I Remember Mama Chords by Shirley Caesar

[A] _ [D] _ _ _ [C] _ _ [G] _ _
_ [A] _ [D] I remember mama [Gbm] and [G] the love that [D] she gave
[G] Kneeling by [D] her bedside, [E] I can still hear mama [A] say
[D] [G] The people [D] are depending on you, Shirley, [Gb] [Bb] don't you let them [Bm] down
[D] [G] I remember [D] _ [G] in a [D] happy way
[G] We [D] _ _ [A] _ [D] _
went to school [G] with holes in [D] our shoes
[G] We [D] didn't have [Ab] much that the Lord [A] saw us [G] through _ _
[D] _ _ [Gb] Together, [Bm] together, [G] yes we did
I [D] remember [G] in a happy [D] way
[A] _ [G] _
[D] _ [G] _ [D] She packed our lunch [G] in an old [D] greasy [G] bag
[D] It might have seemed empty, [Ab] but it was more [A] than others [D] had
[G] _ [D] It had a lot _ [Gb] _
[Bm] of sleeping sacks
[G] _ _ [D] _ [G] In a happy [D] way
[G] _ _ [D] _ [G] In a happy [D] [Bb] way
[Eb] Now mama is sleeping [Ab] in the bosom of [Eb] Jesus Christ, [Ab] yeah
Somehow [Eb] I know she's smiling
[F] She's smiling over [Bb] us right now, [Eb] look at her there
[Ab] One day [Eb] I'll see her again, I [G] will [G]
[Cm] be, [Eb] yeah
[Ab] I [Eb] remember [Ab] in a [Eb] happy way
[Ab] [Eb] In _ [Ab] a happy [Eb]
[Ab] way
[Eb] My [Bb] brothers and sisters, [Ab] they're living [Eb] far apart
[Ab] _ [Eb] Although my mama, _ [F] she's right [Bb] here in our [Eb] hearts
[Ab] We're all [Eb] gonna pull together _ [G] [G] and stay in the [Cm] Holy Place
[Ab] I remember [Eb] _ [Ab] in a [Eb] happy way
In [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _ [Ab] a happy [Eb] way
[Gm] You know, I [Cm] remember my mama, [Bb] when I was about 12 years old
[Cm] I was [Gm] going to church, playing church
[Cm] How many of you used to play church, let me see [Gm] your hand
Yeah, [Cm] some of you still play
[Gm] And I remember, [Cm] _ [Gm] I go down Mount Calvary, that's where I [Cm] belong
And I'd jump and I'd shout and I'd come back home
But [Gm] I was still [Cm] disobedient, I would talk back
[Gm] _ [Cm] And one day, [G] _ [Cm] me and Ann here
[Eb] We decided that we wanted to [Cm] play church
[Bb] Let me tell you what we did
We [Cm] went out in the back and started playing [Gm] church
[Cm] And my brother was a [Gm] pastor
Me and Ann here, we were the members in the church
[Ab] And let me tell you something
[Fm] It's hard to come in contact with [Eb] Jesus
And [Ab] still be the same, I don't care who you are
[Eb] I don't care, you can be the chief of [Gm] sinners
You will never be the [Cm] same
And [Gm] [Cm] I forgot, and I've been going [Gm] down
[Cm] To the church, playing church
Came [Gm] home, still [Cm] disobedient
Didn't want to wash the [Gm] dishes
Didn't want to bring the [Cm] clothes in off the line
Didn't want to do anything
[Gm] Mama [Cm] said, I'm sick of you going down to that church playing with God
[Bb] [Fm] And then [Cm] we went [Gm] outdoors and started playing church
[Cm] Sat down on the bottom step
[Gm] My brother was a [Cm] preacher
And we were the members [Gm] in the church
He put some old [Eb] glasses and put them right here on his nose
He [Gm] said, I want you to jump up [Cm] and shout Jesus three times
[Gm] And I jumped up and I [Cm] shouted Jesus two times
[Bb] But when I jumped up the third [Cm] time
Something got a hold of [Bb] me
I was sick [Cm] like damn
_ [Bb] She [Cm] said, Mama, Sir Shirley Ann is [Gm] out there playing with the Lord
[Cm] Mama came to the door
[Gm] And she looked out [Cm] there and saw me
Shouting and dancing [Fm] all over the backyard
Tears running [Cm] down my face
It's just a lamp
Mama [Gm] _ [Cm] _
[Gm] looked out there and she said
[Cm] She ain't playing this time
[Ab] Happy [Eb] _ _
[Ab] _ [Eb] birthday to [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _ _
[Ab] you
Happy [Eb] birthday _ [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Eb] to you
[Ab] Happy birthday to you
In a [Eb] happy way _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _