,religious ,folk-,songs   ,,of ,,the    
,southern ,negroes     ,by   ,,howard   
,w4 ,,odum   ,fellow in ,psychology1    
,clark ,university     ,a ,,dissertation
 ,,submitted ,,to ,,the ,,faculty ,,of  
,,clark ,,university1 ,,worcester1      
,,mass41 ,,in ,,partial   ,,fulfilment  
,,of ,,the ,,requirements ,,for ,,the   
,,degree ,,of ,,doctor ,,of             
,,philosophy1 ,,and ,,accepted   ,,on   
,,the ,,recommendation ,,of ,g4         
,,stanley ,,hall     ,reprinted from the
 ,,am4 ,,jour4 ,,of ,,religious ,,psy4  
,,and ,,ed4   ,july1 #aiji4 ,vol4 #c1   
pp4 #bfe-cfe4     ,,religious           
,,folk-,,songs ,,of ,,the ,,southern    
,,negroes#a  ,by ,,howard ,w4 ,,odum    
,fellow in ,psychology1 ,clark          
,university4   ,to know the soul of a   
people and to find the source from which
 flows the expression of folk-thought is
 to comprehend in a large measure the   
capabilities of that people4 ,to obtain 
the truest expression of the folk-mind  
and feeling is to reveal much of the    

inner-consciousness of a race4 ,and the 
knowledge of those evidences which are  
most representative of race life        
constitutes the groundwork of a         
knowledge of social and moral           
tendencies1 hence of social and moral   
needs4 ,the student of race traits and  
tendencies must accept testimony from   
within the race1 and in the study of    
race character the value of true        
expressions of the feelings and mental  
imagery cannot be overestimated4 ,thus  
it is possible to approximate knowledge 
of a race4 ,to bring a people face to   
face with themselves and to place them  
fairly before the world is the first    
service that can be rendered in the     
solution of race problems4  ,to preserve
 and interpret the contributions of a   
people to civilization is to add to the 
science of folk-history4 ,posterity has 
often judged peoples without having so  
much as a passing knowledge of their    
inner life1 while treasures of folk-lore
 and song1 the psychic1 religious1 and  

social expression of the race1 have been
 permitted to remain in complete        
obscurity4 ,likewise peoples have lived 
contemporaneously side by side1 but     
ignorant of the treasures of folk-gems  
that lay hidden and wasting all about   
them4 ,the heart and soul of the real   
people are unknown1 science is deprived 
of a needed contribution1 and the world 
is hindered in its effort to discover   
the full significance of the            
psychological1 religious1 social and    
political history of mankind4 ,that     
which is distinctly the product of      
racial life and development deserves a  
better fate than to be blown away with  
changing environment1 and not even      
remain to enrich the soil from which it 
sprang4 ,justice to the race and the    
scientific spirit demand the            
preservation of all interesting and     
valuable additions to the knowledge of  
folk-life4 ,the successful study of the 
common development of the human         
intellect in primitive thought is thus  

advanced4 ,the exact form of expression 
itself constitutes a contribution to    
knowledge and literature4  ,the value   
and importance of folk-lore are gladly  
recognized4 ,its successful study and a 
more comprehensive recognition of its   
worth have revealed new problems and new
 phases of thought4 ,not only its       
relation to civilization as an          
historical science and as it bears      
definitely upon peoples of modern       
cultural areas is recognized1 but its   
essential value in the study of         
psychological1 anthropological1 and     
sociological conditions has called forth
 the most careful study that has been   
possible to give it4 ,on the scientist's
 part1 knowledge has been increased1    
while on the other hand1 the peoples of 
the world have become more united in the
 appreciation of the kindred development
 of human thought4 ,the vast            
contributions to folk-science and their 
relation to scientific interest1 bear   
testimony to this truth4 ,and perhaps   

even more with folk-song1 a greater work
 is to be done4 ,as a part of folk-lore 
it represents less of the traditional   
and more of the spontaneous4 ,its       
collection and study is now being       
pursued with more zeal and with marked  
success4 ,and the hope may well be      
expressed that with the growing interest
 in folk-song may come an increased     
knowledge of all that is nearest and    
truest to the phyletic as well as the   
genetic concept of a people1 and that   
with this knowledge may come effective  
efforts toward race adjustment and new  
aids in the solution of race problems4  
,the situation of the ,southern negro is
 unique4 ,his problems are peculiarly   
intricate4 ,the problem of the relations
 between the whites and blacks is       
far-reaching4 ,social conditions are    
changing and it is of paramount         
importance that every step taken shall  
be well founded and in the right        
direction4 ,the political1 the social1  
and the economical position of the      

negro1 his education1 his religion1 his 
tendencies--these are themes that demand
 definite and accurate comprehension    
above all else4 ,truths have too often  
been assumed4 ,passion and prejudice    
have often hindered the attainment of   
noble ends which were earnestly sought4 
,a true knowledge of actual conditions1 
if properly set forth1 must convince the
 sincere observer as to the proper      
relations which should exist between the
 two races4 ,nothing else should do it2 
nothing else can do it4 ,and any        
evidences that will assist in fixing the
 real status of the negro should be     
welcomed by both the whites and the     
blacks2 progress may then be encouraged 
from the proper starting point4 ,in     
revealing much of what he is rather than
 what he appears to be1 the folk-songs  
of the ,southern negro are superior to  
any superficial study made from partial 
observations4 ,the insight into negro   
character gained from their folk-songs  
and poetry accompanied by careful and   

exhaustive concrete social studies may  
be accepted as impartial testimony4 ,and
 on the other hand1 the changing        
economic and educational conditions1 the
 increasing influence of the white man  
upon the negro1 and the rapid progress  
that is being made on every hand in the 
,south indicate that if the present-day 
folk-songs of the negro are to be       
preserved1 they must be collected now4  
,should they be permitted to become a   
lost record of the race8  ,in the       
present work some of the popular songs  
that are current among the negroes of   
the ,southern ,states are given4 ,they  
are highly representative4 ,they may be 
classified into two general divisions3  
,the religious songs or spirituals1 and 
the secular songs4 ,the secular songs   
are again divided into two classes1 the 
general social songs1 and work-songs1   
phrases and shanties4 ,for the most part
 collections of negro folk-songs in the 
past have been limited to the old       
spirituals4 ,the present-day religious  

songs and the social productions are    
equally interesting and valuable4 ,the  
particular nature and characteristics of
 these songs are discussed in connection
 with the examples4 ,they are flexible  
and have various forms1 they consist of 
broken and unbroken melodies1 they have 
stately and rapid minor cadences4       
,musical notes can give only a skeleton 
of the real melody that accompanies the 
words2 the peculiar qualification of the
 negro singers to render their melodies 
defies art to exactly symbolize it4 ,the
 words of the songs are given as they   
are sung1 and the reader must needs     
employ an imagination kindred in        
vividness to that which is reflected in 
the songs themselves if he would        
comprehend their essential qualities4   
,the characteristic quality is often    
found in an improvised arrangement of   
words which makes the dominant feeling  
that of mingling words and cadencies    
successfully4 ,the meaningless phrases  
and refrains do not hinder the          

expression of feeling through the minor 
chords4 ,simple emotion1 inherent       
melody1 and colloquial language are     
combined with fine and differentiating  
imagery and humor in an under-meaning   
common to the folk-song4 ,an element of 
melancholia may be felt underlying many 
of the songs4 ,but with all alike1 vigor
 of expression1 concreteness and        
naturalness of mental imagery1 and      
simplicity of language and thought are  
combined with striking folk-art4 ,the   
negro's projective mental imagery       
assumes that the hearer's comprehension 
can easily grasp the full picture of    
description1 moral maxims1 and dramatic 
dialogues1 all combined in a single     
verse1 and that he can do it without    
confusion4 ,here may be seen much of the
 naked essence of poetry with unrefined 
language which reaches for the negro a  
power of expression far beyond that     
which any modern refinement of language 
and thought may approach4 ,rhythm1      
rhyme1 and the feeling of satisfaction  

are accompanying inherent qualities4    
,the natural poetic spirit and the power
 of the imagination in the negro are    
worthy of study4  ,in addition to these 
general qualities of the negro          
folk-songs1 it need only be suggested   
here that the best conception of his    
religious1 moral1 mental and social     
tendencies is reflected in them4 ,that  
which the negro will not reveal         
concerning his religion1 his religious  
songs tell better than he could possibly
 do4 ,his social nature and unconscious 
ideals bubble out from his spontaneous  
social songs4 ,in the expression of his 
natural feelings and emotions he gives  
us the reactions of his primitive       
thought with environment4 ,that which is
 subsequently treated at length may be  
anticipated in the approach to a careful
 consideration of the fullest spirit of 
the negro folk-songs1 namely1 that it is
 important to note that the faculty of  
the negro to think1 not exactly as the  
white man1 or to think in terms of      

modern science and literature1 but in   
terms of his own psychological          
conditions1 is pronounced4 ,the negro is
 a part of a nation at the same time    
that he is a distinct people2 he1       
perhaps1 has more anthropological       
importance than historical standing4    
,his present status is an essential     
consideration of each of these relations
 to the civilization of to-day4 ,the    
emotions1 the religion1 social          
aspirations and ideals--in fine1 the    
character of a people is accustomed to  
be expressed in their literature4 ,the  
negro has no literature save that of his
 folk-song and story4 ,may these not    
speak for him1 both the good and the    
bad1 in the following chapters8  ,the   
work here presented is not exhaustive   
but representative4 ,the songs are not  
those of a single plantation1 community 
or section of the ,southern ,states4    
,they are not the songs of the coast    
negroes or of the river type4 ,but they 
are sung popularly as much in ,georgia  

as in ,mississippi1 as much in ,florida 
as in ,tennessee4 ,they are distinctly  
the representative average songs that   
are current among the common mass of    
negroes of the present generation4 ,they
 belong to the negroes who have been    
constantly in contact with the whites   
and to those who have had less          
association with the refinement and     
culture of the white man4 ,they have    
been collected carefully and patiently  
under many difficulties4 ,many of them  
are sung only when the white man does   
not hear2 they are the folk-song of the 
negro1 and the negro is very secretive4 
,not only are they not commonly known by
 the whites but their existence is only 
recognized in general4 ,they are as     
distinct from the white man's song and  
the popular coon songs as are the two   
races4  ,the scope of investigation is  
large and the field is a broad one2 the 
supply of songs seems inexhaustible4    
,yet the student may not collect them   
hurriedly4 ,he who has not learned by   

long observation and daily contact with 
,southern conditions the exact situation
 will make little progress in gathering 
valuable data4 ,while all contributions 
to the total of negro folk-songs have   
been very valuable1 still it is true    
that they have been too long neglected  
and the studies made have been too      
partial4 ,the nature of the negro's     
songs is constantly changing2 the number
 is continually increasing4 ,they should
 be studied as the conditions of the    
negroes are investigated4 ,they are the 
product of our soil and are worthy of a 
distinct place in literature4 ,in the   
following work the effort is made to    
present the best of the negro's songs   
and to interpret impartially the exact  
spirit of their essential qualities4 ,in
 the following pages the effort is made 
to note many of the negro's mental      
characteristics as studied in the       
interpretation of the scope1 meaning and
 origin of his songs1 and the essential 
qualities of his religion as found in   

the analysis of his   ,religious ,songs 
and ,spirituals4  ,the religious songs  
of the negro have commonly been accepted
 as characteristic music of the race4   
,the name spirituals given them long    
years ago is still current1 while these 
songs1 composed by the negroes1 and     
passing from generation to generation   
with numerous modifications1 retain many
 of their former characteristics4 ,in   
former days the spirituals were judged  
to be the most beautiful production of  
the race and the truest representation  
of the negro's real self4 ,some of these
 songs have been published1 and for a   
time their emotional beauty and         
simplicity of expression won for the    
negro a definite place in the hearts of 
those who had not hitherto known him4   
,he was often judged by these songs     
alone1 reported only imperfectly and    
superficially1 and forthwith came many  
expressions of delight and enthusiasm   
for the future possibilities of the     
negro4 ,these expressions indicate not  

only the power of the singing of negro  
spirituals upon those who heard them1   
but also many of the characteristics of 
the old and present-day spirituals4     
,the following expressions represent a  
summary of past judgments and criticism 
of negro spirituals4#b ,the hymns of a  
congregation of impassioned and         
impressible worshippers have been full  
of unpremeditated and irresistible      
dramatic power4 ,sung with the weirdest 
intonations1 they have indeed appeared  
weird and intensely sad--such music1    
touching and pathetic1 as ,i have never 
heard elsewhere1 with a mystical effect 
and passionate striving throughout the  
whole4 ,and again1 ,never1 it seems to  
me1 since man first lived and suffered1 
was his infinite longing and suffering  
uttered more plaintively4 ,besides being
 a relaxation to the negroes these      
quaint religious songs were a stimulus  
to courage and a tie to heaven4 ,or     
again1 ,i remember that this minor-keyed
 pathos used to seem to me almost too   

sad to dwell upon1 while slavery seemed 
destined to last for generations2 but   
now that their patience has had its     
perfect work1 history cannot afford to  
lose this portion of the record4 ,there 
is no parallel instance of an oppressed 
race thus sustained by the religious    
sentiment alone4 ,these songs are but   
the vocal expression of the simplicity  
of their faith and the sublimity of     
their long resignation4 ,such songs are 
all valuable as an expression of the    
character and life of the race which is 
playing such a conspicuous part in our  
history4 ,the wild1 sad strains tell1 as
 the sufferers themselves could1 of     
crushed hope1 keen sorrow and a dull1   
daily misery1 which covered them as     
hopelessly as the fog from the rice     
swamps4 ,on the other hand the words    
breathe a trusting faith in rest for the
 future to which their eyes seem        
constantly turned4 ,the attitude is     
always the same1 and1 as a comment on   
the life of the race1 is pathetic4      

,nothing but patience for this          
life--nothing but triumph for the next4 
,one can but feel that these quaint old 
spirituals with their peculiar melodies1
 having served their time with          
effectiveness1 deserve a better fate    
than to sink into oblivion as unvalued  
and unrecorded examples of a bygone     
civilization4 ,many have thought that   
these songs would pass away immediately 
with the passing of slavery and that the
 old system of words and songs could not
 be perpetuated without perpetuating    
slavery as it existed and with the fall 
of slavery its days were numbered4 ,and 
if they be found neither touching in    
sentiment1 graceful in expression1 nor  
well balanced in rhythm1 they may at    
least possess interest as peculiarities 
of a system now no more forever in this 
country4  ,the negro found satisfaction 
in singing not only at church but       
perhaps even more while he performed his
 daily tasks4 ,those who heard the old  
slaves sing will never forget the scenes

 that accompanied the songs4 ,after the 
lighter songs and brisk melodies of the 
day were over the negroes turned toward 
eventide to more weird and plaintive    
notes4 ,the impressions of such singing 
have been expressed3 ,then the          
melancholy that tinges every negro's    
soul would begin to assert itself in    
dreamy1 sad and plaintive airs1 and in  
words that described the most sorrowful 
pictures of slave life--the parting of  
loved ones1 the separation of mother and
 child or husband and wife1 or the death
 of those whom the heart cherishes4 ,as 
he drove his lumbering ox-cart homeward1
 sitting listlessly upon the heavy      
tongue behind the patient brutes1 the   
creaking wheels and rough-hewn yokes    
exhibiting perhaps his own rude         
handiwork1 the negro slave rarely failed
 to sing his song of longing4 ,what if  
his words were rude and its music       
ill-constructed8 ,great poets like      
,schiller have essayed the same theme1  
and mighty musicians like ,beethoven    

have striven to give it musical form4   
,what their splendid genius failed      
adequately to express1 the humble slave 
could scarce accomplish2 yet they but   
wrought in the same direction as the    
poor negro1 whose eyes unwittingly swam 
in tears1 and whose heart1 he scarce    
knew why1 dissolved in tenderness as he 
sang in plaintive minor key one or      
another of his songs4  ,the above       
quotations have been given              
promiscuously1 and while others might be
 added1 these suffice to give the       
general attitude toward the songs of the
 negroes in the ante-bellum days and    
since4 ,one other will be added1 giving 
the expression of a present-day negro   
leader toward the songs of the slave1 as
 the best interpretation that has come  
from within the race4 ,in his           
introduction to ,twenty-four ,negro     
,melodies by ,coleridge-,taylor in ,the 
,musicians ,library1 ,booker ,washington
 says3 ,the negro folk-song has for the 
negro race the same value that the      

folk-song of any other people has for   
that people4 ,it reminds the race of the
 'rock whence it was hewn1' it fosters  
race pride1 and in the days of slavery  
it furnished an outlet for the anguish  
of smitten hearts4 ,the plantation song 
in ,america1 although an outgrowth of   
oppression and bondage1 contains        
surprisingly few references to slavery4 
,no race has ever sung so sweetly or    
with such perfect charity1 while looking
 forward to the 'year of ,jubilee4' ,the
 songs abound in scriptural allusions1  
and in many instances are unique        
interpretations of standard hymns4 ,the 
plantation songs known as the           
',spirituals' are the spontaneous       
outbursts of intense religious fervor1  
and had their origin chiefly in the     
campmeetings1 the revivals and in other 
religious exercises4 ,they breathe a    
child-like faith in a personal father1  
and glow with the hope that the children
 of bondage will ultimately pass out of 
the wilderness of slavery into the land 

of freedom4 ,in singing of a deliverance
 which they believed would surely come1 
with bodies swaying1 with enthusiasm    
born of a common experience and of a    
common hope1 they lost sight for the    
moment of the auction-block1 of the     
separation of mother and child1 of      
sister and brother4 ,there is in the    
plantation songs a pathos and a beauty  
that appeals to a wide range of tastes1 
and their harmony makes abiding         
impression upon persons of the highest  
culture4 ,the music of these songs goes 
to the heart because it comes from the  
heart4  ,it will thus be seen that      
emphasis has been placed almost entirely
 upon the emotional beauty of the negro 
songs4 ,they have been portrayed as the 
exponents of sadness in the race1 and   
the feelings of the black folk have been
 described with no little skill4        
,observation for the most part has been 
made by those who have heard the negro  
songs but have not studied them4 ,no    
careful analysis has been attempted4    

,perhaps casual observers have been     
mistaken as to the intensity of the     
emotions expressed and have given undue 
emphasis to its practical relation and  
effect upon the individual and upon the 
race4 ,the judgment of those who have   
not known the negro1 and to whom his    
singing is a revelation1 leads to       
sweeping generalizations4 ,on the other 
hand1 those who have known the negroes  
in many walks of life1 and have come to 
know him better than any others1 have   
often emphasized a single phase of the  
negro folk-song4 ,there can be no doubt 
as to the beauty and weirdness of the   
negro singing1 but a careful analysis of
 the general emotional feeling          
predominating1 together with careful    
interpretation of all things concerned1 
make comparisons less dangerous and     
expressions less extravagant4 ,slavery  
has passed1 four decades of liberty for 
the slave people have signalized the    
better civilization1 and there still    
remains among the negroes the same      

emotional nature1 the same sad1         
plaintive1 beautiful1 rhythmic          
sorrow-feeling in their songs4  ,some of
 the qualities of the negro's emotions  
as seen in his singing will be noted    
subsequently4 ,omitting for the present 
this feature of his songs1 and          
qualifying the statement by interpreting
 his nature and environment1 it may be  
affirmed that all that has been said of 
the spirituals is true4 ,they are       
beautiful1 childlike1 simple and        
plaintive4 ,they are the negro's own    
songs and are the peculiar expression of
 his own being2 much may be said        
concerning them4 ,many of the spirituals
 are still popular among the negroes1   
and often take the place of the regular 
church hymns4 ,the less intelligent     
negroes sing them1 and they are sung    
freely by the more intelligent class4   
,ministers of all denominations take    
advantage of their peculiar power to    
sway the feelings of the negroes into   
accustomed channels4 ,many of the old   

spirituals that were common in slavery  
are still current and are sung with but 
little modification2 others are greatly 
modified and enlarged or shortened4     
,traces of the slave songs may be found 
in the more modern spirituals that have 
sprung up since the war4 ,the majority  
of the songs have several versions1     
differing according to localities1 and  
affected by continual modification as   
they have been used for many years4     
,some have been so blended with other   
songs1 and filled with new ideas1 as to 
be scarcely recognizable1 but clearly   
the product of the negro singers4       
,besides the old and the mixed songs1   
there are many that are entirely new1   
arising out of various circumstances and
 developing with successive renditions4 
,the spirituals current among the       
,southern negroes to-day are very much  
like those that were sung three or four 
decades ago4 ,the differences may be    
seen in the comparisons that follow in  
the examples given3 ,there are more     

rhymed words in the present-day negro   
song than there was in the earlier ones2
 consequently there is often less       
meaning in a line or stanza4 ,the       
tendency seems to be more toward        
satisfactory sound impression than for  
spontaneous feeling expression as in the
 older spirituals4 ,meaning and words in
 general are often sacrificed in the    
effort to make rhyme1 to make the song  
fit into a desired tune1 to bring about 
a satisfying rhythm1 or to give         
prominent place to a single             
well-sounding word or phrase4 ,it would 
thus seem that the religious songs      
composed in the usual way by the negroes
 of the present generation have less    
conviction1 and more purposive features 
in their composition4 ,the dialect of   
the older songs is purer than those of  
the present-day negro4 ,one finds little
 consistency in the use of dialect in   
the songs that are sung now2 rarely does
 one hear the lines repeated in exactly 
the same form4 ,dialect or the common   

form of the word1 it would seem1 is used
 according as feeling1 the occasion1 or 
the necessity for rhyme or rhythm       
permits or demands4 ,many of the negro  
songs that are the most beautiful in    
their expression would appear           
expressionless were they robbed of their
 dialect and vividness of word          
portrayal4 ,the imagery and dialect give
 the songs their peculiar charm2 the    
more mechanical production that is      
apparently on the increase may be sung  
to the same melody1 but the song itself 
has little beauty4 ,however1 the negroes
 themselves prefer the old songs and    
almost invariably return to the singing 
of the more primitive ones that have    
become a part of their heritage4 ,in    
those cases where the tunes differ from 
the old melodies1 the song has assumed a
 characteristic nature1 either from its 
origin and composition1 from constant   
usage by the negroes1 from local        
qualities1 or from unusual combinations4
 ,and in these original creations of the

 negro religion are found the truest    
expression of nature and life as it is  
reflected in the negro of to-day2 it is 
not the expression of complex life1 but 
of simple longing4 ,in the outbursts of 
joyous song and melody the note of      
victory is predominant2 in the          
sadder-toned songs1 sung in plaintive1  
rhythmic melody1 the prevailing note is 
that of appeal4 ,in either case there is
 some sort of conviction back of the    
song1 and it becomes the expression of  
primitive human life4 ,they set forth   
the more simple thoughts of an emotional
 and imaginative worship4 ,they magnify 
the personal and the spectacular in     
religion4 ,they satisfy the love of     
melody1 rude poetry1 and sonorous       
language4 ,simple thought is expressed  
in simple rhyming phrases4 ,repetition  
of similar thoughts and a single chorus1
 with simple and pleasing music which   
lends itself easily to harmonious       
expression1 are characteristic4 ,the    
music is specially adapted to the       

