God's Gonna Cut You Down

"God's Gonna Cut You Down", also known as "Run On" and "Run On for a Long Time", is a traditional folk song which has been recorded by numerous artists representing a variety of genres. The lyrics are a warning to sinners that no matter how hard they try, they will not avoid God's judgment; in the chorus, God tells the narrator of the song to

Go tell that long tongue liar,

go and tell that midnight rider,
tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter,
tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down.

The song has, in the past, been modified to fit the boundaries of genres like country, folk, gospel and techno. As "God's Gonna Cut You Down", it was performed by Odetta on Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and Johnny Cash on the posthumously released American V: A Hundred Highways (2006). As "Run On", it was recorded, among others, by Elvis Presley. A version incorporating sampled vocals by Bill Landford & The Landfordaires was included on Moby's album Play. The Blind Boys of Alabama also included the song on their Grammy-winning album Spirit of the Century in 2001. In 2007, Kevin Max of dc Talk covered the song as "Run on for a Long Time" with Chris Sligh.

Read more about God's Gonna Cut You Down:  Moby Version, Johnny Cash Version, Other Artists

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