The film was directed by Arthur Penn, with supporting performances by Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam and Kathleen Lloyd...
while the horse thieves deride them.
- Faye Dunaway sings the hymn while bathing Dustin Hoffman in the movie Little Big Man.
- In SoapSoap (TV series)Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981.The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such...
Season 2 Episode 15, a hobo sings the song to Chester Tate while in a soup line. - In The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, the hymn was sung by a church congregation in "The Church Organ" episode, and in the episode "Bailey's Bad Boy," Barney Fife lulls town drunk Otis to sleep by humming the tune. - The song was sung in the beginning sequence of Stephen King's Children of the Corn 2009 remake. Part of the refrain is quoted in The Mountain GoatsThe Mountain GoatsThe Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
' "Collapsing Stars". - The song was used in Big LoveBig LoveBig Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
Season 3 Episode 6, "Come Ye Saints", aired February 22, 2009.