chorus-like singing which is produced by
 the clever and informal carrying of    
many parts by the singers4 ,the song    
often requires a single leader1 and a   
swelling chorus of voices take up the   
refrain4 ,it is but natural that these  
songs should be suited to protracted    
services as good shoutin' songs or      
runnin' speerichils4 ,the same rhythm   
makes them pleasing to the toilers who  
are disposed to sing religious songs    
while they work and promotes a spirit of
 good fellowship as well as being       
conducive to general good feelin'4 ,the 
united singing of children is also      
beautiful4 ,throughout these            
characteristic songs of the negro1 the  
narrative style1 the inconsequential1   
disjointed statements1 the simple       
thought and the fastidious rhymes are   
all expressive of the negro's mental    
operations4  ,all of the negro's church 
music tends to take into it the         
qualities of his native                 
expression--strains minor and sad in    

their general character4 ,the religious 
tone is a part of the song1 and both    
words and music conform to the minor    
key4 ,the negroes delight in song that  
gives stress and swell to special words 
or phrases that for one reason or       
another have peculiar meanings to them4 
,for the most part1 all religious songs 
are spirituals and easily merge into    
satisfying melodies when occasion       
demands4 ,with the idea gained from the 
music of the songs must be joined the   
church scenes and its personalities     
freely mingled with the music4 ,the     
preaching1 praying1 singing and with it 
shouting and unity of negro             
worship--perfection of rhythmic         
sing-song1 these with the throbbing     
instinct of the people make the negro   
music what it is4 ,the negroes sing     
their regular denominational hymns with 
the same feeling1 often1 as they do the 
spirituals1 and while mention must be   
made of their church hymns as such1 they
 often reach in singing them a climax   

similar to their most fervent outbursts1
 and freely mingle them with the old    
songs4 ,in addition to the tune in which
 the hymn is written the negro puts his 
own music into the singing1 and his own 
interpretation into the words4 ,this    
together with the feeling-attitude which
 is unconsciously his1 and the          
satisfaction which he gets from his     
singing1 places negro church music in a 
class of its own4 ,a glance at the part 
which singing plays in the negro's      
church services will aid in the         
interpretation of his songs4  ,church   
services are opened with song2 a leader 
may occupy his place at a central table 
or chair1 select a song and begin to    
sing4 ,or they may wait for the speerit 
and a leader from the pews may begin to 
sing1 others join in the song1 while the
 congregation begins to gather in the   
church4 ,the leader often lines his song
 aloud1 reading sometimes one1 sometimes
 two lines1 then singing4 ,he often puts
 as much music-appeal into the lining of

 the song as he does in the singing4    
,the rhythmical1 swinging tone of the   
reader adds zest to the singing which   
follows4 ,most of the negroes who sing  
know a great many songs--in fact1 all of
 their regular songs--if they are given 
a start by the leader4 ,on the other    
hand1 the congregation often gives the  
leader a start when he lags1 and both   
together keep the song going until they 
are ready to stop singing or to begin   
another song4  ,if the service is prayer
 meeting or a class meeting the leader  
usually continues the songs throughout  
the singing part of the exercises2 at   
regular preaching services the preacher 
reads the regular hymns and leaves the  
beginning and the final songs to the    
leaders4 ,in the class meeting1 the     
general congregation led by song-leaders
 sing1 as a rule1 while the class       
leaders are engaged with their classes4 
,now a woman on this side1 now a man or 
woman on the other side of the church   
begins the song and others join in the  

doleful tunes2 so too1 while collections
 are being made the singing is kept up  
continuously4 ,the process is the same3 
a leader begins to sing1 another joins  
in the singing1 then another and another
 until the majority of those present are
 singing4 ,most negroes who attend      
church participate in the singing1      
although many will not do so regularly1 
preferring to remain quiet for a time1  
then to burst out into song4 ,the       
negroes have been proverbial for their  
good singing1 and undoubtedly they have 
won a deserved reputation4 ,a group of  
five or ten negroes singing at a        
mid-week prayer meeting will often      
appear the volume of song equivalent to 
that of many times their number of white
 people singing4 ,the comparison1       
however1 is not a fair one1 for the     
music is entirely different4 ,one can   
scarcely appreciate the singing of the  
negroes until he has heard them on      
various occasions and in different      
capacities4 ,let him listen on a quiet  

,sunday evening from a position on a    
hill to the singing of four negro       
congregations1 each clearly audible4 ,it
 would appear to be the rhythmical      
expression of deep human feeling and    
longing in an unrestrained outburst of  
ten thousand souls4 ,inside the church  
one may watch the leaders as they line  
the songs and listen to their rich1     
tremulous voices2 he may see the others 
respond and listen to the music of each 
peculiar voice4 ,the voice of the leader
 seems to betray great emotions as he   
reads the lines and begins to sing4 ,he 
appears literally to drink in           
inspiration from the songs while his    
soul seems to be overflowing as he sings
 the words telling of grace and         
redemption4 ,however1 he manifests the  
same kind of emotion when he sings one  
song as when singing another1 the same  
emotion when he reads the words wrongly 
as when he has read them correctly2 it  
makes little difference to him4 ,he is  
consumed with the music and with the    

state of feeling which singing brings to
 him4 ,after all1 perhaps one feeling   
dominates his whole being while he      
sings1 and there can be no song to him  
which does not accord with this4  ,a    
complete analysis of the negro church   
music in its detail is worthy of the    
efforts of any one who could describe   
it4 ,and while the folk-song is of more 
importance in the present work than the 
music of these same songs1 a few further
 details that are apparently            
characteristic of the negroes will not  
be amiss4 ,the singing begins slowly and
 with time-honored regularity but is    
followed by the agreeable and satisfying
 effect made by the joining in of varied
 voices4 ,many times the singers begin  
as if they would sing a simple subdued  
song1 or a hymn with its written music4 
,but in a short while1 apparently not   
being able to resist the impulse to give
 their feelings full sway1 their voices 
fall into that rhythmical swing peculiar
 in a large degree to the negroes2 all  

measures alike become stately4 ,the     
average negro is proud of his stylish   
choir because it represents a step      
towards a model which the negroes wish  
to follow3 but they do not like the     
choir's singing as well as their own    
informal song4 ,in general the negro's  
song will characterize his natural self 
wherever he sings or hears it sung2 he  
is loath to give it up4 ,and while some 
pastors have testified that there were  
no members in their church who would not
 sing the church songs1 it is very      
evident that many of the younger negroes
 do not enter fully into the spirit of  
the old songs and they must necessarily 
undergo radical changes and rapidly pass
 away4  ,before coming to the further   
study of the negro spirituals1 it will  
be well to inquire into the nature of   
the favorite standard church hymns      
commonly used by the negroes in their   
church services4 ,a comparison may then 
be made with the popular folk-songs4    
,the favorite songs and most common     

themes sung by the negroes may best be  
seen at their prayer meetings or class  
meetings1 or at such gatherings as      
require no formality4 ,one may attend   
week after week and hear the same songs 
and feel the same pathos emanating from 
the songs which the worshippers have    
learned to sing and love4 ,they enjoy   
singing of heaven and rest and luxury   
where ease abounds and where ,sabbaths  
have no end4 ,they love to sing the     
praises of the ,deliverer who shall free
 them from life's toils4 ,they have     
chosen the good old songs that have     
vividness and concrete imagery in them2 
they have placed a new feeling into them
 and a different interpretation4 ,the   
meaning of the words and the sentiment  
of the song are transcended by the      
expression in the singing4 ,the         
accustomed manner1 together with their  
responsive feeling1 absorb whatever of  
pure devotion might have existed in     
their attitude--the sinking itself      
becoming devotion4 ,the negro looks     

always to some future state for         
happiness and sings often3    ,this     
earth1 he cries1 is not my place2     ,i
 seek my place in heaven4  ,the negroes 
sing with a peculiar faith the common   
stanzas of their hymns3 ,we've seen our 
foes before us flee1 ,we've seen the    
timid lose their fears1 ,we've seen the 
prisoners burst their chains1 ,we've    
seen the guilty lose their stains4 ,so1 
too1 they conceive1 as of old1 of the   
eternal rest and sing1 with its full    
stanzas3    ,how sweet a ,sabbath thus  
to spend1     ,in hope of one that ne'er
 shall end4  ,the singing of these hymns
 is beautiful and impressive1 testifying
 to the truth that their favorites      
appeal to the fitness of worship and    
accord with the ideal of rhythmical     
perfection as expressed in the feeling  
of the worshipper4  ,the general state  
of feeling which accompanies the song   
thus has much to do with the song       
itself4 ,the singing with its results is
 the most satisfying and agreeable part 

of the worship to the negro's nature4   
,it satisfies his social wants and      
relieves to some extent his child-like  
psychophysical cravings4 ,his worship is
 music to his soul1 whether it be in the
 word-music of the sermon and prayer1 or
 in the natural outburst of his song1 or
 in the rhythm of all combined4 ,it is  
all freedom from restraint and the      
gratification of impulse and the        
experience of sustained languor4        
,although the negro expends a great deal
 of energy in his singing1 it is        
nevertheless rest for him as he feels   
it4 ,unrestrained expression goes far   
toward relieving him of his troubles1   
sometimes real1 sometimes imaginary4    
,what the negro imagines to be total    
confession and contrite submission has a
 very soothing effect upon him2 the     
songs reach the climax of this state of 
feeling4 ,many negroes may be seen1 with
 their heads resting backward and eyes  
closed1 singing vigorously their        
favorite songs2 often they lean forward1

 sway back and forth1 apparently in a   
complete state of passivity4 ,tears and 
shouts of joy are not inconsistent with 
the saddest strains of pathos4 ,their   
senses are all turned toward the        
perception of one attitude1 and besides 
a wonderful tranquility of feeling1 they
 also feel and see visions4 ,at such a  
time the negro is at ease and is at     
liberty to give full expression to his  
feelings among his own people1 without  
incentive to action and without         
interruption4 ,is it surprising that    
after a day's work1 while he has passed 
the hours away in emptiness of thought  
or in misguided thinking and with       
perverted notions1 he finds sweet rest  
in some melodious songs and rhythmic    
verses as he rests his body in the pew8 
,is it surprising that he is unwilling  
to leave the church until a late hour or
 that he does not tire of singing8 ,for 
what has he to attract him at home where
 he unwillingly begins to think of work 
again8 ,it is little surprising that    

after the outburst of song and shouts   
which reveals so much of the negro's    
nature that his attitude is one of      
listlessness and apathy when he has     
finished4  ,this revelation of emotions 
which the negro shows in his singing but
 manifests the reality of his religion4 
,and although the greater part of his   
feeling in religion is pleasurable      
excitement1 it is1 nevertheless1 for    
this very reason the one reality in life
 to him4 ,a study of the emotional      
element does not1 then1 detract from the
 beauty and value of the negro's song2  
it does aid in interpreting that part of
 his songs that arise spontaneously and 
also shows something of their origin and
 growth4 ,indeed without a knowledge of 
the negro's nature and environment1 one 
would scarcely realize the fullest      
appreciation of his folk-songs4 ,in     
proportion as the investigator becomes  
acquainted with the people and          
circumstances which have furnished      
unique folk-songs1 to that degree will  

he be eager to search out their origin  
and be able to interpret them           
intelligently as they are fundamentally 
related to the race4  ,the negro has    
found much material upon which to base  
his songs and many sources from which he
 has selected a wide range of           
subject-matter4 ,his religion is often  
synonymous with his song1 and he has    
sung with little restraint the various  
religious experiences common to such a  
religion4 ,the sermon and prayers1 even 
the songs themselves suggest new themes 
for an imaginative and religious being  
to sing4 ,so1 too1 the ,church1 the     
,christians and the world have furnished
 themes for his song4 ,sin1 evil and the
 devil are ever-present subjects for    
religious thought4 ,the scenes of       
everyday life form continuous allegories
 to be imaged with the assistance of the
 negro's definite self-feeling4 ,but    
perhaps nowhere has the negro found more
 acceptable subject-matter for his song 
than in the ,scriptures2 his songs      

abound in references to scriptural      
characters and often portray individuals
 and scenes with unusual concreteness4  
,a perusal of the negro's songs thus    
reveals the most common themes1 but it  
is more difficult to locate the         
accidental circumstances which gave rise
 to particular forms of a song1 or to   
ascertain the temperamental nature which
 originated many of the best known      
spirituals4 ,in general1 it may be said 
that the folk-song of the negroes has   
found its rise in every phase of negro  
life4 ,it is scarcely possible to trace 
the origin of the first spirituals and  
plantation songs4 ,the ,american negroes
 appear to have had their own songs from
 the earliest days of slavery4 ,and     
while their first songs were undoubtedly
 founded upon the ,african songs as a   
basis1 both in form and meaning1 little 
trace of them can be found in the       
present songs3 negro folks produce      
spontaneous song4 ,the linguist and the 
anthropologists are able to find the    

parallel and apparent origin of many    
words1 that have been used by the       
,southern negroes in their lore and     
song1 among the peoples of ,africa1 but 
there is now no practical relation      
between these words and the meaning of  
the words in their present usage4 ,the  
origin of folk-song has always been an  
interesting theme1 proving full of      
fascination for him who finds it1       
nymph-like1 vanishing from his grasp4   
,still the song of a people is ever     
present and appear1 almost like myths1  
to have sprung into life in some way and
 at some time which no one can exactly  
tell4 ,many a bard of the common life   
has intensified their meaning and made  
them a part of that life4  ,however1    
many of the negro folk-songs may be     
explained when one has observed the     
negro in many walks of life1 or has     
found the origin from which they arose4 
,many of the old spirituals were        
composed in their first forms by the    
negro preachers for their congregations2

 others were composed by the leaders of 
the church singing3 others were composed
 by the slaves in the various walks of  
life1 while still others were first sung
 by the mammies as they passed the time 
in imaginative melody-making and sought 
harmony of words and music4 ,a great    
many of these songs never became current
 because they lacked the pleasurable    
features that appealed most to the      
negroes4 ,those that proved satisfactory
 were seized upon and their growth and  
popularity dated from the moment they   
were heard4 ,with the negroes of to-day 
songs have arisen in much the same way4 
,the difference of environment must     
necessarily make a difference in the    
nature of the songs2 at the same time   
the coloring of present-day life is much
 in evidence in some of the old songs   
composed by the slaves but sung by the  
negroes of the present generation4 ,some
 suggestions as to the natural origin   
and growth of negro songs may be both   
interesting and valuable4  ,the negroes 

have always been known as full of       
feeling and very expressive4 ,their     
natures demand not only some expression 
of their emotions but this expression   
must be easy and rhythmic1 at the same  
time that it is intense and continuous4 
,the negro's musical nature easily turns
 these expressions into melody1 and a   
word1 phrase or exclamation becomes a   
song in itself4 ,the song is completed  
by the imaginative mind and the sense of
 fitness in sound4 ,worshippers often   
follow the preacher through his sermon  
in a mental state of song and when he   
has finished they burst out into song1  
singing no other than an elaborate      
sentence which the preacher has used in 
his sermon4 ,when this is joined to a   
familiar chorus and tune1 and then      
varied1 a song has originated4          
,sometimes the song is remembered and   
sung again2 sometimes1 like the words of
 the preacher1 it simply becomes a part 
of the satisfaction of the hour and is  
forgotten4 ,a negro preacher recently   

reached a climax in his discourse in the
 phrase1 ,oh1 with the wings of the     
morning1 ,i'd fly to that heavenly land4
 ,he repeated this a number of times and
 made gestures with his arms suggestive 
of flying4 ,his black robe added to the 
forcefulness of the suggestion and the  
impression became a part of the song of 
that church4 ,so with praying1 the      
pathetic appeal and word-music of a     
p-l-e-a-s-e ,my ,lo-rd is often the     
inspiration for a song when a happy     
phrase from the prayer becomes an       
addition to a song that follows4 ,even  
more than preaching and praying1        
shouting gives rise to song among the   
negroes2 during exciting times in       
worship the negroes often sing unheard  
of songs nor do they ever recall them   
again4 ,it is indeed a mixed scene of   
song and motion1 each contributing      
largely to the other1 while the         
spectator looks on in wonderment at the 
astonishing inventiveness of the        
worshippers4 ,the general motion1       

expressions of the face1 words and      
harmonies1 rests and rhythm1 sense of   
fitness and even of humor1              
repetition--these make an occasion that 
defies limitation to its expression4 ,if
 a single personality dominates the     
whole in an expression that appeals to  
the present sense of fitness1 he is the 
author of a new song4 ,such a           
personality in the person of a visiting 
minister recently shouted out during    
such a scene3 ,oh1 the hearse-wheel     
a-rollin' an' the graveyard             
opening--h-a1 ha1 but got no further for
 his refrain was taken up by the chorus 
and the next day was a new version of   
the well-known song4  ,such occasions   
might be cited in great numbers4 ,not   
infrequently a negro who has assumed the
 position of song leader sings a line   
while the others join in with a chorus  
of singing and shouting4 ,when the      
leader has given all the lines that he  
knows1 he will often continue in the    
simplest manner possible1 as if he had  

known them for a long time1 to improvise
 lines1 which often have little meaning1
 but which fit into the tune and sound  
well4 ,this process may be continued    
indefinitely1 sometimes with repetition 
of lines already uttered but slightly   
varied and the emphasis placed on the   
differing particular4 ,it thus happens  
that the songs need not have a limit4   
,the necessity of the occasion becomes  
the cause for the invention of the song4
 ,itinerant worshippers are often thus  
gratified to sing to new congregations4 
,as a rule the negroes always give      
attention and respect to strangers so   
that the man or woman who comes to them 
is at liberty to sing old or new songs1 
and they often become skilled in        
improvising songs4 ,the new songs are   
then learned and begin their history as 
folk-song4 ,again1 negroes often feel   
themselves called upon to introduce new 
features into some of their songs and   
conceive of various novelties4 ,the     
negro's feeling toward leadership puts a

 premium upon such a practice4 ,in this 
effort1 a song that is little known     
among the negroes will be changed in    
some particulars1 printed on a sheet of 
paper and distributed as the song of    
brother or sister ,so and ,so4 ,the song
 may be found in a hymn book4 ,however1 
songs entirely new and the efforts of   
their own poetic attempts are often thus
 circulated4 ,this gives rise to a new  
class of negro spirituals1 examples of  
which may be seen in the following      
pages4  ,a number of popular spirituals 
apparently had their rise in the effort 
of the church to satisfy the physical   
cravings of the negroes4 ,the church    
deemed the fiddle and the dance         
instruments of the devil1 and although  
the negro was and is passionately fond  
of dancing1 he was forbidden by the     
church to do so4 ,the church needed some
 kind of substitute for the rhythm and  
excitement of the dance that would      
satisfy and still be in the ,lord4      
,consequently marching services were    

often instituted4 ,the benches were     
piled up together and marching room left
 for the worshippers4 ,they had various 
orders for this service and many forms  
of it have been known to exist4         
,sometimes they marched two by two1 a   
sister and brother in the ,lord1        
sometimes they marched singly1 and at   
other times they marched in a general   
mix-up4 ,at first they followed a leader
 to a simple melody1 keeping step and   
working into a rhythmic swing4 ,then as 
they became more excited they became    
more expressive and with the elaboration
 of the march into a dance their songs  
became marching songs4 ,often they thus 
marched1 with intervals for rest1 until 
the hours of the morning4 ,sometimes    
they all sang2 sometimes the leader sang
 the leading part and all joined in the 
chorus with more satisfactory effect4   
,in the march the negroes swayed back   
and forth1 to and fro1 and found the    
usual satisfaction that comes from      
absolute lack of restraint4 ,as the     

songs given in the following pages      
indicate1 the negroes often imagined    
themselves to be the children of        
,israel1 while their marching songs     
represented ,moses leading them out from
 under the bondage of ,pharaoh1 or they 
considered themselves as marching around
 the wall of some besieged city4        
,victory would be theirs sooner or      
later4 ,this is not confined to the     
songs composed by the slavery negroes1  
but is common in the later songs4 ,such 
scenes are often portrayed by negro     
preachers of the present day and very   
appropriate applications1 as they think1
 are made4 ,the march songs that have   
been found current to-day were composed 
since the war4 ,often the negroes       
enacted similar scenes without the      
formal putting away of the benches in   
the church1 and the same general results
 were the outcome4 ,shouting scenes in  
negro worship to-day are very much      
similar to the old marches except that  
they are more promiscuous4 ,the strange1

 sweet harmonies and melodies of the old
 songs are still good shouting songs4   
,individuals have composed spirituals   
while at work or while wandering from   
place to place1 as a simple outgrowth of
 the circumstances4 ,the expression1 so 
common in negro songs1 ,o my ,lord1     
seems to have been introduced into a    
number of songs in this way4 ,the single
 expression repeated itself forms a     
favorite melody that is often sung4 ,a  
group of negroes sing while working2 one
 sings a new verse of the song3 ,where  
you git dat8 ,i made hit maself1 didn't 
you know ,i'm a songster8 ,and he did   
make it1 and thus gratified1 tries other
 attempts2 with him others begin and    
they have become songsters4 ,negroes1 in
 order to verify a boast that they know 
a certain song to exist1 have been known
 to compose on the moment just such a   
song1 mixing all sorts of songs together
 with the ideas that arise4 ,others who 
have been offered an attractive price   
for songs have composed them without    

scruples of conscience and when asked to
 sing them1 have done so with perfect   
ease4 ,they were paid for the songs1    
thinking that they had fooled that white
 man1 who valued his song thus composed 
as much perhaps as an old spiritual that
 was still current4 ,what the negro     
composed accidentally he learned to     
sing1 and thus introduced a real song in
 his community1 which was to be soon    
carried to other localities4 ,the negro 
is going to sing whether he has a formal
 song or not4 ,the following song       
originated with two negro laborers1     
apparently in a dialogue4 ,the lines may
 be sung to any tune and put to any     
chorus4    ,the church bell a ringin'1  
how sweet ,i do declar'4   ,why don't   
you go to meetin' an' pray all day long8
   ,i'm goin' to church an' pray all day
 long4   ,of course ,i'm a sinner but   
prayin' might do me good   ,an' if ,i do
 succeed ,i sure will tell the news4    
,another song that was composed         
spontaneously in the effort to dignify  

his conversation is the following4 ,it  
will be seen that for the most part it  
is composed of phrases common to other  
songs1 and it is only the combination   
that is new4    ,walk right and do right
 an' trust in the ,lord--   ,lay down   
all yo' sinful ways an' trust in the    
,lord4    ,i am goin' to trust in the   
,lord1   ,i am goin' to trust in the    
,lord1   ,i'm goin' to trust in the     
,lord till ,i die4    ,my ,god he's a   
wonderful ,god an' trust in the ,lord1  
,he will answer yo' prayers don't care  
wher' you are1             ,an' trust in
 the ,lord4  ,the next example was      
composed by a negro man after he had    
recently come through4 ,he always loved 
to talk of what he had seen1 what he    
knew would happen and how he could get  
out of difficulties4 ,along with this he
 had an unusually imaginative mind and  
told many ingenious stories4 ,here is   
the song3    ,the devil come down to the
 worl' one day   ,an' ,i heard him      
holler1 hoo-ray1 hoo-ray6   ,come out1  

