Patty Loveless: Diamond in my Crown

From Patty Loveless’ second “Mountain Soul” release, our Spiritual Sunday song is the 2009 recording of “Diamond in my Crown.” While the song has a traditional feel, it is about 20 years old and was written by then husband and wife Paul Kennerly and Emmylou Harris.

The thing I like about this song is the instrumentation – a harmonium – also called a pump organ in the USA. I’m not sure if the second part is overdubbed or if the additional stops are pulled out. I have one of these that I bought at an estate sale back in the late 1980s for $100. The bellow action needed some work, but I was able to fix it.

By the way, harmony vocals are provided by Emmylou Harris. This is a beautiful song that I’ll have to do sometime.

Lyrics

As each long day rolls by and falls behind me.
In the lonely night there's a peacefulness I've found
Tho' I'm weary even then
When I rise to start again
There'll be a diamond, a diamond in my crown
I have wasted all that life has laid before me,
I have watched as all the green fields turn to brown
But I shall not disavow
All these ties that bind me now
There'll be a diamond, a diamond in my crown
Shinning down some day I know
Brighter than all their streets of gold
When the burdens that I carry I will lay down
And the sorrows I have known
I'll see them all be overthrown
There'll be a diamond, a diamond in my crown
Through the passing of the years
I will grow stronger
Just as sure as this old world keeps spinning 'round
Then the closer I will be
To my sweetest victory
There'll be a diamond, a diamond in my crown