The Gospel Ranger
Radio Diaries
Radio Diaries & Radiotopia
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 13 April 2017
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is the story of a song, “Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down,” written by a 12-year-old boy on his deathbed. A boy who – instead of dying – went on to become a Pentecostal preacher. A boy who would later help inspire the birth of Rock & Roll. His name was Brother Claude Ely…and he was known as The Gospel Ranger.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Last day is a show about the moments that change us. |
| 0:03.0 | I just don't think I will ever get used to this. |
| 0:06.0 | I'm Stephanie Little's Wax, and I have had one of these moments. |
| 0:10.0 | We all have. |
| 0:11.0 | So let's unpack the chaos that is our human existence together. |
| 0:14.0 | I don't believe things happen for a reason. |
| 0:16.0 | I don't believe the universe has a plan. |
| 0:18.0 | Each week, I sit down with a new guest |
| 0:20.0 | to explore happy, sad stories of transformation. |
| 0:23.0 | It's leaning far, far into the pain. |
| 0:26.0 | That's what it is. |
| 0:27.0 | Listen to last day wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.0 | Radio Tapio. |
| 0:35.0 | From PRX. |
| 0:37.0 | From PRX's Radio Tapia, this is Radio Diaries. |
| 0:40.0 | I'm Joe Richmond. |
| 0:44.0 | There ain't no grave, can hold my body down. |
| 0:49.0 | There ain't no grave, can hold my body down. |
| 0:52.0 | This is one of the last songs that Johnny Cash recorded before he died. |
| 0:56.0 | When I hear that trumpet sound. |
| 1:00.0 | One of the things to know about this song |
| 1:02.0 | is that it's had many, many different lives. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Radio Diaries & Radiotopia, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Radio Diaries & Radiotopia and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