,i'm havin' a holiday4    ,that was the 
word ,i heard him say1   ,but ,i knowed 
if ,i danced to his holiday1   ,there'd 
be something doing an' the devil to     
play4  ,the above song is difficult to  
classify4 ,it would seem to be very much
 like some rhymes that the negro had    
seen published in a newspaper but for   
all his purposes it was a good song and 
it mattered little where he had obtained
 the ideas4 ,it was indeed his own song4
 ,one other example of an effort to     
compose a new song shows the tendency of
 the negro to mix his serious themes    
with ridiculous expressions4    ,there  
was a man by the name of ,cy1   ,he     
never prayed an' he never try1   ,so    
when ole ,cy was come to die1   ,he     
hollow out1 in hell ,i'll cry4    ,in   
hell ole ,cy did cry1   ,in hell ole ,cy
 did cry1   ,in hell ole ,cy did cry1   
,now don't you die like ole ,cy die4    
,the song is a variation of two or three
 secular songs and becomes a religious  
song because of its chorus4 ,it is      

actually sung in the churches4 ,the     
author continued1    ,ole ,cy did lead a
 mighty bad life1   ,he was always after
 some other man's wife1  which clearly  
showed the trace of the secular element2
 this phrase is applied to many of the  
notorious characters in the negro       
secular songs4 ,still there was an      
opportunity for the moral and the song  
represents the peculiar gratification   
which the negroes find in having        
composed something more or less         
original4  ,enough has been said to give
 a definite idea concerning the actual  
and possible origin of some of the negro
 folk-songs4 ,further examples will be  
given when the discussion of the negro's
 secular song has been reached4 ,the    
psychology of negro music and song is   
not difficult to explain in the light of
 the facts already suggested4 ,his      
plaintive appeals in prayer1 his        
emotional and religious nature1 his     
primitive expression1 his love of rhythm
 and melody1 his feelings and misguided 

imagination1 his interpretation of life 
and ,scripture1 his faith in dreams and 
visions quickly exaggerated into        
fabrications1 his whole nature but      
reveals within him what we call the     
musical nature of the race4 ,with the   
negro1 motion and song instinctively go 
together4 ,systematic movement is more  
conducive to singing than a careless1   
haphazard motion4 ,movement and song    
give rhythm that is not to be found     
under other circumstances4 ,regularity  
and rhythm in movement1 emphasis and    
rhythm in music1 these give the negro   
songs essential pleasure-giving         
qualities that appeal strongly to the   
negro's entire being4 ,if his music is  
primitive and if it has much of the     
sensuous in it2 if his songs and verse  
are full of primitive art having many   
qualities of possible worth1            
nevertheless they are not thereby       
rendered less distinct4  ,in no way can 
a better insight into the negro's       
religion be obtained than by a careful  

study of his songs4 ,an analysis of     
those songs that have been preserved    
will give us at once a better conception
 of his folk-songs and his religion4    
,the references are reproduced in their 
exact forms in order that they may serve
 as an aid in the study of the verse    
contained in the common songs of the    
negroes from the time of slavery to the 
present day4 ,only the chief conceptions
 which have been portrayed in negro song
 are here given2 further analysis may be
 made in connection with the songs      
themselves4 ,the devil is prominent in  
the religious songs of the negroes4 ,he 
is the constant terror and proverbial   
enemy of the race4 ,he is alive1 alert1 
and concrete4 ,he represents the demon  
trickster incarnate in the form of a    
man4 ,he is the opposite of ,god but    
always less powerful4 ,he is the enemy  
against whom the battle is always on2 it
 is a personal battle1 but he is usually
 outwitted or disappointed4 ,here are   
some pictures of ,old ,satan as found in

 the songs of the slave and the negro of
 to-day3#c    ,ef you want to see ole   
satan run1   ,jes' fire off dat gospel  
gun4    ,ole satan is a liar an'        
conjurer1 too1   ,an' if you don't mind 
he'll conjure you4  ,other forms are    
,an' if you don't mind he'll cut you in 
two1   ,an' if you don't mind he'll cut 
you through4    ,ole satan lak a snake  
in the grass1   ,always in some         
,christian's path1  or    ,if you don't 
mind he'll git you at las'4    ,ole     
satan weahs a mighty loose ole shoe1    
,if you don't min' gwine a slip it on   
you4    ,ole satan like dat hunting dog1
   ,he hunt dem ,christians home to     
,god4    ,o shout1 shout1 de debbil is  
about1   ,o shut yo' do' an' keep him   
out4    ,all de debbils in hell can't   
pluck me out1   ,an' ,i wonder what     
satan's a grumblin' erbout1   ,he's     
boun' in hell an' can't get out1   ,but 
he shall be loose an' hab his way1      
,yonder at de great reserection day4    
,i went down de hillside to make a one  

prayer1   ,an' when ,i get dere ole     
satan wus dere1   ,o what you think he  
said to me8   ,said1 ,off frum here you 
better be4    ,old satan tole me to my  
face1   ,i'll git you when a you leave  
this place2   ,o brother dat scere me to
 my heart1   ,i was 'feared to walk a   
when it wus dark4    ,i started home but
 ,i did pray1   ,an' ,i met ole satan on
 de way2   ,ole satan made a one grab at
 me1   ,but he missed my soul an' ,i    
went free4    ,i tell you brother you   
better not laugh1   ,ole satan'll run   
you down his path1   ,if he runs you lak
 he run me1   ,you'll be glad to fall   
upon yo' knee4    ,we shout so fas' de  
debbil look1   ,an' he gits away wid his
 cluven foot4    ,ole satan is mad an'  
,i am glad1   ,he missed the soul he    
thought he had4    ,what make ole satan 
hate me so8   ',cause he got me once an'
 let me go4    ,ole satan tole me not to
 pray2   ,he want my soul at jedgement  
day4    ,i wrestle wid satan and wrestle
 wid sin1   ,stepped over hell an' come 

back agin4    ,ole satan tremble when he
 sees1   ,the weakest saint upon his    
knees4    ,go 'way satan ,i doan min'   
you2   ,you wonder1 too1 you can't come 
through8    ,oh brother1 breth'ren1 you 
better be engaged1   ,for de debbil he's
 out on a big rampage4    ,i plucked one
 block out o' satan's wall1   ,i heard  
him stumble an' saw him fall4    ,ole   
satan thought he had me fas'1   ,broke  
his chain an ,i'm free at las'4    ,i   
met ole satan in my way2   ,he say1     
young man1 you too young to pray4       
,the devil tries to throw down          
everything that's good1   ,he'd fix a   
way to confuse the righteous if he      
could1   ,thanks be to ,god-er-mighty he
 can't be beguiled1   ,ole satan will be
 done fighting after awhile4  ,the      
negroes have many other phrases which   
they apply to satan and picture him in  
other relations4 ,ole satan is a mighty 
busy ole man1 an' throw rocks in my way4
 ,what makes ole satan follow me so8    
,satan ain't got nothin' fer to do with 

me4 ,as a busy man he also has his      
shield and sword1 not only gives trouble
 but gets into trouble4 ,says the negro3
 ,i heard de debbil howlin' when ,i come
 out'n de wilderness an' ,i gib de      
debbil battle4 ,now stan' back1 satan1  
an' let me go by 444 why doan de debbil 
let a me be8 ,ole satan mighty busy1 he 
follow me night an' day4 ,ole satan toss
 ball at me1 he think the ball hit my   
soul1 the ball for hell an' me for      
heaven4 ,ole satan gettin' in mighty    
rage1 for satan's camp's afier4 ,satan  
mount de iron gray hoss an' ride half   
way to pilot bar4 ,but ,we'll shout ole 
satan's kingdom down1 gwine a pull down 
satan's kingdom1 gwine a win ag'in de   
debbil4 ,victory is the negro's for he  
exclaims3 ,i saw dem bindin' satan1 and 
,i saw ole satan's kingdom fallin'4 ,but
 while satan is a great schemer and is  
very busy and wash his face in ashes1   
put on leather apron1 his greatest      
attribute is the liar4 ,the negro cannot
 give too insistent warning3    ,when ,i

 got dere ,cap'n satan wus dere4        
,sayin' ,young man1 dere's no use to    
pray1   ,for ,jesus is daid an' ,god    
gone away4   ,an' ,i made 'im out a liar
 an' went on my way4  ,with these       
pictures and warnings the negro song    
gives a final bit of advice4 ,if you    
ain't got de grace ob ,god in yo' heart1
 den de debbil will git you sho'1 then  
the singer rests securely in the        
knowledge that he is filled with the    
grace that holds against the devil4     
,king ,jesus was the original name most 
commonly given to ,christ in the        
spirituals4 ,besides this ,he was the   
bosom friend of the negro4 ,he comes in 
to intercept satan and to save the      
individual from hell4 ,he is very real  
and no one is more vividly described    
than ,he4 ,he bears many relations to   
his people4    ,now my ,jesus bein' so  
good an' kind1   ,my ,jesus lowered his 
mercy down1   ,an' snatch me from de    
doors of hell1   ,an' took me in with   
him to dwell4    ,oh1 ,jesus tole you   

once befo'   ,to go in peace and sin no 
mo'4    ,i heard o' my ,jesus many one  
say1   ,could move po' sinner's sins    
away4    ,den ,jesus he come ridin' by1 
,gib me wings to ride an' fly4    ,jesus
 ,christ the first and las'1   ,no man  
wuks lak him2   ,he built a platform in 
de air1   ,he meets de saints from      
eve'where4    ,virgin ,mary had one son1
   ,the cruel ,jews had him hung4    ,me
 an' my ,jesus goin' live at ease1   ,me
 an' my ,jesus goin' do as we please4   
,if you want er die like ,jesus died1   
,fold yo' arms an' clasp yo' eyes4    ,i
 tell you breth'ren an' ,i tell you     
twist1   ,my soul done anchored in      
,jesus ,christ4    ,up on de hillside   
,king ,jesus spoke1   ,out of his mouth 
come fire an' smoke4    ,yer say yo'    
,jesus set you free2   ,why don't you   
let yo' neighbors be8  ,other shorter   
lines give equally concrete pictures and
 mention equally definite attributes4   
,you'll see my ,jesus come to wake up de
 nations underground4   ,king ,jesus    

died for every man4   ,an' de son ,he   
set me free4   ,i got my ,jesus as well 
as you4   ,if you want to see ,jesus go 
in de wilderness4   ,gwine serve my     
,jesus till ,i die4   ,i call my ,jesus 
king ,emanuel4   ,he pluck my feet out'n
 de miry clay4   ,he sot dem on de firm 
rock of age4   ,christ hab bought yo'   
liberty4   ,king ,jesus' settin' in de  
kingdom4   ,de win' blow eas' an' de    
win' blow wes' from ,jesus4   ,oh yonder
 comes my ,jesus1 ,i know him by his    
shinin'4   ,hear my ,jesus when he call 
you8 ,hear my ,jesus callin'8   ,i'm    
goin' to hebben where my ,jesus dwell4  
,o ,i walk and talk with ,jesus4        
,jesus loosen de man frum under de      
groun'4   ,jesus ain't comin' here to   
die no mo'4   ,the son of man he dunno  
where to lay his weary head4    ,see    
what wonder ,jesus done3   ,jesus make  
dumb to speak4   ,jesus make de cripple 
walk4   ,jesus gib de blin' deir sight4 
,jesus do mos' anything4   ,i want to do
 7or die7 like ,jesus4   ,jesus stan' on

 de udder side ,jordan4   ,jesus settin'
 on de water side4   ,jesus is our      
captain1 ,jesus got de hellum4   ,jesus 
mount 7ride7 a milk-white hoss4   ,you  
had better follow ,jesus4   ,daddy      
,peter set out for ,jesus4   ,jesus will
 bring you milk an' honey4   ,mas'      
,jesus is my bosom friend4   ,gwine     
follow ,king ,jesus1 ,i really do       
believe4   ,king ,jesus he was so       
strong1 my ,lord1 till he jar down de   
walls ob hell4   ,gwine to write to my  
,jesus4   ,king ,jesus settin' in de    
heaven4   ,king ,jesus on de mountain   
top4   ,o ,jesus is a mighty man4 ,ride 
in kind ,jesus1 who set po' sinner free4
   ,for ,jesus came an' lock de do'4    
,de ,jews kill po' ,jesus4   ,jesus call
 you--,jesus waitin'4   ,i wus los' in  
de wilderness2 ,jesus hand me de candle 
down4   ,mas' ,jesus gib me little broom
 fer to sweep my heart clean4   ,jesus  
fed me when ,i was hungry1 he clothed me
 when ,i was naked1 he gave       me    
drink when ,i was dry4   ,jesus rose an'

 flew away on ,sunday morning4   ,christ
 was there four thousand years ago1     
drinking of the wine4   ,jesus he wore  
the starry crown4 ,did you see ,jesus   
when he wore the       starry crown8    
,jesus he wore long white robe4   ,king 
,jesus speaks an' de chariot stops4     
,king ,jesus is the ,rock4   ,well did  
you say you love ,jesus8   ,jesus done  
bless my soul an' gone to glory4        
,won't you ride on ,jesus8 ,o yes4   ,i 
look fer ,jesus all o' my days4   ,jesus
 is a listening all the day long4  ,the 
scenes of the crucifixion seem to       
impress the negroes very forcibly and   
their songs abound in references to ,his
 suffering4 ,some of these expressions  
are full of feeling1 and are touching in
 their sentiment4    ,they nail my      
,jesus down   ,they put him on the crown
 of thorn 7thorny crown74   ,o see my   
,jesus hangin' high6   ,he look so pale 
an' bleed so free3   ,o don't you think 
it was a shame1   ,he hung three hours  
in dreadful pain8  ,next to ,jesus and  

often synonymous with ,him is ,god4 ,he 
is ,my ,lord1 ,my ,god1 ,lord           
,god-er-mighty1 and king ,jehobah1 and  
represents the personal ,god and the    
ruler of the world4    ,upon de mountain
 ,jehobah spoke1   ,out o' his mouth    
come fire an' smoke4    ,my ,god a      
walkin' down hebbenly road1   ,out o'   
his mouth come two edged sword4    ,if  
yo' find yo' way to ,god1   ,the gospel 
highway mus' be trod4    ,de father he  
look upon de ,son an' smile1   ,de ,son 
he look on me1   ,de ,father redeem my  
soul from hell1   ,de ,son he set me    
free4    ,i'm a chile of ,god wid my    
soul set free4   ,for ,christ hab bought
 my liberty4    ,i'm goin' home fer to  
see my ,lord4   ,my ,lord did give me   
ease4   ,ever since my ,lord set me     
free4   ,i believe it for ,god he tole  
me so4   ,o my ,lord's comin' ag'in1    
,it may be las' time4 ,i don't know4    
,i goin' to do all ,i can fer my ,lord2 
,i goin' to mourn1 pray1 weep all ,i    
can fer my ,lord4   ,the ,lord is a     

listenin' all the day long4   ,my ,lord 
is a talkin 7preachin'7 at de jedgement 
day4   ,de ,lord goin' to wake up the   
dead4   ,my ,lord come down wid de key  
an' unlock de jail house do'4   ,o1 my  
,lord's a doctor in a weary lan'2   ,my 
,lord's a preachin' and teachin'1 and   
walkin' in a weary lan'4   ,my ,lord    
calls me by the thunder2 by the         
lightning4   ,dat mus' be my ,lord in   
the cloud4    ,my ,lord says there's    
room enough4   ,i'm goin' to tell ,god  
'bout my trials4   ,thank ,god-a-mighty1
 ,my ,god's been here4   ,when ,i talk  
,i talk wid ,god4    ,gwine to chatter  
wid de ,fadder4   ,my ,fadder call an'  
,i mus' go4   ,my righteous ,lord shall 
fin' you out4   ,look to de ,lord wid a 
tender heart4   ,o de ,lord ,he plant de
 garden dere and raise de fruit for you 
to eat4   ,o de ,lord ,he comfort       
sinner4   ,god did go to ,moses house   
an' tell him who ,he wus4   ,god an'    
,moses walked and talked an' ,god did   
sho' him who ,he wus4    ,god sits in   

,heaven an' answers prayer4   ,i gwine  
tell ,god how you sarved me4   ,look in 
my ,god's right hand4   ,his chariot    
wheels roll round4   ,god's goin' call  
dem chilluns frum de distant lan'4   ,my
 ,lord's a-ridin' all the time4   ,de   
,lord has been here an' de love come    
tricklin' down4   ,me an' my ,god goin' 
to walk an' talk4   ,o ,god don't talk  
lak a nat'ral man4   ,my ,lord          
,god-ermighty come a steppin' down1 come
 a steppin' down on a sea       ob      
glass4  ,heaven for the negro is an     
eternal resting place where he shall    
occupy the best place4 ,it is a place of
 glory and splendor in the material     
sense4 ,nor does he think that he will  
fail to miss his home when he dies4     
,hell is a place for thieves and sinners
 and liars1 but such persons are far    
removed from him4 ,his religion is the  
panacea for all evils and all sins1 and 
when he has the love of ,god in his     
heart nothing can doom him1 for has he  
not been washed in the blood of the     

lamb8 and had not the blood done sign   
his name8 ,his ideas of heaven are those
 which his mind naturally conceives of  
as applying to a home2 his conclusions  
from the ,scriptures are not unusual4 ,a
 few of the references to heaven will   
give a better conception of the negro's 
reality and vividness of interpretation4
    ,i want to go to heaven when ,i die1
   ,to shout salvation as ,i fly4       
,you say yer aiming fer de skies1   ,why
 don't yer quit yer tellin' lies4    ,i 
hope ,i git dere bye an' bye1   ,to jine
 de number in de sky4    ,when ,i git to
 heaven gwine to ease1 ease1   ,me an'  
my ,god goin' do as we please1          
,settin' down side o' de holy ,lamb4    
,when ,i git to heaven goin set right   
down1   ,gwin-er ask my ,lord fer starry
 crown4    ,now wait till ,i gits my    
gospel shoes1   ,gwin-er walk 'bout     
heaven an' carry de news4    ,we'll walk
 up an' down dem golden streets1        
,we'll walk about ,zion4    ,gwine sit  
in de kingdom1 ,i raly do believe1 where

 sabbaths have no end4   ,look way in de
 heaven--hope ,i'll jine de             
band--,sittin' in de kingdom4   ,i done 
bin to heaven an' ,i done bin' tried4   
,dere's a long white robe in de heaven  
for me1   ,dere's a golden crown1 golden
 harp1 starry crown1 silver slippers in 
heaven for me ,i know4   ,o yes ,i'm    
gwine up to see my ,lord2 gwine all de  
way up to see my robe2 ,o       de      
heaven is shinin'1 shinin'4   ,gwine    
shout in hebben1 gwine hab a big        
meetin'4   ,if you want to go to heaven 
come along wid me4   ,take my flight up 
to de skies in de mornin'4   ,o de      
heaven gates are open4   ,gwine up to   
heaven where my ,jesus dwells4   ,my    
,jesus walkin' de hebbenly road4   ,de  
bell is ringin' in odder bright worl'4  
,if you touch one strin' de whole hebben
 ring4   ,de sun gib light in de hebben 
all round4   ,i wish ,i wus in de       
kingdom settin' side o' my ,lord4   ,no 
more hard trial in de kingdom2 no more  
tribulation1 no more parting1       no  

more quarreling1 backbiting in de       
kingdom1   ,no more sunshine fer to bu'n
 you2 no more rain fer to wet you4      
,ev'y day will be ,sunday in heaven4    
,sweet music in heaven jes beginning to 
roll4   ,goin feast off'n milk an'      
honey4  ,the negro does not dwell upon  
thoughts of hell as he does of heaven4  
,even if he has stepped over hell an'   
come back 'gain1 he does not reveal so  
much of its character4 ,some            
conceptions1 however1 are definite      
enough4    ,o hell is deep an' hell is  
wide1   ,o hell ain't got no bottom or  
side4    ,i'd rather pray myself away1  
,than live in hell an' burn one day4    
,o when ,i git to hebben1 ,i'll be able 
to tell1   ,how ,i shunned dat dismal   
hell4    ,ev'y since my ,lord done set  
me free1   ,dis ole worl' bin a hell to 
me4    ,when ,i come to find out ,i's on
 de road to hell1 ,i fleed to ,jesus4   
,the negro song finds little            
satisfaction in his various ideas of    
hell4 ,this ole world's a hell to me1   

says the negro2 but hell is a dark and  
dismal place1 so that the only immediate
 conclusion which he can reach is that  
he must shun de gates of hell and make  
for the home beyond the ,jordan4  ,a    
rich variety of references to scriptural
 characters is seen in the majority of  
the negro spirituals1 both of the past  
and of the present4 ,the negro portrays 
the conduct of heroes in the past with  
imaginative skill4 ,their songs are     
often running-stories of scripture1 in  
which the effort is made to include as  
many characters as possible and at the  
same time draw conclusions which have   
suitable morals1 but these songs may be 
better studied in the examples that     
follow4 ,some of the typical references 
to the ,scriptures will show the average
 interpretation given them by the       
negroes4    ,o1 sisters1 can't you help 
me sing1   ,for ,moses' sister did help 
him4    ,where wus ,ezekiel when de     
church fell down8   ,down in de valley  
wid his head hung down4    ,ezekiel said

 he spied de train a comin'1   ,he got  
on board an' she never stop runnin'4    
,god made ,adam an' ,adam wus first1    
,god made ,adam out o' the dust o' the  
earth4    ,well ,god show ,noah de      
rainbow sign1   ,no more water but fire 
nex' time4    ,mose live till he got    
old1   ,buried in de mountain so ,i'm   
told4    ,mary wept and ,martha mourned1
   ,jesus ,christ laid de corner stone4 
,mary wore the golden chain1   ,every   
link was in ,jesus' name4    ,judas was 
a deceitful man--   ,well he betrayed   
the innercent lam'4    ,john wrote a    
letter an' he wrote it in haste1   ,if  
yer want to go to heaven1 you better    
make haste4    ,john declar he saw a    
man1   ,wid seben lamps in his right    
han'4  ,the negroes wonder wher's sister
 ,mary1 ,martha1 ,brudder ,moses1       
brudder ,daniel 7and the others7 gone4  
,so1 too1 ,sister ,hannah1 ,hagar1      
brudder ,moses and the rest took dey    
seat4 ,and again1 ,wondah whar good ole 
,daniel1 doubtin' ,thomas1 sinkin'      

,peter and others4 ,moses smote de water
 and the negro says3    ,i want to go   
where ,moses trod1   ,for ,moses gone to
 de house o' ,god4  ,peter is commanded 
again and again to go ring dem bells2   
,daddy ,peter go to ,jesus1 ,fisherman  
,peter out at sea1 the latter perhaps   
being the origin of sinkin' ,peter4     
,elijah is one of the favorites of the  
,old ,testament4 ,elijah gwine ride in  
de chariot in de mornin'1 and ,isaiah   
who mounted on de wheel o' time is a    
kindred character to ,ezekiel and       
,elijah4 ,jacob's ladder and struggle is
 vivid enough to be sung4 ,i'm gwine    
climb up ,jacob's ladder2 ,rastlin'     
,jacob1 let me go4 ,jacob tremblin' on a
 limb4 ,noah's victory is the common    
theme4 ,dey call ,brudder ,noah a       
foolish man1 but that makes no          
difference for de ,lord tole ,noah fer  
to build him ark1 and de ole ark a      
moverin4 ,the negro remarks             
characteristically3 ,god placed ,adam in
 de garden1 'was 'bout de cool o' day4  

,gabriel is proverbial and the attitude 
of the singer is always ready fer to    
hear ,gabriel blow his horn4 ,don't you 
hear ,gabriel's trumpet in de mornin'8  
,little ,david play on de harp has been 
a shining example for many another      
,david who loved to blow on his harp4   
,father ,abraham sittin' down side o' de
 holy ,lamb1 is almost synonymous with  
,christ4 ,prominent among the clear     
impressions made by the ,scriptures is  
that of the delivery of ,daniel1 the    
,hebrew children and ,jonah4 ,however1  
one must read the songs in order to get 
the full significance of the references4
  ,although the negro bases everything  
in his religion upon the ,bible1 and his
 songs and sermons and exhortations     
abound in quotations from the ,holy     
word1 he has comparatively little to say
 of the ,bible itself as a book4 ,he    
thinks sometimes that it is a cumpass   
and also bases his convictions on the   
truth of the ,bible4 ,he asks ,how do   
you know8 ,for my ,bible hit tell me so4

