THE ROYAL TELEPHONE

[maggie~hamilton]

[sent to me by a fellow organist --- "they don't write hymns like this anymore ... thank goodness!"

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THE ROYAL TELEPHONE

Words & Music written in 1919
by Frederick M. Lehman (1868-1953)

1
Central’s never “busy,” always on the line;
You may hear from Heaven almost any time;
’Tis a royal service, free for one and all;
When you get in trouble, give this royal line a call.

Refrain:
Telephone to glory, O what joy divine!
I can feel the current moving on the line,
Built by God the Father for His loved and own,
We may talk to Jesus thru this royal telephone.

2
There will be no charges, telephone is free,
It was built for service, just for you and me;
There will be no waiting on this royal line,
Telephone to glory always answers just in time.

Refrain

3
Fail to get the answer, Satan’s crossed your wire,
By some strong delusion, or some base desire;
Take away obstructions, God is on the throne,
And you’ll get your answer thru this royal telephone.

Refrain

4
If your line is “grounded,” and connection true
Has been lost with Jesus, tell you what to do;
Prayer and faith and promise, mend the broken wire,
’Till your soul is burning with the Pentecostal fire.

Refrain

5
Carnal combinations cannot get control
Of this line to glory, anchored in the soul;
Storm and trial cannot disconnect the line,
Held in constant keeping by the Father’s hand divine.

Refrain

 

[tolivac]

I have this song on an old burl Ives record.Neat little song!Now I have to remember which box of records its in!Great for those telephone techs!

 

[maggie~hamilton]

Burl Ives, hehheh. That figures. This is the sort of thing he would have sung. I don't know why, but I always thot of him as sort of "pervy." Even when I was a kid, something about him gave me the creeps. Same for Sterling Holloway.

 

[twinniefan]

Also done by an Australian singer

Hi Maggie,
There is an Australian aboriginal country singer called Jimmy Little, who also did a country music version of this song either in the late 1960's or the early 1970's, actually his version isn't too bad,although from memory it was not a blockbuster of any type.
Cheers Maggie,
Steve