    ,for in dat ,bible you will see4    
,jesus died fer you an' me4   ,matthew1 
,mark1 ,luke an' ,john   ,tell me where 
my ,master's gone4    ,go read de fifth 
of ,matthew   ,an' read de chapter      
through1   ,it is de guide to           
,christians   ,an' tell 'em what to do4 
,now take yo' ,bible an' read it        
through1   ,an' ev'y word you fin' is   
true4  ,as the ,bible is the compass1 so
 sometimes the ,holy ,ghost is thought  
of as the pilot4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is   
too vague for the negroes to fathom and 
is not tangible enough for their        
imaginations4 ,but he says3 ,if this    
ain't de holy ,ghost ,i don't know1 but 
goes little further4  ,just as the negro
 expects to talk and walk with ,god and 
,jesus1 so he looks forward to seeing   
the angels in ,heaven4 ,he wants to see 
them with their white robes and hear    
them sing2 he even says they mourn4     
,bright angels hoverin' on de water by  
de light1 are but a part of the angel   
band which he hopes to join4 ,join de   

hebben wid de angels is his watchword   
and by it he sees in his child-like     
fancy all the beauties of ideal         
creatures4    ,i'm gwine to keep a      
climbin' high1   ,till ,i meet dem      
angels in de sky4    ,dem pooty angels  
,i shall see--   ,why doan de debbil let
 a me be8    ,o when ,i git to heaven   
goin' sit an' tell1   ,three archangels 
gwine er ring dem bells4    ,two white  
angels come a walkin' down1   ,long     
white robes an' starry crown4    ,what's
 dat yonder dat ,i see8   ,big tall     
angel comin' after me4  ,the negro makes
 a terrible picture of the day of       
judgment4 ,for him it means everything  
that could possibly happen at the end of
 the world4 ,it is the destruction of   
the sinner and the glory of the         
righteous4 ,nor does he hesitate to     
affirm that the ,christian in heaven    
will shout amen to the sinner's         
damnation4 ,the sinner will see his     
mother and friends in heaven while he is
 doomed to hell4 ,it serves as a warning

 theme for the song more than it        
indicates reality of thought4 ,but here 
is a part of his picture3    ,my ,lord  
what a morning when de stars begin to   
fall1   ,you'll see de worl' on fire1   
,you'll see de moon a bleedin' an'   ,de
 moon will turn to blood1   ,den you'll 
see de elements a meltin'1   ,you'll see
 de stars a fallin'1   ,o yes1 de stars 
in de elements a fallin'1   ,an' de moon
 drips way in blood1   ,when ,god goin' 
call dem childuns from de distant lan'1 
,den you see de coffins bustin'1   ,den 
you see de bones a creepin'1   ,den you 
see po' sinner risin'1   ,den you hear  
de tombstones crackin'1   ,an' you see  
de graves a bustin'1   ,hell an' seas   
gwine give up their daid1   ,den you see
 de forked lightenin'1   ,den you hear  
de rollin' thunder1   ,earth shall reel 
an' totter1   ,hell shall be uncapped1  
,de dragon be loosed1   ,don't you hear 
them sinners cryin'8  ,such a scene     
vividly told of at a revival and sung to
 the associations of the moment is too  

much for the average negro2 the sinner  
cries for mercy and turns to a          
,christian2 the latter sings3 ,fare you 
well po' sinner and    ,a mighty sea of 
glass mingled wid fier1   ,good-bye1    
brother1 ,i'm goin' higher4  ,along with
 the scenes which are associated with   
the resurrection and judgment go the    
sadder strains of the mourners2 weepin' 
mournin'1 cry'n'--these will be much in 
evidence4 ,a study of the songs that    
follow will give some idea of the       
emotional nature of the themes and      
music4 ,the negroes sing sympathy4      
,weepin' ,mary1 weep no mo'--,mary wept1
 ,martha cried1 why can't they too8 ,now
 ain't dis hard trial and tribulation8  
,he sings often in his songs of hard    
times and trials4 ,when you see me1 he  
says1 pity me4 ,nobody knows de trubble 
,i seen but ,i boun' to leave dis worl'2
 ,fare you well1 dere's a better day    
comin'4 ,his prayers are more pathetic  
than his songs2 his appeals interpret   
the spirit of song and of worship4 ,but 

one would scarcely look for a more      
pathetic wail than that of the negro who
 sings    ,sometimes ,i hangs my head   
an' cries1   ,but ,jesus goin' to wipe  
my weep'n' eyes4  ,if the negro loves to
 mourn and if his songs are full of     
sadness and pathos1 he also loves to    
shout and vigorously defends the right  
to shout as much as he pleases4 ,his    
songs have many ,hallelujahs in them2   
many notes of victory may be read in the
 songs of his choice4 ,they often sing1 
however1 the songs which should be the  
most joyous in the same sad and         
plaintive tone of the sadder ones4 ,they
 forget the words4 ,in many1 however1   
the shouting takes away any sadness and 
these livelier songs voice the light and
 sensuous emotions equally as well as   
the more serious ones tell of hardships4
 ,the negro maintains that always and   
everywhere1 ,you'll hear the ,christian 
shout4 ,de richest man ,i ever seed1 his
 heart was fill wid ,jesus an' ,holy    
,ghost4 ,i got de glory in my soul he   

says and    ,i real'y do b'lieve widout 
a doubt1   ,dat de church hab a mighty  
right to shout4    ,i tell you what ,i  
lak de bes'1   ,it is dem shoutin'      
,mefodes'4  ,if the negro's mother and  
sister and father and preacher and the  
others1 as the songs put it1 died a     
shoutin'1 why he is goin' die shoutin'  
too4    ,gwine hab happy meetin'1       
,gwine shout in hebben1   ,gwine shout  
an' nebber tire1   ,o slap yo' han's    
chilluns1   ,o pat yo' feets chilluns1  
,i feels de spirit movin'   ,o now ,i'm 
gittin' happy4  ,of true love and       
devotion to ,god one finds little       
definite and concrete expressions as    
compared with other themes4 ,the negro  
is constantly affirming his love for his
 ,jesus and offering his eternal        
allegiance in a general way4 ,but in the
 average instance the testimony is      
subordinated to some special word or    
phrase which receives the greater part  
of the significance in the song4 ,what  
does he mean when he asks3 ,does yo'    

love continue true8 or when he insists3 
,i wants to know1 does you love yo'     
,jesus8 ,the negroes are often heard to 
say that they want to do something for  
the ,lord4 ,in the same way they sing ,i
 goin' to weep all ,i can for my ,lord1 
,i goin' pray all ,i can for my ,lord1  
,i goin' do all ,i can for my ,lord4 ,in
 each case the relation of the negro and
 his ,god are ideal and he conceives of 
his own deeds as being1 not the         
practical every-day life1 but as coming 
in the future when there will be nothing
 unpleasant about them4 ,it was doubted 
if the negro's ideas of ,god and ,heaven
 and his relation to them were truly    
expressed in his songs4 ,a series of    
experiments were made with negro        
children1 wherein questions were        
answered by them at the time they were  
given1 others being carried to their    
homes or teachers4 ,their ideas of hell 
and heaven1 ,god and the angels are     
almost identical4 ,perhaps some of them 
were gained from the songs2 some of them

 were certainly not2 all seemed to agree
 with each other and with those of the  
race in a remarkable way4  ,nature      
contributes something to the negro      
spirituals4 ,certain parts of nature are
 symbolic and serve to convey the       
picture of a vivid imagination as       
nothing else can do4 ,the wonders of    
,god and the terrors of the judgment    
must be seen in their relation and      
effect upon the forces of nature4       
,certain natural phenomena inspire awe  
and reverence2 they add thus to the     
conception of his religious fear4 ,other
 references to nature convey1 as they   
only could1 pleasing features of life1  
hence of heaven and ,god4 ,the negro    
refers to the break o' day1 the settin' 
o' the sun1 the cool o' de evenin' and  
each is very expressive4 ,morning and   
evening are common2 he prays in the     
evening perhaps2 in the morning he is   
going to heaven4 ,the hillside1 the     
mountain and mountain top1 the valley1  
signify and typify the experiences of   

the ,christian of the past and present2 
the heavenly breeze comes from the      
valley4 ,the negro sees a paradise and a
 wilderness1 a sunshine and a storm4    
,but    ,dere's a tree in paradise1     
,christians call de tree ob life1  and  
he faithfully believes ,i specs to eat  
de fruit off'n dat tree4 ,the earth     
trembles and is jarred2 the sky is      
shook4 ,the river is chilly an' cold1   
wide an' deep4 ,the rock is better than 
the miry clay and nebber mind de        
sun--see how she run4 ,the stars1 moon1 
and world fall1 bleed1 and burn4 ,the   
thunder and the lightning are in the    
stormy cloud2 ,jesus may be1 too4 ,satan
 is a snake in the grass and a hunting  
dog4 ,young lambs and de sheep done know
 de road4 ,the summer1 spring1 flowers  
and the field are mentioned4 ,the negro 
wishes he had wings like ,noah's dove4  
,he is sometimes awed3    ,i looked     
toward dat northern pole1   ,i seed     
black clouds of fire roll4  ,with his   
vivid imagination the negro feels much  

of the thought expressed in the         
folk-song4 ,thus sin and the sinner are 
intimately connected with life and      
death1 religion and repentance4 ,how    
skillfully the songs express the        
folk-feeling may better be inferred in  
the further analysis of the following   
,types of ,negro ,spirituals4  ,an exact
 classification of negro songs1 either  
as to subject-matter or as to form1 is  
scarcely possible4 ,there is little     
unity of thought in their content2 their
 metres conform to no consistent        
standards4 ,a single favorite stanza1   
regardless of its meaning1 is constantly
 being sung in a dozen different songs4 
,it is a distinct folk-song2 and it     
matters little to which one it belongs2 
it serves its purpose in any one of     
them4 ,so in the form of the verse1 a   
single tune is adapted to lines that    
differ widely in length2 likewise a     
single line is not infrequently made to 
fit into any tune that is desired4      
,again1 no final version of any song can

 be given4 ,the lines are rarely sung in
 exactly the same form4 ,there are      
ordinarily as many versions of a line as
 there are combinations of the words    
without spoiling the effect of the rhyme
 or emphatic word4 ,the stanzas have no 
order of sequence1 but are sung as they 
occur in the mind of the singer2 a song 
does not have a standard number of      
stanzas1 but the length depends upon the
 time in which it is wanted to sing that
 particular song4 ,in the songs that    
follow the most common versions are     
given4 ,in giving the dialect no attempt
 is made at consistency2 for the negro  
of the present generation has no        
consistency of speech4 ,he uses the and 
de1 them and dem1 gwine and goin'1 and  
and an'1 together with many other varied
 forms1 which will be noted in a later  
chapter2 nor does it matter that each of
 the forms is used in the same line or  
stanza4 ,in the old songs that are here 
quoted for comparisons1 the exact form  
of speech in which they have been       

published is used4 ,in the miscellaneous
 songs gathered here and there1 what may
 be called the average dialect is used4 
,the songs that form the basis of this  
work are those that are found among the 
present-day negroes of the ,south2 in   
many cases the corresponding song of    
earlier days is given in order that a   
better study of the folk-songs may be   
made and the many points of resemblance 
noted4 ,in all instances the basis of   
the chapter is the present-day song1 and
 these should not be confused with those
 that have already been published4 ,the 
words of the chorus and refrain are     
italicized4 ,further particulars will be
 pointed out in connection with the     
several songs4  ,perhaps no better      
beginning can be made towards general   
classification of the religious songs of
 the negroes than by introducing some   
that combine several characteristics1   
but still have a general theme          
predominating4 ,sin is an important     
factor in the religious life of the     

negro and his songs refer to it in many 
forms4 ,the three general tones which   
pervade the theme are3 ,a note of       
victory over sin and the conception of  
it as being in the past or belonging to 
some other person2 the conception of sin
 as being present and the singer as     
being in its grasp2 and thirdly1 the    
sinner-man himself and warnings given   
him4 ,the very popular song1 ,all my    
,sins ,done ,taken ,away is typical of  
the first class mentioned above4 ,there 
is no reason why the stanzas given below
 should come in the order presented1    
except that they are heard in this      
arrangement as much as in any other4    
,the stanzas consist of two rhymed lines
 with the refrain4 ,these1 however1 are 
usually extended to four1 the first two 
and refrain being sung slowly and in a  
more or less plaintive tone1 while the  
repetition of the same lines with the   
rhymed line and refrain are rapid and   
joyous4 ,the common version follows4    
,i'm goin' to heaven an' ,i don't want  

ter stop1   ,yes1 ,i'm goin' to heaven  
an' ,i don't want ter stop1     ,all o' 
my sins done taken away1 taken away2    
,i'm goin' to heaven an' ,i don't want  
ter stop1   ,an' ,i don't want ter be no
 stumblin' block1     ,all my sins done 
taken away1 taken away4  ,instead of    
repeating the chorus line at the end of 
the first two lines that are sung1 the  
negroes often vary the song by repeating
 the last half of the line1 as in the   
following stanza3    ,well ,m for ,mary1
 an' ,p for ,paul1   ,well ,m for ,mary1
 an' ,p for ,paul1           ,an' ,p for
 ,paul2   ,well ,m for ,mary an' ,p for 
,paul4   ,c for ,chris' who died for us 
all1   ,all o' my sins done taken away1 
taken away4  ,the chorus is again varied
 from all my sins to all o' my sins or  
all of my sins1 done taken away1 or bin 
taken away1 while the entire line is    
sometimes changed in a single stanza4   
,sometimes it is sung as given above2 at
 other times the line goes3 ,all my sins
 done taken away1 bin' taken away1 or   

omitting either done or bin it is sung  
equally well as ,all my sins taken away1
 taken away1 while in the grand chorus  
at the climax of song the chorus goes3  
,yes all o' my sins bin taken away1     
,yes all my sins done taken away1       
,yes all o' my sins done taken away1    
,yes all my sins done taken away1       
,glory1 glory to ,his name-e1   ,all my 
sins done taken away1 taken away4  ,this
 last chorus may be repeated whenever   
the singers do not think of words to fit
 in with the songs1 although this is    
rarely necessary4 ,the following stanzas
 are sung in the same manner as those   
just given4    ,if ,i had er died when  
,i wus young1   ,i never would a had dis
 rist to run1   ,all o' my sins done    
taken away1 taken away4    ,well you    
oughter bin dere to see de sight1   ,the
 peoples come runnin' both cullud an'   
white4    ,my feet got wet in de        
midnight dew1   ,an' de mornin' star was
 a witness1 too4    ,if you doan b'leave
 ,i bin redeem1   ,jes follow me down to

 ,jordan stream4    ,when a sinner see  
me it make him laugh1   ,thank          
,god-a-mighty1 ,i'm free at las'4       
,mary wept an' ,martha mourned1   ,mary 
wept all 'round the throne4    ,mary    
wept an' ,martha mourned1   ,all because
 deir brother done daid an' gone4       
,mary wept an' ,martha cried1   ,all    
'cause dey brother done gone an' died4  
,i'm goin' to ride on de mornin' train1 
,all don't see me goin' ter hear me     
sing4    ,i'm gwine to heaven on eagle's
 wing1   ,all don't see me goin' ter    
hear me sing4    ,my mother's sick an'  
my father's daid1   ,got nowhere to lay 
my weary head4    ,i went down in de    
valley to pray1   ,my soul got happy an'
 ,i stayed all day4  ,a number of other 
versions are common4 ,instead of ,mary  
wept all 'round the throne is sung all  
'round ,god's hebbenly throne4 ,instead 
of the morning star as a witness the old
 songs have it angels witness too4      
,instead of in the valley1 the old songs
 also had on de mountain and also       

inserted ,i didn't go dere to stay4     
,this version is sung in some of the    
songs still4 ,the ,sabbath has no ,end  
is the name of a favorite somewhat      
similar to ,all my sins done taken away4
 ,it has a number of forms for the      
chorus4    ,i went down in de valley1   
,i didn't go ter stay1   ,my little soul
 got happy     ,an' ,i like to a stayed 
all day4    ,i thought ,i had religion1 
,i b'lieve   ,i thought ,i had religion1
 ,i b'lieve4   ,i thought ,i had        
religion1 ,i b'lieve1         ,dat      
,sabbath hath no end4    ,i wouldn't be 
a sinner1   ,tell you de reason why--   
,feard de good ,lord might call me1     
,an ,i wouldn't be ready ter die4       
,gwine rock trubbel over1 ,i b'lieve1   
,rock trubbel over1 ,i b'lieve1   ,rock 
trubbel over1 ,i b'lieve1         ,dat  
,sabbath has no end4    ,ole ,satan's   
mighty busy1   ,fixin' up his snares1   
,he'll ketch all dem mourners1   ,if dey
 don't keep deir prayers4    ,yer better
 get ready1 ,i b'lieve   ,yer better get

 ready1 ,i b'lieve1   ,yer better get   
ready1 ,i b'lieve1         ,dat ,sabbath
 has no end4  ,the singer is a little   
more definite in his convictions in ,i  
am de light uv de ,worl'4 ,he is no     
longer a sinner and looks forward to the
 time when he will cross de ribber4     
,hallaluyer1 good ,lord1     ,i am de   
light uv de worl'1   ,halleluyer1 good  
,lord1     ,i am de light uv de worl'4  
,ever since my ,lord done sot me free1  
,dis ole worl' bin a hell to me1   ,i am
 de light uv de worl'4    ,i looked     
toward dat ,northern pole1   ,i seed    
black clouds of fier roll1   ,i am de   
light uv de worl'4    ,i gwine 'clare de
 word1     ,i am de light uv de worl'1  
,i'm gwine 'clar de word1     ,i am de  
light uv de worl'4    ,der ain't but one
 train on dis track1   ,goes straight to
 heaven an' run right back4   ,i am de  
light uv de worl'4    ,ever since ,i bin
 in de worl'1     ,i am de light uv de  
worl'1   ,ever since ,i been in de      
worl'1     ,i am de light uv de worl'4  

,when ,i cross ,jordan ,i'll be free1   
,gwine a slip an' slide dem golden      
streets1     ,i am de light uv de worl'4
    ',way up in de kingdom1 ,lord1      
,i am de light uv de worl'1   ',way up  
in de kingdom1 ,lord1     ,i am de light
 uv de worl'4  ,the negro is not        
troubled because he cannot see his      
,lord2 he has heard ,him speak and      
believes that ,he has gone on to glory4 
,his personal relation with ,jesus is   
satisfactory and he sings ,his praises  
often as he tells of his own            
experiences4 ,says he3    ,one day1 one 
day1 while walkin' along1         ,jesus
 done bless my soul2   ,i heard a voice 
an' saw no one1         ,jesus done     
bless my soul4    ,o go an' tell it on  
de mountain1         ,jesus done bless  
my soul2   ,o go an' tell it in de      
valley1         ,jesus done bless my    
soul4    ,he done bless my soul an' gone
 on to glory1 ,good ,lord1              
,jesus done bless my soul2   ,done bin  
here an' bless my soul an' gone on to   

glory4         ,jesus done bless my     
soul4  ,in one of the old plantation    
songs a similar idea is given of the    
blessing1 but in a different version4   
,one day when ,i wus walkin' along1 ,oh 
yes1 ,lord1   ,de element opened1 an' de
 ,love came down1 ,oh yes1 ,lord1   ,i  
never shall forget dat day1 ,oh yes1    
,lord1   ,when ,jesus washed my sins    
away1 ,oh yes1 ,lord4  ,another chorus  
inquired3 ,o brothers where were you8 ,o
 sisters where were you8 ,o sinners1 ,o 
,christians1 ,o mourners1 etc41 where   
were you8 for ,my good ,lord's bin here1
 bin here1 bin here2 ,my good ,lord's   
bin here1 ,an' he blessed my soul an'   
gone4 ,so the negro exhorters often     
conclude their services1 saying that the
 ,lord has been to the meeting and gone4
 ,said one deacon who was exhorting for 
a large collection3 ,de good ,lord's    
done bin with us to-night--,i knows he  
has1 done been here an' gone1 an' now we
 wants to git down to bizness1 ,i wants 
some money4  ,again1 the negro fresh and

 enthusiastic from his religious        
experience and having come through sings
 with some relief3    ,i have been tryin
 a great long while1   ,lord1 ,i jus'   
got over on yo' side4    ,lord1 ,i jus' 
got over-er1   ,lord1 ,i jus' got over1 
,lord1 ,i jus' got over-er1   ,i jus'   
got over on yo' side4    ,i pray'd an'  
,i pray till ,i come over1   ,lord1 ,i  
jus' got over on yo' side4  ,so also he 
weeps and he mourns and cries till he   
gets over on the ,lawd's side4 ,then he 
sings ,o de sunshine1    ,o the         
sunshine1 ,o the sunshine1   ,o sunshine
 in my soul this mornin'1   ,yes the    
sunshine1 the sunshine1   ,yes sun shine
 in my soul4    ,down in the valley1    
down on my knees1       ,sunshine in my 
soul1   ,there ,i met that heavenly     
breeze1       ,sunshine in my soul4     
,ole devil like a snake in the grass1   
,sunshine in my soul1   ,he's always in 
some sister's path1       ,sunshine in  
my soul4  ,while the song is also sung  
at times with more dialect1 it lends    

itself more readily to the above form4  
,very much mixed and somewhat similar to
 those already given is ,bless the      
,name4    ,i've got to go to judgment1  
,i don't know how soon1         ,lord   
bless the name1 ,lord bless the name1   
,i've got to go to judgment to hear my  
sins1         ,lord bless the name1     
,lord bless the name4    ,my ,jesus fed 
me when ,i's hungry1 gave me drink when 
,i's dry1         ,lord bless the name1 
,lord bless the name1   ,my ,jesus      
clothed me when ,i was naked1           
,lord bless the name1 ,lord bless the   
name4  ,in the same song and with the   
same tune are sung the shorter lines    
that follow4 ,the chorus is often sung  
,lor' bless the name1 and is a form of  
the phrase ,bless the name of the ,lord4
 ,it is used as a refrain after each    
line or it may be omitted4    ,mary wept
 and ,martha mourned1   ,lord bless the 
name1 ,lord bless the name1   ,jesus    
,chris' laid the corner of stone1       
,lord bless the name1 ,lord bless the   

name4    ,mary wore the golden chain1   
,every link was in ,jesus' name4    ,you
 may talk about me just as you please1  
,i'll talk about you when ,i git on my  
knees4    ,god made man an' man was     
sure1   ,there was no sin an' his heart 
was pure4    ,god made ,adam an' ,adam  
was first1   ,god made ,adam out o' the 
dust o' the earth4  ,the old slave songs
 also had other interpretations of man's
 creation which differ slightly in      
particular from the last stanza quoted4 
,one form occurs in    ,god made man an'
 he made him out o' clay1               
,settin' on de golden altar1   ,an' he  
put him on de earth but he did not stay1
         ,settin' on de golden altar4   
,a favorite chorus for the old spiritual
 was3 ,what you gwine do when de lamp   
burns down8 ,so there was also another  
version of the weeping of ,mary and     
,martha3    ,mary wept an' ,martha      
cried1   ,to see deir ,saviour          
crucified1   ,weepin' ,mary weep no mo'1
   ,jesus say he gone befo'4  ,it proves

 an interesting task to follow the      
development and changes in a song that  
has survived from slavery days4 ,in     
,free1 free my ,lord1 one of the verses 
was quite a puzzle4 ,during the recent  
summer the following stanza was heard3  
,the moon come down like a piper's stem1
       ,the sun 'fuse to shine1   ,an'  
ev'y star disappear1       ,king ,jesus 
set me free4  ,inquiry was made in order
 to see if the words had not been       
misunderstood4 ,the older negroes gave  
this version and insisted that it was   
correct1 but none of them could explain 
what it meant4 ,it was thought that     
perhaps it was a figure applied to the  
moon's rays or that the loss of the sun 
might have meant the peculiar appearance
 of the moon4 ,anyway1 they maintained1 
this was the way we got de song an'     
guess it must be right4 ,the words of   
the original song were1    ,the moon run
 down in purple stream1     ,the sun    
forbear to shine1   ,an' ev'y star      
disappear1     ,king ,jesus shall be    

mine1  of which there seemed to be      
several versions4 ,other verses that are
 found to-day are3    ,as ,i went down  
in de valley one day1     ,i fell upon  
my knees1   ,i begged and cried fer     
pardon1     ,the ,lord did give me ease4
    ,free1 free1 my ,lord1   ,free1     
free1 my ,lord1   ,free1 free1 my ,lord1
   ,to march de heaven's highway4       
,the ,lord called ,moses1     ,moses    
refuse to answer1    ,free1 free1 etc4  
,my mother look at de son an' smile1    
,my ,father look at me1   ,my mother    
turn my soul from hell1     ,king ,jesus
 set me free1  is an unusual variation  
and interpretation of the old song2 just
 how and when the negro inserted the    
idea of mother would be difficult to    
ascertain2 perhaps it came from master1 
or more likely it was introduced by them
 while they interpreted father and son  
as names of the ordinary members of a   
human family4 ,the original form seems  
to have been1    ,de ,father1 he looked 
on de ,son and smiled1     ,de ,son1 he 

looked on me2   ,de ,father1 he redeemed
 my soul from hell2     ,an' de ,son1 he
 set me free4  ,the chorus1 too1 has    
been much confused and is given as      
,children light on dat cross1 ,god bless
 you forever mo'4 ,the song is not a    
common one among the negroes and is not 
known1 apparently1 among the younger    
ones4 ,in contrast with this favorite of
 the older negroes may be given a       
favorite of the younger generation1     
,glad ,i got religion4 ,the repetition  
represents pretty well the relative     
depth of the feeling which the convert  
feels4 ,but he loves to sing it for its 
pleasing sound and for the faith it     
gives him in his own religious state4   
,the song is a long and continued chorus
 and may well be taken as a type of the 
song which reflects the negro's feeling 
of immunity from sin4    ,i'm so glad1  
so glad2 ,i'm so glad1 so glad1         
,glad ,i got religion1 so glad1         
,glad ,i got religion1 so glad4    ,i'm 
so glad1 so glad2 ,i'm so glad1 so glad1

           ,i'm glad all over1 so glad1 
,i'm glad all over1 so glad4    ,i'm so 
glad1 so glad2 ,i'm so glad1 so glad1   
,glad ,i bin' changed1 so glad4         
,glad ,i bin' changed1 so glad4  ,and so
 he continues singing2 he is glad that  
he is goin' to heaven1 he is glad that  
he is not a sinner1 glad he has been set
 free1 and many other such states4 ,then
 when he has finished he begins all over
 again1 if he wishes and sings3 ,sister1
 ain't you glad8 ,brother1 ain't you    
glad8 and goes through with as many of  
these as he wishes1 preacher1 mourner1  
auntie1 and the others4  ,the sinner-man
 is the theme for many verses of the    
negro favorites4 ,directed at him are   
warnings and admonitions4 ,he is told   
what he must do and when2 how he must do
 and why4 ,he is told of the experiences
 of the ,christians and he is told of   
the doom of the damned4 ,the negro      
rejoices over his own safety and boasts 
of the sinner's destruction2 at the same
 time he constantly refers to the po'   

sinner in a sympathetic way4 ,but the   
sinner must be warned3    ,god knows    
it's time1 it's time1 it's time1   ,that
 a sinner was makin' up his min'   ,it's
 time1 it's time he was makin' up his   
min' to die4    ,a sinner was walkin'   
off his time1 his time1   ,an' when my  
,god call him he did not have the time1 
,god know it was time1 it was time1 it  
was time for him to die4  ,again the    
words of the righteous to the sinner are
 driven home by repetition1 and1 by a   
dark and dismal picture1    ,o hell is  
deep an' hell is wide1   ,o hell is deep
 an' hell is wide1   ,o hell is deep an'
 hell is wide1   ,o hell ain't got no   
bottom or side4    ,well before ,i lay  
in hell all day1 hell all day1   ,well  
before ,i lay in hell all day1 hell all 
day1   ,well before ,i lay in hell all  
day1 hell all day1   ,i goin' to sing   
an' pray myself away1 self away4    ,o  
sinner don't you let this harves' pass1 
harves' pass1   ,o sinner don't you let 
this harves' pass1 harves' pass1   ,o   

sinner don't you let this harves' pass1 
harves' pass1   ,do you die an' got to  
hell at las'1 hell at las'4  ,the sinner
 may be a gambler or a dancer or a rogue
 or a drunkard4 ,but each name has the  
same signification in the religious     
phraseology of the negro song4 ,there   
are various ways of repenting and of    
serving the ,lord just as there are as  
many ways of offending and sinning      
against him4 ,workin' on the ,building  
appeals to the average negro4    ,if ,i 
wus a sinner man1 ,i tell you what ,i'd 
do1   ,i'd lay down all my sinful ways  
an' work on the building1 too4    ,i'm  
workin' on the building fer my ,lord1   
,fer my ,lord1 fer my ,lord1   ,i'm     
workin' on the building fer my ,lord1   
,i'm workin' on the building1 too4      
,if ,i wus a gamblin' man1 ,i tell you  
what ,i'd do1   ,i'd lay down all my    
gamblin'1 an' work on the building1 too4
    ,if ,i was a ho-munger1 ,i tell you 
what ,i'd do1   ,i'd lay down all my    
munglin' and work on the building1 too4 

,and so he sings for the dancer and the 
drunkard and the cussin' man4 ,so in    
another song the negro sings of the     
sinners and mourners4    ,if ,i wus a   
mourner jus' like you1                  
'u-m-u'1   ,i'd go to church an' try to 
come thru'1                             
'um-u'4    ,when ,i was a mourner1      
um-u'1 jus' lak you1   ,i prayed an'    
prayed till ,i come thru1 um-u'4        
,upon de mountain ,king ,jesus spoke1   
um-u'1   ,out of his mouth come fier an 
smoke1 um-u'4   ,now mourner won't you  
please come on1 um-u'1   ,an' join us in
 that heavenly lan'1 um-u'4  ,in the    
,downward road is crowded a mournful    
picture is given of the sinner who      
failed to repent4 ,his example is held  
up for the contemplation of those who   
are following in his steps4             
,young people who delight in sin1       
,i tell you what ,i lately seen1        
,a po' godless sinner die1              
,an' he said3 ,in hell ,i soon'll lie4  
,hark1 the downward road is crowded1    

crowded1 crowded1   ,yes the downward   
road is crowded with onbelievin' souls4 
,he call his mother to his bed1         
,an' these is the dyin' words he said1  
,mother1 mother1 ,i long farewell1      
,your wicked son is damned in hell4     
,he dance an' play hisself away1        
,an' still put off his dyin' day1       
,until at las' ole death was sent1      
,an' it 'us too late fer him to repent4 
,they also sing of mother and sister    
being called to the bedside4 ,the old   
plantation song of the same name had a  
similar chorus but the stanzas were     
quite different4    ,when ,i wus a      
sinner1     ,i loved my distance well1  
,but when ,i come to fin' myself1     ,i
 was hangin' over hell4    ,ole ,satan's
 might busy1     ,he follers me night   
an' day1   ,an' every where ,i 'pinted1 
,dere's something in my way4  ,the ,lord
 will come to judge the world and wake  
up the dead4 ,it is the supreme ambition
 of the singer to be ready to meet his  
,lord when ,he comes4 ,just what form   

the ,lord will take the negro does not  
say2 perhaps it will be in a cloud or   
fire or ,he will come as in the days of 
,moses4 ,my ,lord's comin' again gives a
 general conception4          ,o my     
,lord's comin' again1         ,o my     
,lord's comin' again1             7,talk
 about it37         ,yes my ,lord's     
comin' again1         ,it may be las'   
time1 ,i don't know4    ,well he's      
comin' to judge the worl'1   ,well he's 
comin' to judge the worl'1              
7,talk about it37   ,yes my ,lord's     
comin' to judge the worl'1   ,it may be 
las' time1 ,i don't know4    ,well you  
had better put off lyin' shoes1   ,well 
you better put off lyin' shoes1         
7,talk about it37   ,better put off     
lyin' shoes1   ,for it may be las' time1
 ,i don't know4  ,and so he sings       
,better put off dancin' shoes1 better   
put off gamblin' shoes4 ,for the        
sinner's shoes will not be suitable to  
walk on the cross4 ,he sings3 ,god's    
goin' to wake up the ,dead and makes a  

beautiful melody out of the simple      
repetition4                ,goin' to    
wake up the dead1               ,goin'  
to wake up the dead1               ,god 
goin' to wake up the dead1              
,who's a sleepin' in the grave1         
,god is goin' to wake up the dead4      
,you had better min' my brother how you 
walk on the cross1               ,god's 
goin' to wake up the dead2   ,if yo'    
right foot slip1 then yo' soul be los'  
,god goin' wake up the dead4  ,then you 
better min' my sister1 my brother1 my   
mother1 my preacher are sung4 ,the old  
song contained words similar to the     
lines just given1 with the chorus3 ,de  
young lambs mus' fin' de way3    ,my    
brudder better mind how you walk on de  
cross1   ,for yo' foot might slip an'   
yo' soul git lost1    ,better mind dat  
sun1 and see how she run1   ,an' mind   
don't let her catch ye wid yer works    
undone4  ,but the sinner sometimes gets 
confused1 it would seem2 sometimes he   
heeds the preacher's warnings1 sometimes

 he scoffs at them4 ,often he does not  
hear them4 ,more rarely he inquires into
 conditions4 ,in the lines which follow 
the negroes make each a stanza1         
repeating three times4 ,it perhaps      
represents the retort of the sinner man4
    ,some goin' thru' ,jordan1 some     
tryin' to go 'round4   ,the ,mef'dis'   
they say sprinklin'1 de ,baptis say'    
baptize4   ,now ,lord the sinner man so 
hard to believe1   ,now ,lord sinner man
 want you to show him de way  ,but the  
sinner gets little reply to his         
inquiries4 ,time is comin' when sinner  
mus' die and there is none so pitiable  
as the lost sinner4    ,sinner1 die1    
sinner die1   ,sinner dies wid his head 
hung down1   ,sinner die1 sinner die1   
,sinner die in de midnight dew4         
,sinner die1 sinner die1   ,sinner die1 
with achin' heart1   ,sinner die1 sinner
 die1   ,sinner die with weary min'4    
,stump'ty up an' stump'ty down1   ,time 
is comin' when sinner mus' die1         
,hurry home1 hurry home2   ,time is a   

comin' sinner mus' die4   ,don't you let
 that sinner change yo' min'1   ,time is
 comin' sinner mus' die4       ,hurry   
home1 hurry home2   ,time is comin'     
sinner mus' die4  ,the plantation song  
of some years ago1 sometimes called ,o  
sinner1 you better get ready1 had the   
same line refrain1 ,time is a comin' dat
 sinner mus' die4 ,the repetition of    
sinner die1 is a new addition4 ,in the  
old song were lines similar to those    
quoted3    ,o sinner man you better     
pray1   ,for it look a like judgment    
every day4    ,i heard a lumb'ring in de
 sky1   ,dat make a me tink my time was 
nigh4    ,i heard of my ,jesus a many   
one say1   ,could 'move poor sinner's   
sins away4    ,yes1 ,i'd rather pray    
myself away1   ,dan to lie in hell an'  
burn a one day4    ,i think ,i heard my 
mother say--   ',twas a pretty thing to 
serve the ,lord4    ,o when ,i git to   
heaven ,i'll be able fer to tell1   ,o  
how ,i shun dat dismal hell4  ,in       
addition to the line-refrain which was  

sung after each line of the song1 an    
additional chorus followed at intervals2
 this chorus had ready my ,lord where   
the new one has a short line1 ,hurry    
home4    ,oh1 sinner1 you'd better get  
ready1 ready my ,lord1   ,oh1 sinner1   
you'd better get ready4  ,an interesting
 type of song is that in which an       
imaginary conversation is carried on    
between two parties4 ,if the song is    
correctly rendered the leader or one    
part of the chorus sing the first part  
or take the words of one of the         
speakers1 while the other chorus take up
 the other speaker's words4 ,both then  
join in the grand refrain1 which in the 
following song is ,lord1 ,i'm on my way4
    ,sinner1 what you goin' to do       
,when de devil git you8   ,what you     
goin' do       ,when de devil git you8  
,what you goin' do       ,when de devil 
git you8       ,lord1 ,i'm on my way4   
,i'm goin' run to the rocks4            
,well1 they can't hide you4   ,goin' run
 to the rocks--       ,they can't hide  

you2   ,run to the rocks1       ,well1  
they can't hide you1       ,lord1 ,i'm  
on my way4    ,i'm goin' to run to the  
water2       ,an' water goin' to cry    
fire1   ,goin' to run to the water1     
,an' water cry fire1   ,run to the      
water1       ,an' water cry fire1       
,lord1 ,i'm on my way4  ,and so the     
sinner will then run to the mountain1   
and ,de mountain fly open or ,de        
mountain cry mercy4 ,the sinner must    
needs be hopeless at his death and there
 is neither mercy nor pity for him4 ,it 
is the idea of the negro that at the    
great day we won't be bothered with them
 any mo'4 ,a sad picture he makes of the
 poor1 and forsaken man who dies with   
achin' heart1 with weary min'1 and with 
his head hung down4 ,consequently it is 
not surprising to find appeals of all   
sorts made to the sinner man2 now he is 
told of his doom1 now of possible       
salvation1 now of the joys of being     
saved1 now of immediate satisfaction4   
,sung like the above song is ,come1     

sinner1 come4    ,won't you come1 won't 
you come8     ,come1 sinner1 come2      
,great day of wrath is comin'1          
,come1 sinner1 come4    ,look over      
yonder what ,i see2     ,come1 sinner1  
come2   ,two tall angels comin' after   
me1     ,come1 sinner1 come4  ,in the   
same manner he sings1 ,won't you come   
an' see yo' ,lord8 and ,ole ,satan like 
a snake in de grass1 ,always in some    
sister's path1 ,ole ,satan weahs mighty 
loose ole shoe1 ,ef you don't min' gwine
 slip it on you4 ,up on hill side ,king 
,jesus spoke1 ,out of his mouth come    
fier an' smoke1 ,down in de valley1 down
 on my knees1 ,ask de ,lord to save me  
if ,he please1 and others4 ,the         
plantation song asked1    ,o whar you   
runnin'1 sinner8     ,i do love de      
,lord2   ,de ,judgment day is comin'1   
,i do love de ,lord2    ,you'll see de  
worl' on fire1     ,i do love de ,lord2 
,you'll see de element a meltin'1     ,i
 do love de ,lord4  ,besides these      
stanzas there were sung the various     

other warnings such as have been given  
in the idea of ,judgment and            
,resurrection already noted4 ,in the old
 slave song the sinner asks3    ,my     
,lord1 ,my ,lord1 what shall ,i do8     
,an' heaven bell ring an' praise ,god4  
,what shall ,i do for hiding place8   ,i
 run to de sea but de sea run dry4   ,i 
run to de gate but de gate shut fast4   
,no hiding place for sinner dere4   ,for
 ,i am gone an' sent to hell4  ,instead 
of the regular refrain which is sung by 
the chorus of voices in response to a   
line by the leader1 the negroes often   
respond with um-m' in a general mingling
 of chant1 humming1 and amens4 ,for the 
most part they do this with closed lips2
 the volume is surprisingly strong1     
however1 and makes a stirring effect4   
,the meaning of the expression is       
something like ,yes8 or ,of course1 we  
know it is true or ,sure1 you talkin'   
brother4 ,the singer says3 ,i look for  
,jesus all my days1 and the chorus      
answers1 um-u' and he then continues1   

,an' when ,i found him this is what he  
said1                         um-u'     
,yo' sin forgiven an' you soul set free1
                         um-u'    ,i    
pray all night1 an' ,i pray all day1    
um-u' um-u'1   ,then my ,lord taken my  
sins away1 um-u'1 um-u'4    ,nex' day1  
nex' day while walkin' along1 um-u'1    
um-u'1   ,i heard a voice an' saw no    
one1 um-u'1 um-u'1   ,it said1 sinner   
man1 you better come home1 um-u'1 um-u'4
    ,one day ,i was walkin' long dat    
lonesome road1 um-u'1 um-u'1   ,king    
,jesus spoke unto me an' lifted off dat 
load1 um-u'4  ,again1 ,brother1 you'd   
,better be a ,prayin'1 while mostly     
repetition makes a long song when sung  
to its limit4 ,sister1 ,sinner1         
,backslider1 ,mourner1 ,children1 each  
serves to make a complete stanza of     
eight lines3    ,brother you'd better be
 a prayin'1   ,brother1 you'd better be 
a prayin'1   ,my brother1 you'd better  
be a prayin'1   ,an' ,i'll be carried   
above1   ,an' ,i'll be carried above1   

,an' ,i'll be carried above1   ,i'll see
 king ,jesus in his reign1   ,an' ,i'll 
be carried above4  ,the chorus song1    
,wheel in middle of ,wheel is most      
likely a variation of the old song      
,wheel in a wheel which was run by love1
 by faith1 and was sometimes conceived  
as a chariot wheel upon which gwine take
 a ride1 ,on de chariot wheel1 for de   
chariot's comin'1 ,o my ,lord4          
,sometimes the wheel was conceived as   
being a ,little wheel a-turnin' in my   
heart1 in which case it signified some  
sort of feeling4 ,the phrase means      
nothing more than a chorus in the       
present-day song4    ,o sinner man1 how 
can it be8     ,wheel in de middle of   
wheel1   ,if you don't serve ,god1 you  
can't serve me1     ,wheel in de middle 
of wheel4    ,in the wheel1 in the      
wheel1     ,wheel in de middle of wheel1
   ,in the wheel1 in the wheel1         
,wheel in the middle of wheel4    ,well 
don't you know it's prayin' time8       
,wheel in middle of wheel2   ,lay down  

yo' way an' go to ,god1     ,wheel in   
middle of wheel4    ,well don't you know
 it's mournin' time8     ,wheel in      
middle of wheel2   ,he'll hear yo'      
prayers an' sanctify1     ,wheel in     
middle of wheel4  ,jesus and ,god are   
represented as ,listenin' all the day   
long1 and the sinner is directed to     
pray4 ,the plantation songs called to   
him3 ,where you goin' sinner8 ,o come   
back1 don't go dat way4 ,and one of the 
singers affirmed that about the break o'
 day his sins were forgiven and his soul
 set free4 ,the song ,jesus is a        
listenin' seems at some time to have    
been considerably corrupted4 ,the       
negroes have sung it3 ,i've been a      
listenin' all day long1 and all night   
long1 to hear some sinner pray4         
,however1 the correct version now seems 
to be3    ,jesus is a listenin' all the 
day long1   ,he keep listenin' all the  
day long1   ,he keep listenin' all the  
day long1   ,for to hear some sinner    
pray4    ,if ,i was a sinner ,i would   

please him1   ,i would pray an' pray a  
day1   ,an' when ,i got to heaven1   ,so
 he could say he heard me pray4  ,but in
 ,bear yo' ,burden1 sinner1 another     
version is given of the same idea4 ,this
 song is a popular one1 while the       
figures used give a definite conviction4
    ,the ,lord is a listenin' all the   
day long1       ,bear yo' burden sinner1
   ,if you will only pray1 he will bear 
you on1       ,bear yo' burden in the   
heat o' the day4        ,bear yo'       
burden1 sinner1       ,bear yo' burden1 
sinner1       ,bear yo' burden in the   
heat o' the day4    ,i'm goin' home fer 
to see my ,lord1       ,bear yo' burden1
 sinner1   ,an' don't you wish you could
 go 'long1       ,bear yo' burden1 let  
in the heat4    ,the way to bear yo'    
burden is to get down on yo' knees1     
,bear yo' burden1 sinner1 let in the    
heat1   ,ask ,god to forgive you if you 
please1       ,bear yo' burden in the   
heat of the day4  ,this last stanza is  
an improvisation made by a young negro  

of some twenty-five years1 although he  
claimed that it belonged to the song    
that was regularly sung1 maintaining    
that they only forgot to sing it in the 
church on that special occasion4 ,true  
,religion gives one view of the         
requisites of him who will be saved4    
,the song is based in form on a current 
secular song1 and belongs to the class  
of colloquies4    ,well you must have   
that true religion1   ,you must have    
true religion an' yo' soul converted1   
,you must have that true religion4      
,or you can't cross there4    ,where are
 you goin'1 sinner1   ,where are you    
goin'1 ,i say8   ,i goin' down to de    
river of ,jorden1       ,an' you can't  
cross dere4  ,he continues1 ,where are  
you goin' gambler1 backslider1 drunkard1
 liar1 hypocrite8 and answers each with1
 ,an' you can't cross there1 while the  
entire chorus1 ,you must have that true 
religion1 is often repeated after each4 
,the sinner is asked still other        
questions1 one of which is given in the 

song ,waitin'4    ,why does you tarry1  
sinner1   ,why does you wait so long8   
,for my ,lord is a waitin'1   ,why don't
 you come to ,his call8        ,he is   
waitin'1 ,lord1       ,he is waitin'1   
,lord1       ,he is a-waitin' fer the   
good ,lord1       ,to come1 ,my ,lord4  
,but when my ,lord get here1   ,you want
 have time to pray at all1   ,for he is 
goin' to judge you1   ,an' hell you be  
bound4  ,the negro preacher often       
rebukes his flock for talking about each
 other in uncomplimentary terms4        
,sometimes the sisters who do not like  
the preacher retort variously1 ,i heard 
you talkin 'bout ,so and ,so1 you know  
,i did or ,we gwine talk 'bout you1 or  
,yes1 you knows it4 ,slander and gossip 
are fast runners and the average negro  
assumes that somebody is talking about  
him or something which he has done4 ,out
 of this has grown the song ,talk about 
me and others4          ,yes1 ,i know   
you goin' talk 'bout me1         ,yes1  
,i know you goin' talk 'bout me1    ,for

 you talk 'bout my father when he's on  
his knees a prayin'1   ,an' ,i know you 
goin' talk 'bout me4  ,so likewise he   
sings ,i know you're goin talk about me 
because you talk about my mother when   
she's on her bed a-dyin'2 he actually   
sings father1 brother1 mother1 sister1  
mourner1 preacher1 to both on his knees 
a prayin'1 and on bed a dyin'4 ,a very  
popular stanza which is regularly sung  
in a number of songs goes3 ,you may talk
 about me just as you please1 ,i'm goin'
 to talk about you when ,i git on my    
knees4  ,the old slave and plantation   
song asked3 ,who'll jine de ,union8     
saying1 ,say1 ef you belong to de union 
ban'1 den here's my heart an' here's my 
hand4 ,there have been societies known  
as ,the ,union or ,union ,band both in  
the church and outside4 ,the name ,union
 itself is a favorite one among the     
negro societies and organizations4 ,it  
was thought in the old days that a union
 band would march to heaven and that    
these only would be enabled to reach the

 destination4 ,it is almost certain that
 a number of references in their songs  
referred to the ,union army in and after
 the war4 ,however1 the exact origin of 
the song as it is now sung has not been 
found1 but appears to be a general      
corruption of several old songs4    ,get
 in the ,union1 ,jesus is a listenin'1  
,get in the ,union1 ,jesus die4   ,well1
 won't you get in the ,union8   ,jesus  
is a listenin'1 ,jesus die4    ,where   
was ,ezekiel when the church fell down8 
,down in de valley wid his head hung    
down4    ,hypocrite1 hypocrite1 ,god do 
despise1   ,tongue so keen till he will 
tell lies4    ,upon the mountain        
,jehober spoke1   ,out of his mouth come
 fier an' smoke4  ,with this chorus are 
sung also as already given1 ,satan1 the 
snake in the grass1 ,ole satan weah     
mighty loose ole shoe1 etc4 ,the        
,hallelujah so common among the old     
songs is less frequently heard now3 it  
will be found to some degree in the     
shouting songs and songs of heaven4     

,not the least among the warnings to the
 sinner were to be reckoned the times   
when ,gable should blow his horn4 ,gable
 has been proverbial among the negroes2 
,gabriel and the trumpet are1 however1  
significant in the same way among the   
whites in vulgar reference4 ,many ideas 
of ,gable's trumpet have appeared in the
 negro songs4 ,sometimes it is blow     
louder1 ,gable4 ,how loud mus' ,i blow8 
,reference has already been made to     
these lines4 ,the song ,blow1 ,gable1   
blow has changed considerably from the  
old plantation songs of the same name4  
,blow ,gable1 at the judgment1   ,blow  
,gable1 at the judgment bar4   ,for my  
,god is a talkin' at the judgment1      
,for my ,god is a talkin' at the        
judgment bar4    ,now won't you blow    
,gable at the judgment8   ,for my ,god  
is a preachin' at the judgment bar4     
,now won't you blow ,gable at the       
judgment bar8   ,well1 ,i'm goin' to    
meet my preacher at the judgment bar4   
,in the same manner1 making a four-line 

stanza of each one1 are sung1 ,goin' to 
meet brother1 mother1 sister1 etc41 and 
also ,my ,god is a walkin'1 tryin'1     
etc41 at the judgment bar4 ,so1 too1 it 
is prayin' time1 mournin' time1 singin' 
time1 shoutin' time1 tryin' time1 etc41 
at the judgment bar4 ,this song may be  
given as the last one of the class      
peculiar to warnings and admonitions to 
sinners4 ,it closes with still other    
verses that give vivid pictures of the  
judgment bar4    ,well1 sinners1 keep a 
prayin' at the judgment bar4   ,well1   
it's too late to pray at the judgment   
bar4   ,why didn't you take heed at the 
judgment8   ,some come crippled at      
judgment4   ,oh1 ,i look fer my mother1 
brother1 sister1 at de judgment4  ,both 
the sinner and the seeker has a hard    
time during some time in his experience4
 ,the duties of everyday life1 too1     
often seem hard4 ,now on his knees1 now 
shouting1 now sorrowful and now glad1   
the negro comes from hanging over hell  
to die and set by de ,fadder's side4    

,the average negro appears to pity      
himself1 and his song intensifies the   
feeling4 ,the songs that follow may be  
classed as those that give the state of 
uncertainty and doubt1 together with    
pity mingled now and then with the note 
of triumph4 ,in ,oh1 what a hard time1  
sisters1 brothers1 children1 preachers1 
seekers--all have the same difficulties4
    ,oh1 what a hard time1 ,oh1 what a  
hard time1   ,oh1 what a hard time--,all
 ,god's children have a hard time4      
,oh1 what a hard time1 oh1 what a hard  
time1   ,oh1 what a hard time1 my ,lord 
had a hard time1 too4  ,so in another   
division will be given the song ,my     
,trouble is ,hard1 the idea of which    
seems to be derived from the old        
plantation songs1 though the new song is
 entirely different from the old ones4  
,the plantation negroes used to sing    
,nobody knows the trouble ,i've seen1 in
 which they were sometimes up1 sometimes
 down1 sometimes almost to de groun'4   
,others sung it ,nobody knows the       

trouble ,i see1 or ,i've had1 and asked3
 ,brother1 sister1 preacher1 will you   
pray for me8 ,in the same pathetic tone 
the ,sinner man gives another phase of  
the feeling4    ,my mother' n yo' mother
 both daid an' gone1   ,my mother' n yo'
 mother both daid an' gone1   ,my       
mother' n yo' mother both daid an' gone1
     ,po' sinner man he so hard to      
believe4    ,my folks an' yo' folks both
 daid an' gone1     ,po' sinner man he  
so hard to believe4    ,my brother 'n   
yo' brother both daid an' gone1     ,po'
 sinner man he so hard to believe4  ,in 
the same way my sister1 etc41 completes 
the song1 with favorite lines1 ,down in 
de valley1 ,upon mountain ,jehober      
spoke1 etc41 being inserted as often as 
they desire4 ,hanging over hell gives   
more intensity to the feeling of the    
sinner4 ,he says3          ,when ,i wus 
hangin' over hell1 over hell1           
,when ,i wus hangin' over hell1 over    
hell1         ,well1 ,i had no one to   
pity poor me1 poor me4    ,well1 my     

mother sick an' my father daid1 father  
daid1   ,well1 my mother sick an' my    
father daid1 father daid1         ,well1
 ,i ain't got no one to pity poor me1   
poor me4    ,well1 ,i ain't got no one  
to pray for me1 to pray for me4    ,i   
ain't got no one to feel for me1 feel   
for me4  ,likewise he has no one to cry 
for him1 to mourn or to care for him4   
,it will be noticed that the negroes    
insert the word well frequently4 ,there 
is no regularity or rule for its use2 it
 apparently gives the song a more       
plastic turn and makes it seem more     
conversational4 ,in some of their songs 
they insert in the same way1 says1 and  
er1 a1 an1 at will4 ,the struggle is    
well represented by the song ,keep      
inchin' along1 which was also common in 
the old plantation melodies2 the chorus 
is the same1 while the words are        
entirely different from the older song4 
,keep er-inchin' erlong1 keep er-inchin 
erlong1         ,jesus'll come bye'm    
bye1   ,keep er-inchin'1 keep er-inchin 

erlong1         ,jesus'll come bye'm    
bye4    ,de road is rocky here below1   
,but ,jesus'll come bye'm bye1   ,but   
,jesus leads me as ,i go1               
,jesus'll come bye'm bye4    ,sometimes 
,i hangs my head an' cries1         ,but
 ,jesus'll come bye'm bye4   ,an' ,he   
gwi' wipe mer weepin' eyes1         ,but
 ,jesus'll come bye'm bye4    ,uh1 run  
'long mourner an' git yo' crown1   ,by  
yo' ,father's side set down4    ,i'm    
glad that ,i'm bo'n ter die1   ,frum    
trouble here my soul gwi' fly4  ,in the 
same hopeful strain the negro sings     
,boun' ter cross ,jord'n in dat         
,mornin'1 which has a large number of   
stanzas1 none of which have any         
similarity of meaning to the general    
theme4    ,yonder come er sister all    
dressed in black1   ,she look lak er    
hipercrit jes' got back1   ,i'm boun'   
ter cross ,jord'n in dat mornin'4       
,cross me over1   ,great ,jehover1   ,my
 ,lord1 ,i'm boun' ter cross ,jord'n in 
dat mornin'4    ,see dat ,christian on  

his knees1   ,he's gwin' ter cross dem  
jasper seas1   ,i'm boun' ter cross     
,jord'n in dat mornin'4    ,swing low   
chariots in er line1   ,carry me ter    
glory in due time1   ,i'm boun' ter     
cross ,jord'n in dat mornin'4    ,ain't 
but the one thing grieve my min'        
,sister goin' to heaven an' leave me    
behin'1   ,i'm boun' ter cross ,jord'n  
in dat mornin'4  ,it is a favorite theme
 of the negroes to sing much of their   
,lord and ,god4 ,much has been noted of 
the names and attributes which ,deity   
holds in the negro's songs4 ,as his     
friend the negro believes that ,god is  
always true2 consequently he sings his  
loyalty to ,him4 ,the old plantation    
song ,tell ,jesus had as its chorus3    
,tell ,jesus done done all ,i can1 ,tell
 ,jesus done done all ,i can1 ,tell     
,jesus done done all ,i can1 ,i can't do
 no more4 ,very much like it is the song
 ,for my ,lord that is much in demand   
among the present-day negroes4    ,i    
goin' to do all ,i can fer my ,lord1    

,i goin' to do all ,i can fer my ,lord1 
,i goin' to do all ,i can fer my ,lord1 
,i goin' to do all ,i can fer my ,lord1 
,i do all ,i can till ,i can't do no    
more1   ,i goin' do all ,i can fer my   
,lord4  ,in the same way he sings ,i    
goin' weep all ,i can till ,i can't weep
 no more1 ,i goin' pray all ,i can till 
,i can't pray no more1 and sing and     
mourn and work for his ,lord4 ,the      
phrases till ,i can't do no mo'1 and the
 others are characteristic of the       
negro's prayers4 ,he usually closes his 
church prayers1 ,now ,lord1 when we's   
done prayin' an' can't pray no mo'2 when
 we's done meetin' an' can't meet no    
mo'1 etc4 ,the closing scene1 the final 
act of life1 seems to appeal to the     
negro with wonderful dramatic power4 ,it
 is in the end that he himself will be  
great2 it is then that ,god and ,jesus  
and the angels will be made manifest1   
and it is there in the new home that his
 condition will be one of ease and rest1
 at the same time that it is one of     

prominence4 ,he sings ,gwi' lay down my 
life fer my ,lord4    ,de ,lord giv' me 
mer trumpet an' tole me ter blow1   ,he 
giv' me mer cummission an' tole me ter  
go4        ,fer my ,lord1 fer my ,lord1 
,fer my ,lord1 gwi' lay down my life fer
 my ,lord4    ,you can hinder me here   
but you can't hinder me dere1   ,for de 
,lord in ,heaven gwi' hear my prayer4   
,de enemy's great but my ,cap'n is      
strong1   ,u'm fightin' fer de city an' 
de time ain't long4    ,when ,i git dar 
,i'll be able fer to tell1   ,how ,i    
whipped ole ,satan at de door ob hell4  
,mer head got wet wid de midnight dew1  
,dat mornin' star was shinin' too4  ,so 
again the negro magnifies his ,lord in a
 weary ,lan' and makes both a striking  
picture and a pleasing song4 ,his ,lord 
is not only a walkin' in a weary lan'1  
but he is also a doctor1 a preacher and 
a shelter4 ,thus he pictures him walkin'
 talkin' preachin'1 and healin' in the  
weary land4    ,my ,lord's a walkin' in 
the weary lan'1   ,in a weary lan'1 in a

 weary lan'1   ,yes1 my ,lord walkin' in
 weary lan'1   ,he's a shelter in a     
mighty storm4  ,likewise he is a healer 
in a mighty storm or in the time of     
storm4 ,it is but natural that the negro
 should call upon the ,lord to remember 
him4 ,the old plantation song ,do ,lord 
remember me was apparently based upon   
the idea of being remembered at         
,christmas times2 indeed the negroes    
always ask to be remembered at such a   
time by the whitefolks4 ,they were      
always remembered and often their homes 
were made happy4 ,the song asked3 ,o do 
,lord remember me1 ,o do ,lord remember 
me1 ,o do remember me until de year roll
 round1 ,do ,lord remember me4 ,the song
 now current is most likely not the same
 song but an entirely different one4    
,do my ,lord remember me1   ,do my ,lord
 remember me1   ,do my ,lord remember   
me1       ,do ,lord remember me4        
,upon de housetop an' can't come down1  
,do ,lord remember me4   ,upon de house 
an' can't come down4         ,do ,lord  

remember me4    ,when ,i am hungry do   
feed me ,lord1         ,do ,lord        
remember me4   ,when ,i am thirsty do   
give me drink1         ,do ,lord        
remember me4  ,the negroes sometimes    
call the following song the riddle song1
 asking who is the ,rock1 while the     
answer comes back1 like the ,psalmist1  
,king ,jesus is the ,rock4    ,lead me  
to the ,rock1 lead me to the ,rock1     
,lead me to the ,rock that is higher an'
 higher4   ,o1 ,lead me to the ,rock1   
,yes1 lead me to the ,rock that is      
higher an' higher4    ,king ,jesus is   
the ,rock1 yes1 ,king ,jesus is the     
,rock1   ,king ,jesus is the ,rock that 
is higher an' higher1   ,o ,king ,jesus 
is the ,rock1   ,yes1 ,king ,jesus is   
the ,rock that is higher an' higher4    
,standing on the ,rock1 yes standing on 
the ,rock1   ,standing on the ,rock that
 is higher an' higher4   ,o1 standing on
 the ,rock1   ,yes1 standing on the     
,rock that is higher an' higher4  ,as   
,jesus is the ,rock so the negroes have 

sung ,dere's no one lak' ,jesus4 ,the   
chorus-line was common in the old songs2
 the verses of the song of to-day are   
different4    ,i think ,i heard a       
rumblin' in de sky1         ,dar's no   
one lac ,jesus4   ,it mus' be mer ,lord 
passin' by1         ,dar's no one lac   
,jesus4          ,stan' still1 walk     
study1 keep de faith1         ,dar's no 
one lak' ,jesus4    ,sister ,mary went  
up on de mount'n top1         ,dar's no 
one lak' ,jesus4   ,she sung a li'l song
 an' she never did stop1         ,dar's 
no one lak' ,jesus4    ,she argued wid  
de ,fadder an' chatter'd wid de ,son1   
,dar's no one lak' ,jesus4   ,she talk'd
 erbout the ole worl' she cum frum1     
,dar's no one lak' ,jesus4  ,the song   
,gi' me ,jesus was said to have been the
 product of over-free spirit and        
super-religiousness just after the war4 
,the negro claims that the white man    
took him at his word when he sang1 ,gi' 
me ,jesus1 ,you may have all this worl1 
and has left him nothing in this world  

but ,jesus4 ,at least this is one view  
of the song1 which is represented as a  
bargain which the white man wants the   
negro to keep4 ,the song is a typical   
and well known one1 said to have been   
first sung by a blind negro preacher4   
,in de mornin' when ,i rise1   ,in de   
mornin' when ,i rise1   ,in de mornin'  
when ,i rise1     ,giv' me ,jesus4      
,giv' me ,jesus1     ,giv' me ,jesus1   
,you may hab' all dis worl'1     ,giv'  
me ,jesus4    ,ef it's midnight when ,i 
rise1   ,ef it's midnight when ,i rise1 
,ef it's midnight when ,i rise1         
,giv' me ,jesus4    ,jes' fore day when 
,i cried1       ,giv' me ,jesus4        
,when ,i wade death's cold stream1      
,giv' me ,jesus4  ,the negro says that  
if you love ,jesus1 it seems to him that
 you can't keep it1 and that you are    
duty bound to let the world know it4    
,the custom is a common one of asking   
members at the class meeting and revival
 services whether or not they love the  
,lord4 ,it is the duty of the class     

leader to see to the religious welfare  
of the members4 ,the song ,love the     
,lord represents this phase of worship4 
,well1 did you say that you love ,jesus8
   ,did you say that you love the ,lord8
          ,yes1 ,i say that ,i love     
,jesus4         ,yes1 ,i say ,i love the
 ,lord4    ,all ,i wants to know is1    
,does you love ,jesus8   ,all ,i wants  
to know is1 ,does you love the ,lord8   
,yes1 ,i say that ,i love ,jesus1       
,yes1 ,i say ,i love the ,lord4    ,if  
you love ,jesus1 you can't keep it1     
,all ,i want to know is1 ,does you love 
the ,lord8          ,yes1 my mother1 ,i 
love ,jesus1         ,yes1 my mother1 ,i
 love the ,lord4  ,the chorus then      
varies from ,yes1 ,i say to ,yes1 my    
mother1 ,yes1 my sister1 ,yes1 my       
brother4  ,in striking contrast to his  
earthly life1 the negro sings of his    
heavenly home4 ,it will be seen in the  
study of his social songs that home     
plays a small part in their subject     
matter4 ,it is true that the negro has  

little love of home or devotion to loved
 ones4 ,perhaps for this very reason he 
expects to have a better home in the    
beyond4 ,he wants that which is ideal   
and impractical2 he wants that which    
will come without effort4 ,if in slavery
 days he had no home1 it was natural    
that he should look to ,heaven for his  
home4 ,this conception1 intensified by  
the negro's emotional nature and        
self-pity1 is still prominent4 ,not only
 is his home to be a happy one1 but it  
is to be exclusive2 only the fortunate1 
of whom he is the chiefest1 may go      
there4 ,this class of songs--of ,heaven 
and home--is perhaps as large as any4   
,the negro sings3    ,i got a home where
 liars can't go1         ,don't you see8
   ,jus' between the heaven an' earth1  
,where my ,saviour bled an' died1   ,i  
got a home where liars can't go1        
,don't you see8    ,i got a home where  
sinners can't go1         ,don't you    
see8   ,jus' between the earth an' sky1 
,where my ,saviour bleed an' die1       

,don't you see8    ,when the earth begin
 to shake1         ,don't you see8      
,you better get a ticket or you'll be   
late1         ,don't you see8  ,in the  
same way the singers repeat1 using the  
words drunkards1 hypocrits1 and other   
sinners4 ,sometimes instead of saying ,i
 got a home where the drunkards can't   
come1 the sinner will say where the     
drunkards can't find me4 ,another       
version of the same song is found in    
different localities3    ,i got a home  
in the ,rock1         ,don't you see8   
,just between the heaven an' earth1     
,well1 yes1 ,i got a home in the ,rock1 
,don't you see8    ,judas was a         
deceitful man1         ,don't you see8  
,well he betrayed the innercent ,lam'1  
,well he lost a home in the ,rock1      
,don't you see8    ,well the sun refuse 
to shine1         ,don't you see8   ,the
 sun refuse to shine1   ,an' the sun    
refuse to shine1         ,don't you see8
    ,god don't talk like a natural man1 
,don't you see8   ,god don't talk like a

 natural man1   ,he talk so sinners can 
understan'1         ,don't you see8     
,well ,i don't want to stumble1         
,don't you see8   ,well ,i don't want to
 fall1   ,i read that writin' on de     
wall1         ,don't you see8  ,the     
,home in the ,rock and the ,rock of ages
 mean little to the negroes2 they are   
suitable terms and appeal to their sense
 of sound4 ,like other peoples1 the     
negroes have inserted them into their   
religion as forceful symbols4           
,interesting comparisons may be made in 
a later chapter4 ,the chorus of ,heaven 
hummed in a monotone1 with lips         
sometimes closed1 makes a beautiful     
song1 and one that appeals much to both 
old and young negroes4    ,you got a    
robe1 ,i got a robe1   ,all ,god's      
children got a robe1   ,goin' try on my 
robe an' if it fits me1   ,goin' to wear
 it all round ,god's heaven4            
,heaben--heaben1 ev'ybody goin' to      
heaben   ,an' ,i'm goin' dere1 too4     
,gamblers dere an' gamblers here1   ,i'm

 so glad dat ,god declare1   ,dere ain't
 no gamblers in heaven4  ,this version  
and wording is rather that of the       
children1 who are very fond of singing  
it4 ,they continue ,heaven so high you  
can't go over it1 ,heaven so low you    
can't go under it1 ,heaven so deep you  
can't go through it1 and ,heaven so wide
 you can't go round it4 ,the most common
 form of the song is a variation of the 
above4 ,sinners1 gamblers1 dancers1     
liars1 drunkards are everywhere1 but not
 in ,heaven4    ,well there are sinners 
here and sinners there1     ,an' there  
are sinners everywhere1   ,but ,i thank 
,god that ,god declare1     ,that there 
ain't no sinners in heaven4             
,heaven1 ,heaven1       ,everybody      
talkin' 'bout heaven an' goin' there1   
,heaven1 ,heaven1       ,goin' to shine 
all 'round ,god's heaven4    ,well there
 are drunkards here an' drunkards there1
     ,an' there are drunkards           
everywhere1   ,but ,i'm so glad that    
,god declare1     ,there ain't no       

drunkards in heaven4        ,heaven1    
,heaven1       ,preachers all preachin' 
'bout heaven an' goin' there1           
,heaven1 ,heaven1       ,goin' to shine 
all 'round ,god's heaven4  ,as has been 
indicated1 many of the negro songs      
consist of single lines repeated in     
couplets or by fours in order to give   
length to the singing4 ,the most simple 
sentences that could be devised may     
serve as a good song4 ,the negro happens
 to think of an ordinary truth2 he then 
sings it to his tune and chorus4    ,i'm
 goin' to be a ,christian if ,i keep a  
prayin' on1   ,i goin' to be a          
,christian if ,i keep a prayin' on1   ,i
 goin' to be a ,christian1 ,i'm goin' to
 be a ,christian1   ,i goin' to be a    
,christian if ,i keep a prayin' on4     
,an' when ,i git religion1 ,i goin' to  
keep a prayin' on4    ,i goin' to see my
 ,jesus if ,i keep a prayin' on4    ,i  
goin' to see my mother if ,i keep a     
prayin' on4  ,in the same way he is     
going to see his father1 brother1       

master1 preacher1 singing each line four
 times1 altering them as he desires and 
putting in any chorus that appeals to   
his fancy4 ,the next song shows a       
typical variation of a line1 and the    
negro sometimes sings the second version
 with more determination than the first4
    ,lord1 ,i want to go to heaven fer  
to stan' my trials1   ,lord1 ,i want to 
go to heaven fer to stan' my trials1    
,yes1 ,i want to go to heaven fer to    
stan' my trials1         ,great         
,judgment day4    ,well1 ,i'm goin' to  
heaven fer to stan' my trials1   ,an'   
,i'm goin' to heaven fer to stan' my    
trials1   ,yes1 ,i'm goin' to heaven fer
 to stan' my trials1         ,great     
,judgment day4  ,the darkeys used to    
sing1 ,hail1 hail1 hail1 ,i'm gwine jine
 saints above1 ,i'm on my journey home4 
,so1 too1 in many of their songs the    
promise ,lan' was held out as the goal  
of future happiness4 ,so it is to-day4  
,on my journey home and ,goin' to       
,heaven represent the common conception4

    ,sister when you pray you mus' pray 
to de ,lord1   ,for ,i hab some hopes ob
 glory1   ,i feel like1 ,i feel like    
,i'm on my journey home1   ,i feel like1
 ,i feel like1 ,i'm on my journey home4 
,i'll away1 ,i'll away to de promise    
lan'1   ,my ,father calls me1 ,i mus'   
go1   ,to meet ,him in de promise lan'4 
,i have a father in the promise lan'1   
,go meet him in de promise lan'1   ,i   
feel like1 ,i feel like ,i'm on my      
journey home1   ,i feel like1 ,i feel   
like ,i'm on my journey home4  ,so1 too1
 the singer has a mother1 a sister1 an  
auntie and others in the promise lan'4  
,likewise he says instead of sister when
 you pray1 etc41 brother1 member1       
mourner1 sinner1 preacher1 and the      
others4 ,as a rule morning signified to 
the negroes the time for going to heaven
 and for the resurrection4 ,the morning 
star shining as a witness to his        
conversion1 and the midnight dew        
typified the early morning time of his  
religion4 ,in the morning is sung as of 

old4    ,i have been tempted1 ,o yes1   
,an' ,i have been tried1 ,o yes1   ,i   
have been to the river an' been baptize1
   ,an' ,i want to go to heaven in the  
morning4      ,won't you ride on ,jesus8
     ,ride on ,jesus1 ride on crowning  
,king1     ,for ,i want to go to heaven 
in the morning4    ,if you see my       
mother1 ,o yes1   ,please tell her for  
me1 ,o yes1   ,that the angels in heaven
 done change my name1   ,an' ,i want to 
go to heaven in the morning4  ,so if you
 see brother ,john1 sister ,nancy1 and  
others makes the song complete4 ,the    
song once so popular1 ,yes1 ,i'll be    
dere1 ,when gen'ral roll call is still  
heard occasionally4 ,many of these songs
 have been corrupted and changed1       
consolidated and revised into new songs4
 ,such a song is ,study war no mo'1     
which combines the old camp meeting1    
down by the river side1 and a new       
element of peace1 the origin of which is
 not known4    ,well there's goin' to be
 a big camp meetin'1   ,well there's    

goin' to be a big camp meetin'1   ,well 
there's goin' to be a big camp meetin'1 
,down by the river side4    ,well1 ,i   
ain't goin' to study war no mo'1        
,well1 ,i ain't goin' to study war no   
mo'1   ,well1 ,i ain't goin' to study   
war no mo'4    ,well such a shoutin' an'
 prayin'       ,down by the riverside4  
,well ,i goin' to meet my sister1       
,down by the riverside4    ,well the    
brothers got to shoutin'1       ,down by
 the riverside4  ,said the old singers3 
,some o' dese mornin's1 hope ,i'll see  
my mother1 hope ,i'll jine de ban'1 hope
 ,i'll walk bout ,zion1 ,talk wid de    
angels1 ,talk my trouble over while they
 looked away to hebben4 ,now the negro  
sings3    ,gwine to weep1 gwine to      
mourn1   ,gwine to git up early in de   
morn1   ,fo' my soul's goin' to heaven  
jes' sho's you born1   ,brother ,gabriel
 goin' to blow his horn4    ,goin' to   
sing1 goin' to pray1   ,goin' to pack   
all my things away1   ,fo' my soul's    
goin' to heaven jes' sho's you born1    

,brother ,gabriel gwine ter blow his    
horn4  ,pray come an' go wid me sings   
the ,christian1 for ,i'm on my journey  
home to the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,if refused
 he says1 ,now don't let me beg you to  
follow me1 for ,i'm on my journey home1 
and finally he sings1 ,well1 brother    
come an' go wid me4 ,if the sinner needs
 other exhortation he may listen to the 
mixed song ,dry bones goin' to rise     
ergain1 in which there is first warning1
 then hope of glory4    ,some go ter    
meetin' to sing an' shout1   ,dry bones 
goin' ter rise again2   ,fore six month 
deys all turned out1   ,dry bones goin' 
ter rise again4   ,o little chillun1 ,o 
little childun1   ,o lit'le childun1 dry
 bones goin' rise ergin4    ,talk erbout
 me but taint my fault1       ,dry bones
 goin ter rise ergin2   ,but me an'     
,godermighty goin' walk an' talk1       
,dry bones goin' ter rise ergin4    ,ef 
you want ter go to heaven when you die1 
,dry bones goin' rise ergin2   ,jes'    
stop yo' tongue from tellin' lies1      

,dry bones goin' ter rise ergin4  ,in   
the old plantation song ,ezekiel was    
represented down in a valley full of    
bones as dry as dust and    ,he gib de  
bone a mighty shake1   ,fin' de ole     
sinners too dry to quake1  ,death for   
the ,christian is shouting3 death for   
the sinner is doom4 ,when ,i git to     
heaven1 goin' shout on my knees gives an
 accurate picture of what the negro     
conceives to be happiness4 ,but he not  
only expects to shout while on earth and
 when he gets home1 but even when he    
dies4 ,for says he1    ,my mother dies a
 shoutin'1 an' ,i goin' die shoutin'1   
too1   ,yes1 my mother died a shoutin'  
an' ,i goin' die shoutin'1 too4    ,my  
mother died a shoutin'1 my mother died a
 shoutin'1   ,yes1 my mother died a     
shoutin' an' ,i goin' die shoutin'1 too4
  ,still his mother is not the only one 
who has died shouting2 he sings in the  
same way of father1 preacher1 brother1  
sister and others2 the slave song       
included ,missus and ,marster or ,massa4

 ,but shouting must not be all4 ,the    
negro and his brothers1 sisters1 mother 
are all to die mournin'1 and prayin'4   
,in ,join de ,heaven wid de ,angels the 
rich voice of one or two leaders and the
 swelling chorus produce an effect      
scarcely surpassed4    ,o join on1 join 
my ,lord1   ,join de heaven wid de      
angels2   ,o join on1 join my ,lord1    
,join de heaven wid de angels4    ,what 
kin' er shoes is dem you wear8   ,join  
de heaven wid de angels2   ,dat you kin'
 walk upon de air1   ,join de heaven wid
 de angels4    ,oh1 ,god don't talk like
 a nat'al man1   ,join de heaven wid de 
angels2   ,he talk to de sinner1 he     
understan'1   ,join de heaven wid de    
angels4    ,i'm ,baptis' bred an' ,i'm  
,baptis' bo'n1   ,join de heaven wid de 
angels2   ,an' when ,i die dey's a      
,baptis' gone1   ,join de heaven wid de 
angels4    ,jes' so de tree fall jes' so
 it lie1   ,join de heaven wid de       
angels2   ,jes so de sinner lib' jes' so
 he die1   ,join de heaven wid de       

angels4  ,the song has been found in    
several forms among which one has it    
that ,john is to be in de heavens with  
the angels4 ,in fact the probable origin
 of join on seems to have been ,john saw
 de heaven wid de angels4 ,in one of the
 old songs the singer answers1    ,dem  
shoes ,i wears is gospel shoes1         
,view de lan'1 view de lan'2   ,an' you 
can wear dem if you choose1       ,view 
de lan'1 view de lan'4  ,there are other
 references1 too1 besides the above1 to 
the denominations of the negro          
churchmen4 ,it has already been seen    
that the negro likes bes' the shoutin'  
,mefodes'4 ,so he says ,there's fire in 
de eas' an' fire in de wes2 ,an' fire   
among de ,methodes'4 ,he is loyal and   
proclaims3 ,methodist1 ,methodist is my 
name1 ,methodist till ,i die1 ,i'll be  
baptize in the ,methodist name1 ,an'    
,i'll lib' on the ,methodist side4 ,in  
the same way he is ,baptist and         
,presbyterian2 the ,baptist is the      
favorite church of the negro1 however1  

and there are more ,baptists than all   
other denominations combined4  ,the     
,angel ,band1 while a very simple song  
in which the chorus constitutes the     
greater part1 is one of the most        
beautiful that the negroes sing4 ,the   
tune is a variation of a well-known hymn
 used by the whites4 ,the power of the  
song seems to lie in the tender interest
 which centres about the vivid portrayal
 of the little angels in the heavenly   
band4 ,the chorus is repeated after each
 stanza1 while each stanza itself is the
 repetition of a single line4 ,from one 
to ten2 from ten to twenty and so on to 
one hundred is ordinarily sung1 thus    
making a lengthy song4 ,the children    
love to sing the chorus2 two forms are  
ordinarily found1 varying the monotony  
enough to please the negro4    ,dere's  
one little1 two little1 three little    
angels1   ,dere's four little1 five     
little1 six little angels4   ,dere's    
seven little1 eight little1 nine little 
angels1   ,dere's ten little angels in  

de band4   ,dere's leben1 dere's twelve1
 dere's thir'een little angels1         
,dere's fourteen1 dere's fifteen1 dere's
 sixteen little angels4   ,dere's       
seventeen1 dere's eighteen1 dere's      
nineteen little angels1   ,dere's twenty
 little angels in de band4  ,the little 
in the chorus is preferred to the dere's
 as a rule1 apparently serving to       
describe the angels4 ,the stanzas of the
 song are equally as unlimited and as   
simple as the chorus4 ,sunday morning is
 the common factor to all of the verses2
 sometimes it is omitted4        ,jesus 
rose on ,sunday mornin'1       ,jesus   
rose on ,sunday mornin'1       ,jesus   
rose on ,sunday mornin'1       ,on      
,sunday mornin' so soon4    ,he rose an'
 flew away on ,sunday mornin'4    ,my   
mother died on ,sunday mornin'4    ,oh  
wasn't that sad on ,sunday mornin'8     
,dere's goin' to be a big camp meetin'  
on ,sunday mornin'4    ,dere's goin' to 
be a mournin' on ,sunday mornin'4       
,mourners got to shoutin' on ,sunday    

mornin'4    ,i'm goin' away to leave you
 on ,sunday mornin'4    ,well1 my       
sister's goin' to heaven on ,sunday     
mornin'4  ,while this form of the song  
may be continued indefinitely1 other    
verses may also be inserted4 ,instead of
 the ,on ,sunday mornin' is often       
substituted ,fer to see my ,lord4       
,well1 my sister's goin' to heaven fer  
to see my ,lord1         ,to see my     
,lord1 to see my ,lord2   ,well1 my     
sister's goin' to heaven fer to see my  
,lord1         ,what's de onbelievin'   
soul8  ,and so he continues with        
preacher1 brother1 mother1 auntie and   
any others that he wishes to enumerate4 
,as a shouting song or as a collection  
song1 it is not surpassed4  ,the negro's
 fancies of the ,heaven's bright home   
are not exceeded by the world's fairy   
tales4 ,there are silver and golden     
slippers2 there are crowns of stars and 
jewels and belts of gold4 ,there are    
robes of spotless white and wings all   
bejewelled with heavenly gems4 ,beyond  

the jasper seas he will outshine the    
sun2 the golden streets and the fruit of
 the tree of life are far superior to   
any golden apples or silver pears of a  
,mother ,goose4 ,in fact the negro's    
fairy stories centre on heaven2 the     
children's definitions of heaven        
consisted entirely of pictures of       
splendor and glory4 ,to this place the  
negro imagines he will go and who knows 
but that he may fly there8    ,some o'  
dese mornin's bright an' fair1   ,way in
 de middle of de air2   ,gwi' hitch on  
my wings an' try de air1   ,way in de   
middle of de air4    ,come over1 den1   
,john saw de holy number1     ,way in de
 middle of de air2   ,john saw de holy  
number1     ,way in de middle of de air2
    ,if yer wanter dream dem heavenly   
dreams1     ,way in de middle of de air2
   ,lay yo' head on ,jord'n's stream1   
,way in de middle of de air4    ,i got a
 book goin' read it thru'1     ,way in  
de middle of de air1   ,i got my ,jesus 
well as you1     ,way in de middle of de

 air4  ,with a golden band all round his
 waist1 ,an' de palms ob victory in     
a-his hands1 the negro sings in reality3
 ,pray come an' go wid me1 for so vivid 
is his picture that he has been known to
 start up a post or pillar in the       
church1 saying1 ,good bye brothers1 ,i'm
 gone4 ,his songs make much of flying2  
different from that just quoted he      
repeats3    ,one mornin' soon1   ,one   
mornin' soon1 my ,lord1   ,one mornin'  
soon1   ,i goin' try the air1   ,i goin'
 try the air1   ,pray come an' go wid   
me4    ,well ,i got on my travellin'    
shoes1   ,well ,i got on my travellin'  
shoes1   ,well ,i got on my travellin'  
shoes1       ,pray come an' go wid me4  
,he sings1 too1 ,i goin' to put on my   
long white robe1 ,we'll try on de       
slippah shoe an' wear de golden belt4   
,again he sings of his doings in the    
morning1 noontime1 and midnight4    ,in 
the morning--um-u'1   ,in the           
morning--um-u'1   ,in the               
morning--um-u'1   ,i goin' put on my    

golden shoes4    ,in the                
midnight--um-u'1   ,in the              
midnight--um-u'1   ,in the              
midnight--um-u'1   ,i goin' put on my   
long white robe4    ,talk about         
it--um-u'1   ,talk about it--um-u'1     
,talk about it--um-u'1   ,i goin' wear  
that starry crown4  ,the angels and     
,jesus wear the starry crown and long   
white robes2 there will be no separating
 line between us and ,god in the new    
world4 ,oh how ,i long to go dere1 too1 
sang the old negroes4 ,now he pictures  
again the appearance of ,jesus4         
,jesus1 he wore the starry crown1       
,jesus he wore the starry crown1        
,jesus he wore the starry crown1 starry 
crown4    ,how does you know he wore the
 crown8   ,how does you know he wore the
 crown8   ,how does you know he wore the
 crown8 wore the crown8    ,for the     
,bible it tell me so1   ,for the ,bible 
it tell me so1   ,for the ,bible it tell
 me so1 tell me so4  ,then1 too1 ,jesus 
he wore the long white robe1 for the    

,bible it tell me so4 ,more than the    
world or riches or dress the singer     
claims he values the treasures of       
heaven4 ,in this assertion he is        
doubtless sincere1 both because he is   
thinking only of his religious state    
while he sings1 and because he has      
little opportunity for obtaining these  
earthly riches4 ,says he3    ,i don't   
care fur riches1   ,neither dress so    
fine1   ,jes' giv' me my long white     
robe1   ,an' ,i want my starry crown4   
,for my ,lord done bin here1   ,done    
bless my soul an' gone away4    ,po' man
 goin' to heaven1   ,rich man goin' to  
hell1   ,for po' man got his starry     
crown1   ,rich man got his wealth4      
,this ole worl' bin a hell to me        
indicates the contrast between the      
everyday life of the world and that     
which the negro will enjoy after death4 
,in his eagerness and impatience to rest
 in the promise lan'1 the negro does not
 always think kindly of the world and he
 does not care even though ,death is in 

dis lan'4    ,ever since my ,lord has   
set me free1       ,death is in dis     
lan'1   ,this ole worl' bin a hell to   
me1       ,death is in dis lan'4    ,i'm
 so glad death is in dis lan'1   ,i'm so
 glad death is in dis lan'4    ,o run   
'long mourner 'n git yo' crown1         
,death is in dis lan'1   ,by yo'        
father's side set down1       ,death is 
in dis lan'4    ,some er dese mornin's  
bright and fair1       ,death is in dis 
lan'1   ,gwin'r hitch on my wings an'   
try de air1       ,death is in dis lan'4
  ,if the negro expects to go to heaven 
and there mingle with ,god1 the angels  
and his loved ones1 he also expects to  
sing in all the glory and splendor      
imaginable4 ,the negroes used to sing of
 jinin' de association1 climbin'        
,jacob's ladder1 climbin' higher an'    
higher1 sittin' down at de welcome      
table1 feastin' off'n milk an' honey1   
tell ,god how you served me1 jine de big
 baptizin1 after which den my little    
soul gwine shine4 ,so they sang of a    

mother1 father1 brother in heaven who   
outshines de sun1 and ended by declaring
 that when they got to heaven we will   
outshine de sun4 ,in very much the same 
way the negroes sing to-day in one of   
their favorites1 ,goin' to ,outshine de 
,sun4    ,well1 my mother's goin' to    
heaven1   ,she's goin' to outshine the  
sun1 ,o ,lord1   ,well1 my mother's     
goin' to heaven1   ,she's goin' to      
outshine the sun1   ,yes1 my mother's   
goin' to heaven to outshine the sun1    
,an' it's way beyon' the moon4    ,you  
got a home in the promise lan'1   ,goin'
 to outshine the sun1 ,o ,lord1         
,an' it's way beyon' the moon4    ,the  
crown that my ,jesus give me1   ,goin'  
to outshine the sun1 my ,lord1          
,an' it's way beyond the moon4    ,goin'
 to put on my crown in glory1   ,an'    
outshine the sun1 ,o ,lord4       ',way 
beyon' de moon4  ,other verses sing of  
putting on slippers1 long white robe1 in
 each case the singer is to outshine the
 sun4 ,the dazzling splendor of it all  

makes anticipation full of staying      
qualities2 it makes the picture one of  
reality because of the vigor of an      
imaginative power4 ,who knows if the    
negroes often dream of the grandeurs of 
the sky8  ,the negro uses many figures  
and symbols in his religion4 ,he can see
 the chariot wheel and the chariot of   
fire taking him to heaven as easily as  
,elijah4 ,he can imagine that he1 too1  
can ascend even as ,christ and the      
angels4 ,besides these methods he has   
the ,gospel ,train and the ,ship of     
,zion4 ,the train has much fascination  
for the negro3 much will be seen of this
 in his social songs4 ,it is but natural
 that he should bring it into his       
religious songs4 ,the negro often goes  
to meet the train at the station1 even  
when sick4 ,it is a great social event  
of a ,sunday4 ,so again1 he wishes to go
 on an excursion2 few things can hinder 
him4 ,very much in the same strain is   
the religious song1 ,when the train come
 along4    ,well1 ,i may be sick an'    

cannot rise1   ,but ,i meet you at de   
station when de train come along4       
,when de train come along1   ,when de   
train come along1   ,i'll meet you at de
 station when de train come along4      
,well1 ,i may be blind an' cannot see1  
,but ,i'll meet you at de station when  
de train come along4    ,well1 ,i may be
 lame and cannot walk1   ,but ,i'll meet
 you at de station when de train come   
along4  ,while no mention is made of the
 exact kind of train1 it is generally   
understood to mean the ,gospel train4   
,this song also has a popular variant   
which is used in a secular way4 ,in     
either case it expresses in a very      
forceful way the importance of meeting  
the train4 ,in proportion as a picture  
resembles real life or magnifies that   
which has been imaged1 to that degree   
does it bring home its truth to the     
negro's mind4 ,the negro continues to   
sing of the train on which he is to ride
 into the ,kingdom4 ,says he3    ,i am  
talkin' 'bout the same train1   ,same   

train that carried my father1           
,same train4    ,same train that carried
 my mother1           ,same train1      
,same train will be back to-morrow1     
,same train4    ,same train will be here
 to-morrow1           ,same train1      
,well you better be ready1       ,it's  
the same train4  ,the same train also   
carried his brother1 sister1 preacher   
and others4 ,but the train which will   
come back to-morrow will not wait       
always4 ,one must not only be at the    
station but must also have a ticket4    
,there is plenty of room1 according to  
the negro's conception1 but there is not
 plenty of time4 ,it would be a wistful 
negro that looked upon the train pulling
 out for heaven and he all alone is left
 behind4 ,he sings1    ,well you better 
git yo' ticket1   ,well you better git  
yo' ticket1   ,well you better git yo'  
ticket1         ,bye and bye4           
,there's a great day er comin'1         
,there's a great day er comin'1         
,there's a great day er comin'1         

,bye and bye4    ,for the train it's er 
comin'1   ,for the train it's er comin'1
   ,for the train it's er comin'1       
,bye and bye4    ,i am sure ,god is     
ready1   ,i am sure ,god is ready1   ,i 
am sure ,god is ready1         ,bye and 
bye4  ,instead of the chorus just given 
he often sings3 ,i sure ,god am ready1  
and ,i sho' ,god is ready4 ,with this in
 view he is willing and glad for the    
train to come along4 ,if he is ready1   
all the better for him to be on his     
journey4 ,so he continues in another    
song and at another time3    ,if ,god   
was to call me ,i would not care--um-u'1
   ,for he done move away my            
fears--um-u'4    ,i'm goin' to heaven1  
an' ,i'm goin' fo' long--um-u'1   ,all  
don't see me will hear my song--um-u'4  
,when de gospel train come 'long--um-u'1
   ,that's the train carry me           
home--um-u'4    ,wake up1 sinner1 you   
will be too late--um-u'1   ,gospel train
 done pass yo' gate--um-u'4  ,in the old
 plantation songs the exhortation was   

given to ,git on board little children1 
dere's room for many a mo'4 ,so also    
they sang3    ,de gospel train's a      
comin'1   ,i hear it jus' at hand1   ,i 
hear de car wheels rumblin'1   ,an'     
rollin' thru de land4    ,i hear de     
train a comin'1   ,she's comin' round de
 curve1   ,she's loosened all her steam 
an' brakes1   ,an' strainin' eb'ry      
nerve4    ,de fare is cheap an' all can 
go1   ,de rich an' pore are dere1   ,no 
second class abord dis train1   ,no     
difference in de fare4  ,in addition to 
the above stanzas the ,jubilee singers  
added others4 ,they heard the bell and  
whistle and she's playin' all her steam 
an' power4 ,the rhyme and imagery of the
 old song struck a more responsive chord
 than the present song2 this is due to  
the fact that the negro of to-day sings 
his railroad songs and enjoys them in   
his secular music4 ,there he pictures   
the train with such vividness that the  
train may be easily heard and seen in   
his imagination4 ,other verses of the   

,gospel ,train as it was sung by the    
,jubilee singers are3    ,there's ,moses
 and ,noah and ,abraham1   ,and all the 
prophets1 too1   ,our friends in ,christ
 are all on board1   ,o what a heavenly 
crew4    ,we soon shall reach the       
station1   ,o how we then shall sing1   
,with all the heavenly army1   ,we'll   
make the welkin ring4    ,she's nearing 
now the station1   ,o sinner1 don't be  
vain1   ,but come an' get your ticket1  
,and be ready for the train4    ,no     
signal for the other train1   ,to follow
 on the line1   ,o sinner1 you're       
forever lost1   ,if once you're left    
behind4  ,while the song as reported by 
the ,jubilee singers does not possess   
the mere characteristics of form and    
dialect1 it nevertheless appeals to the 
negroes and it is sometimes sung4 ,one  
of the fears of the negro is that others
 may go to heaven and he be left behind4
 ,this1 as has been indicated1          
constitutes the sum total of misery4 ,so
 he has a number of songs in which he   

expresses this feeling and prays that he
 may not be left behind in the race of  
life for the eternal goal4 ,one of the  
most touching of these songs represents 
the negro as an orphan who is unwilling 
to stay alone in the world3    ,my      
muther an' my father both are daid1 both
 are daid1   ,my muther an' my father   
both are dead1   ,my mother an' my      
father both are dead1   ,good ,lord1 ,i 
cannot stay here by merself4    ,i'm er 
pore little orphan chile in de worl'1   
chile in de worl'1   ,i'm er pore little
 orphan chile in the worl'1   ,i'm a    
pore little orphan chile in de worl'1   
,good ,lord1 ,i cannot stay here by     
merself4    ,de train done whistled an' 
de cars done gone1 cars done gone1   ,de
 train done whistled an' de cars ere    
gone1   ,de train done whistled an' de  
cars ere gone1   ,ezekiel1 ,i cannot    
stay here by merself4    ,my brothers   
an' my sisters are all gone1 all gone1  
,my brothers an' my sister're all gone1 
all gone1   ,my brothers an' sisters all

 are gone1   ,mer ,jesus1 ,i cannot stay
 here by merself4    ,git me ticket fer 
de train1 fer de train1   ,git me ticket
 fer de train1   ,i got mer ticket fer  
de train1   ,thank ,god1 ,i ain't gwine 
stay here by merself4  ,very much like  
the song just given the negroes used to 
sing3 ,dar's room in dar1 room in dar1  
room in de heaven1 ,lord1 ,i can't stay 
behin'4 ,so1 too1 ,i can't or don't want
 to stay here no longer are common and  
classic verses of negro song4 ,again    
they sang the good news because ,de     
chariot's comin'1 ,i doan want her to   
leave a-me behind1 ,gwine get upon dat  
chariot1 ,carry me home4 ,in a prayer   
the negro sang3 ,jesus1 don't leave me  
behind4 ,in his songs to-day the negro  
says3    ,dear brother1 don't you leave1
   ,dear brother1 don't you leave1      
,this ole world's a hell to me4    ,this
 ole world's a hell to me1   ,this ole  
world's a hell to me4    ,yes1 ,i       
bleedzed to leave this world1   ,yes1 ,i
 bleedzed to leave this world1          

,sister1 ,i's bleedzed to leave this    
world1     ,for it's a hell to me4      
,while the old negroes used to sing ,oh 
brother1 sisters1 mourners1 don't stay  
away1 ,for my ,lord says there's room   
enough1 the modern negro sings ,you     
can't stay away4    ,sister1 you can't  
stay away1   ,sister1 you can't stay    
away1   ,sister1 you can't stay away1   
stay away4    ,my ,lord is a callin' an'
 you can't stay away1   ,my ,lord is a  
callin' an' you can't stay away1   ,yes1
 my ,lord is a callin' an' you can't    
stay away1         ,an' you can't stay  
away4    ,king ,jesus is a ridin' an'   
you can't stay away1   ,o preacher1 you 
can't stay away4  ,there have been a    
great many versions of the song ,ole    
,ship of ,zion1 none of which differ    
materially4 ,the four or five versions  
most common in the slave and plantation 
song represented the ,ship of ,zion     
somewhat as follows3 ,she has landed    
many a thousand1 ,she can land as many  
more1 ,do you think she will be able1   

,for to take us all home8 ,you can tell 
'em ,i'm comin' home1 ,dis de good ole  
ship of ,zion1 ,an' she's maken' fer de 
promise lan'4 ,she hab angels fer de    
sailors4 ,an' how you know dey's angels8
 ,dat ship is out a sailin' she's a     
sailin' mighty steady4 ,she'll neither  
reel nor totter1 ,she's a sailin' 'way  
cold ,jordan4 ,king ,jesus is de        
captain1 captain4 ,de gospel ship is    
sailin'1 ,o ,jesus is de captain1 ,de   
angels are de sailors1 ,o is yo' bundle 
ready8 ,o have you got yo' ticket6      
,another version has her loaded down    
with angels2 ,another wid a-bright      
angels4 ,another asks what ship is that 
you're enlisted upon8 and answers that  
it is the ,good ship of ,zion1 which    
sails like she's heavy loaded1 and has  
,king ,jesus for the captain1 and the   
,holy ,ghost is de pilot ,the coast     
negroes had many songs that originated  
in ideas suggested by the boats4 ,to-day
 the river negroes have songs of their  
own1 but they do not go into the church 

songs4 ,the ,old ,ship of ,zion1        
however1 is sung1 but only as a remnant 
of the former song1 less elaborate4     
,this ole ship is a reelin' an' a       
rockin'1   ,this ole ship is a reelin'  
an' a rockin' rockin' rockin'           
,makin' fer de promise lan'4  ,while the
 negro sings1 he sees the ship reelin'  
an' rockin'1 and repeats these phrases  
enough and in a rhythmic manner1 so that
 he imitates the imagined motion of the 
ship4 ,the other stanzas of the song are
 practically the same as those of the   
earlier days4    ,o my ,lord1 shall ,i  
be the one8   ,o my ,lord1 shall ,i be  
the one8   ,o my ,lord1 shall ,i be the 
one8         ,makin' for the promise    
lan'8    ,yes1 'tis that good ole ship  
of ,zion1 of ,zion1   ,yes1 'tis that   
good ole ship of ,zion1 of ,zion1       
,yes1 'tis that good ole ship of ,zion1 
,makin' for the promise lan'4    ,o the 
ship is heavy loaded1 loaded1 loaded1   
,makin' for the promise lan'4   ,it's   
loaded with many er thousand1 thousand1 

thousand1         ,makin' fer the       
promise lan'4  ,this ole worl's a       
rollin' is most likely a figure of the  
ship and modelled on the same song4     
,however1 it conveys a different idea1  
one of judgment and the end of the      
world4 ,the negro sings3    ,well the   
ole worl' is a rollin'1 rollin'1        
rollin'1   ,yes1 the ole worl' is       
rollin'1 rollin' away4    ,well ain't   
you goin' to get ready8   ,yes1 ain't   
you goin' to get ready8 for it's rollin'
 away4    ,well get on board little     
children1 children1 children1   ,well   
get on board1 for this ole worl's       
rollin' away4  ,he sings for the sinner1
 mourner1 and all his friends and       
relatives to get on board the world as  
she rolls away4 ,it reminds one somewhat
 of the song once current among the     
negroes3 ,o de ole ferry boat stan'     
a-waitin' at de landin'1 ,chilluns we'se
 all gwine home4 ,the same feeling of   
motion and the end of the world as is   
indicated in the moving of the train1   

ship1 and the world itself is also      
reflected in the opening of the         
graveyards and the rolling of the hearse
 wheel4 ,the same rhythmic effect of    
motion and words give a strikingly      
appropriate attitude to the singer4     
,o the lightening flashin' an' the      
thunder rollin'1 rollin'1 rollin'1   ,o 
the lightening flashin' an' thunder     
rollin'1 rollin'1 rollin'1   ,o the     
light'ning flashin' an' thunder rollin'1
   ,lawd1 ,i know my time ain't long2   
,lawd1 ,i know my time ain't long4      
,the hearse wheel rollin' an' graveyard 
openin'1 openin'1 openin'1   ,the hearse
 wheel rollin' an' graveyard openin'1   
openin'1 openin'1   ,the hearse wheel   
rollin' an' the graveyard openin'1      
,lawd1 ,i know my time ain't long1 my   
time ain't long4  ,and very much like   
the above song is ,every ,day4 ,however1
 it is so similar to other songs that   
one concludes that it is only a putting 
together of what the singer already     
knew4 ,the ,bahama negroes have a song1 

,if hev'ry day was judgment day1 that is
 almost exactly the same in meaning as  
this one4 ,the song1 however1 is a      
powerful one and seems to be gaining in 
popularity4    ,well the hearse wheel   
rollin'1       ,every day1 every day1   
,carryin' yo' brother to the graveyard1 
,every day1 every day--move1 ,zion1     
move4    ,well ain't it a pity1 pity8   
,every day1 every day1   ,well ain't it 
a pity1 ain't it a pity8       ,every   
day1 every day1 move1 ,zion1 move4      
,well they're carryin' a sinner1 sinner1
       ,every day1 every day1   ,yes1   
they're carryin' a sinner1       ,every 
day1 every day1 move1 ,zion1 move4      
,move1 ,zion1 move1 for you got to go to
 judgment1       ,every day1 every day1 
,move1 ,zion1 move1 for you got to go to
 judgment1       ,every day1 every day1 
move1 ,zion1 move4  ,the getting of     
mail1 and especially of letters1 usually
 means much to the negroes2 perhaps     
simply because they receive little mail4
 ,to have a letter from a distinguished 

person is superlative honor and the     
recipient usually makes the fact known  
generally4 ,just how the negro conceived
 of receiving letters from ,god1 or why 
he imagined the angels and apostles as  
writing letters does not appear clear4  
,one gets a letter1 another reads it2   
one writes a letter and all know its    
contents4 ,such a reference is found in 
a number of songs1 that serve as a      
warning or admonition4    ,well my      
mother got a letter1 ,o yes1   ,well she
 could not read it1 ,o yes1   ,what you 
reckon that letter said8   ,that she    
didn't have long to stay here4    ,won't
 you come1 won't you come8   ,won't you 
come an' get ready to die8   ,won't you 
come1 for my ,lord is callin' you8      
,how do you know that my ,lord is       
callin'1 ,o yes8   ,if you look at this 
letter1 ,o yes1   ,you see it come from 
the ,hebrews1 ,o yes1   ,won't you come1
 for my ,lord is callin' you4  ,perhaps 
the idea of the letter came from the    
epistles of the ,new ,testament4 ,john  

and ,peter wrote letters2 ,mary and     
,martha read them4 ,the letters of the  
,hebrews and ,ephesians are spoken of4  
,the idea ,it just suits me seems to    
have sprung up from satisfaction in     
reading the word or in hearing the      
sermon and praying in the usual way4    
,john wrote a letter and he wrote it in 
haste1           ,an' it jus' suit me3  
,john wrote a letter and he wrote it in 
haste1           ,an' it jus' suit me4  
,john wrote a letter and he wrote it in 
haste1   ,if yer want to go to heaven   
yer better make haste1           ,an' it
 jus' suit me4    ,i'll tell you a      
little thing that was in that letter1   
,an' it jus' suit me4   ,i'll tell you a
 little thing that was in ,john's       
letter1   ,the ,holy ,ghost came to make
 us better1           ,an' it jus' suit 
me4  ,in the same form and repetition   
are sung other stanzas1 all of which    
suit the negroes pretty well4    ,if    
this isn't the ,holy ,ghost ,i don't    
know1   ,i never felt such a love befo'1

           ,but it jus' suit me4    ,o  
my brother1 you oughter been at de pool1
   ,to see me put on my gospel shoes1   
,an' it jus' suit me4    ,ezekiel said  
he spied the train a comin'1   ,we got  
on board an' she never stopped runnin'1 
,an' it jus' suit me4    ,this kind er  
religion is better than gold1   ,it's   
better felt than ever told1             
,an' it jus' suit me4    ,i tell you a  
little thing you can't do1   ,you can't 
serve ,god and the devil1 too1          
,but it jus' suit me4    ,when trouble  
is done an' conflict have passed1   ,i  
rise to reign in peace at last1         
,an' it jus' suit me4  ,by this time the
 singers are happy enough and the       
preacher joins them in shouting1 ,yes1  
brethren1 it just suits me4 ,it is      
gratifying to the negroes that their    
sins have been washed in the blood of   
the ,lamb1 as indeed it ought to be4    
,perhaps they give it its undue         
prominence without thought2 for they    
have no conception of the seriousness of

 their claims4 ,the negro singers have  
exhibited a characteristic specimen of  
their word combinations1 concrete       
pictures1 and theological principles in 
their song1 ,de blood done sign my name4
    ,o de blood1 ,o de blood1   ,o de   
blood done sign my name2   ,o ,jesus    
said so1 ,jesus said so1   ,o de blood  
done sign my name4    ,i believe it for 
,god he tole me1   ,that the blood done 
sign my name1   ,i believe it for ,god  
he tole me1   ,that the blood done sign 
my name1   ,yes1 the blood done sign my 
name4    ,how do you know so1 ,god he   
said so   ,that the blood done sign my  
name4    ,well it's written in de       
,kingdom1   ,that the blood done sign my
 name4    ,well in de ,lamb's book it is
 written1   ,that the blood done sign my
 name4    ,well the wheels a turnin'1   
wheels a turnin'1   ,blood done sign my 
name4    ,i'm boun' for glory1 boun' for
 glory1   ,the blood done sign my name4 
,on de mountain1 on de mountain1   ,the 
blood done sign my name4    ,in the     

valley1 in the valley1   ,blood done    
sign my name4  ,but the ,christian does 
not have an easy time after his         
conversion4 ,satan is always at hand and
 ready to lead him away if there is a   
chance4 ,the negro's idea of satan and  
the devil has been noted4 ,in his march 
songs the negro imagines that he is     
marching against his foe2 this foe is   
sometimes satan himself4 ,the other     
world is not lak' dis is a typical      
marching song4    ,i er's walkin' 'long 
de oder day1           ,de udder worl'  
is not lak' dis1   ,i met ole satan on  
de way1           ,de udder worl' is not
 lak' dis1   ,he said1 ,young man1      
you're too young to pray1           ,de 
udder worl' is not lak' dis4            
,tell all dis worl'1             ,tell  
all dis worl'1             ,tell all dis
 worl'1             ,de odder worl' is  
not lak' dis4    ,as ,i went down in de 
valley to pray1           ,de udder     
worl' is not lak' dis1   ,i met a little
 looker on de way1           ,de udder  

worl' is not lak' dis1   ,he said3 ,look
 out fer de ,judgment day1           ,de
 udder worl' is not lak' dis4  ,another 
marching song that is a rousing one is  
,goin' down to ,jord'n4 ,it represents1 
like the one just given1 the attributes 
of satan and his relation to the        
,christian4 ,the scene as pictured1 the 
army marching on down to ,jordan1 the   
imaginary foe1 and the rhythm of the    
song make it a favorite4    ,halleluyer 
to the ,lam'1         ,goin' on down to 
,jordan1   ,lord ,god's on that givin'  
han'1         ,goin' on down to ,jordan4
          ,goin' down to ,jordan1       
,goin' down to ,jordan1         ,i got  
my breas'plate1 sword an' shield1       
,goin' down to ,jordan1         ,boldly 
mar chin' thru' the field1              
,goin' on down to ,jordan4    ,i plucked
 one block out'n satan's wall1          
,goin' on down to ,jordan1   ,i heard   
him stumble an' saw him fall1           
,goin' on down to ,jordan4    ,ole      
satan's a liar an' a conjurer1 too1     

,goin' on down to ,jordan1   ,if you    
don't mind he'll conjure you1           
,goin' down to ,jordan4    ,ole satan   
mad an' ,i am glad1   ,he missed a soul 
he thought he had4    ,ole satan thought
 he had me fast1   ,broke his chain an' 
,i'm free at last4    ,i've landed my   
feet on ,jordan's sho'1   ,now ,i'm free
 forever mo'1         ,goin' on down to 
,jordan4  ,something has been observed  
about the negro's attitude toward the   
crucifixion4 ,the old songs asked3 ,wus 
you dere when dey crucified my ,lord8   
,when dey put the crown of thorns on8   
and other scenes4 ,in some of the songs 
the negroes sang ,i wus dere when1 etc41
 while still others only affirm the     
facts4 ,the songs of the present        
generation of negroes are less vivid and
 less full of feeling for the suffering 
of the ,master4 ,some of the verses are 
similar to those of the plantation      
songs4    ,he carried his cross1 he     
carried his cross1         ,up ,zion    
hill1 up ,zion hill1   ,he carried his  

cross1 he carried his cross1         ,up
 ,zion hill1 up ,zion hill1         ,he 
carried his cross up ,zion hill1 ,zion  
hill1 ,zion hill4    ,they put on him   
the thorny crown 7#c71   ,then they nail
 my ,jesus down1   ,they nail him down1 
nail him down1 nail him down1   ,they   
lif' the cross high in the air 7#c71    
,to show the worl' how they nail him    
there1   ,how they nail him there1 nail 
him there1 nail him there4  ,a peculiar 
corruption of this song represents the  
prodigal son as being in the place of   
,christ2 now it is the prodigal1 now it 
is the ,lord4 ,it indicates the manner  
of the development of many of these     
songs1 and shows something of the       
insignificance of the words on the minds
 of the singers4 ,he sings with his holy
 laugh3    ,yes1 the prodigal son come  
home1 ha1 ha1   ,yes1 the prodigal son  
come home1 ha1 ha1   ,the prodigal son  
come home by hisself4    ,an' they nail 
him to the cross1 ha1 ha1   ,an' they   
nail him to the cross1 ha1 ha1   ,an'   

they nail him to the cross on that day4 
,an' the blood come runnin' down1 ha1   
ha1   ,the blood come runnin' down1 ha1 
ha1   ,an' the blood come runnin' down1 
on that day4    ,an' they kill the      
fat'nin' calf1 ha1 ha1   ,an' they kill 
the fat'nin' calf1 ha1 ha1   ,they kill 
the fat'nin' calf on that day4    ,an'  
they carried my ,lord away1 ha1 ha1     
,an' they carried my ,lord away1 ha1 ha1
   ,they carried my ,lord away1 by      
hisself4  ,paul and ,silas1 ,peter and  
,john are models for proper             
contemplation4 ,one of the old songs    
represented ,peter and ,paul as bound in
 jail4 ,togedda dey sung1 togedda dey   
prayed1 ,de ,lawd he heard how dey sung 
an' prayed4 ,den humble yo'selves1 de   
bell done rung4 ,paul an' ,silas bound  
in jail1 ,the ,christians pray both     
night and day1 represented another song1
 one version of which has survived and  
is current to-day4 ,most of the song    
consists in repetitions4    ,paul and   
,silas bound in jail1   ,paul and ,silas

 bound in jail1   ,paul and ,silas bound
 in jail1   ,paul and ,silas bound in   
jail4    ,paul did pray one mournful    
prayer 7#d74    ,don't you wish you     
could pray like ,paul87#d7    ,he prayed
 an' the good ,lord set him free 7#d74  
,another version prays for the angels to
 come down and unlock the door of the   
jail4 ,it has a striking parallel among 
the secular songs and might have been   
composed with the idea of the negro in  
jail as being rescued4    ,come down    
angel with the key1   ,come down angel  
with the key1   ,my ,lord1 angel1 come  
down with the key4    ,unlock the door  
for me-e-e1   ,unlock the door for      
me-e-e1   ,my ,lord1 unlock the door for
 me4    ,paul and ,silas is in jail1    
,paul and ,silas is in jail1   ,my      
,lord1 ,paul and ,silas is in jail4     
,unlock the jail-house door1   ,unlock  
the jail-house door-oor1   ,my ,lord1   
unlock the jail house door4  ,among     
those of the ,bible who have been the   
special subject of song1 ,noah has a    

prominent place4 ,references to him have
 been made already4 ,he is always the   
hero of the flood4 ,in most of the songs
 wherein a special character has an     
important part1 it is in the chorus or  
refrain4 ,so in ,fohty days an' nights1 
a general mixture of songs and ideas1   
,noah and the flood make the chorus4    
,dey calls bro' ,noah a foolish man1    
,fohty days an' nights1   ,he built de  
ark upon de lan'1       ,fohty days an' 
nights4    ,en1 ho1 ho1 didn't it rain8 
,o yes1 you know it did4   ,ho1 ho1     
didn't it rain8   ,o yes1 you know it   
did4    ,ole ,satan wears a iron shoe1  
,hit's fohty days an' nights1   ,ef you 
don't mind gwine slip it on you1        
,fohty days an' nights4    ,some go to  
meetin' to put on pretense1       ,fohty
 days an' nights1   ,until de day ob    
grace is spent1       ,fohty days an'   
nights4    ,some go to meetin' to sing  
an' shout1       ,fohty days an' nights1
   ,fo' six months dey'll be turned out1
       ,fohty days an' nights4    ,i    

tell you brother an' ,i tell you twice1 
,it's fohty days an' nights1   ,my soul 
done anchored in ,jesus ,christ1        
,fohty days an' nights4    ,if you git  
dar befo' ,i do1       ,forty days an'  
nights1   ,look out fer me ,i'se comin' 
too1       ,fohty days an' nights4      
,you baptize ,peter an' you baptize     
,paul1       ,it's fohty days an'       
nights1   ,but de ,lord-,god-er-mighty  
gwine baptize all1       ,it's fohty    
days an' nights4  ,another version in   
one of the old songs says3 ,some go to  
church to laugh and talk1 but dey knows 
nuthin' 'bout de ,christian's walk4 ,de 
,ole ,ark a-moverin' was the title of a 
plantation song which gave the story of 
,noah and the flood4 ,noah and his sons 
went to work upon dry lan'1 and         
everything went according to the        
original plan4    ,jes' wait a little   
while1 ,i'm gwine tell you 'bout de ole 
ark1   ,de ,lord told ,noah for to build
 him an ole ark1   ,den ,noah and his   
sons went to work upon dry lan'1   ,dey 

built dat ark jes' accordin' to comman'1
   ,noah an' his sons went to work upon 
de timber1   ,de proud begin to laugh   
the silly to point de finger1   ,when de
 ark was finished jes' accordin' to     
plan1   ,massa ,noah took his family    
both animal an' man1   ,when de rain    
begin to fall and de ark begin to rise1 
,de wicked hung round wid der groans and
 der cries1   ,fohty days and fohty     
nights de rain it kep' a fallin'1   ,de 
wicked clumb de trees an' for help dey  
kep' callin'1   ,dat awful rain she     
stopped at las'1 de waters dey subsided1
   ,an' dat ole ark wid all aboard on   
,ararat rided4  ,this is the picture    
which the plantation and slave negro has
 made for his satisfaction4 ,the        
present-day song that apparently        
originated in the above song is less    
elaborate1 having only portions of the  
old song1 and not being much in demand4 
,it1 too1 is called ,didn't it rain8    
,god told ,noah 'bout de rainbow sign-- 
,lawd1 didn't it rain8   ,no more water 

but fier nex' time--         ,o didn't  
it rain8 ,halleluyer4    ,o didn't it   
rain1 ,o didn't it rain8   ,halleluyer1 
didn't it rain8   ,some fohty days an'  
nights4    ,well it rain fohty days an' 
nights widout stoppin'1         ,lawd1  
didn't it rain8   ,the sinner got mad   
'cause the rain kept a droppin'1        
,o didn't it rain8 ,halleluyer4  ,among 
the most interesting of all the negro   
spirituals are those which have been    
composed in recent years4 ,these are    
significant in their bearing upon the   
temperament and religion of the         
present-day negro4 ,these songs are     
efforts at poetry1 while at the same    
time they unite biblical story with     
song4 ,how they are often begun and for 
what purposes they are composed was     
mentioned in the previous discussion    
concerning the origin of negro songs4   
,further analysis of the form may be    
made in the study of the negro's mental 
imagery4 ,the following song1 which gets
 its name from the chorus1 is entitled  

,my ,trouble is ,hard1 and was composed 
by ,sister ,bowers4 ,it was printed on a
 single sheet for distribution2 each    
person who contributed to the collection
 was entitled to a copy1 or a copy could
 be had for a nickel4 ,she sung her new 
song to the crowds wherever she went1   
and then was given a pro-rata of the    
collections4 ,with the chorus repeated  
after each stanza1 as the negroes always
 do1 it becomes a song of unusual       
length3    ,i know a man that was here  
before ,christ1   ,his name was ,adam   
and ,eve was his wife1   ,i'll tell you 
how this man lived a rugged life1       
,just by taking this woman's advice4    
,my trouble is hard1 ,o yes1         ,my
 trouble is hard1 ,o yes1         ,my   
trouble is hard1 ,o yes1         ,yes   
indeed1 my trouble is hard4    ,whilst  
you are sitting on your seat1   ,let me 
tell you something that is sweet1       
,when all ,god's people in glory meet1  
,they will slip and slide the golden    
street4    ,stop young man1 ,i've       

something to say2   ,you know you're    
sinful and why don't you pray8   ,you're
 sinning against a sin-venged ,god1     
,who has power to slay us all4    ,o    
,lord1 aint it a pity--ain't it a       
shame--   ,to see how my ,lord and      
,saviour was slain8   ,i hate to call   
the murderer's name1   ,i know they are 
dead but left the stain4    ,read the   
,scriptures and be content1   ,you are  
bound to know what ,jesus meant1   ,john
 was here before his advent2   ,stood in
 the wilderness and cried ,repent4      
,christ called his apostles two by two1 
,he particularly told them what to do1  
,preach my gospel as ,i command you1    
,and ,i'll be with you all the way      
through4    ,just me tell you what      
,david done1   ,old man ,jesse's        
youngest son3   ,he slayed ,goliath that
 mighty one1   ,ole ,saul pursued him   
but he had to run4    ,ole ,saul pursued
 poor ,david's life--   ,it's a mighty  
good thing he had a wife1   ,they went  
to his house and did surround   ,and she

 took a rope and let him down4    ,god  
called ,jonah in a powerful way1   ,he  
told old ,jonah just what to say2       
,tell them people if they don't pray1   
,i'll destroy the city of ,nineveh4     
,just let me tell you how this world is 
fixed1   ,satan has got it so full of   
tricks1   ,you can go from place to     
place1   ,everybody's runnin' down the  
colored race4  ,almost equally          
interesting is ,that's another ,witness 
for my ,lord4 ,it will be noticed in    
these songs that references and phrases 
taken from the old songs are often used1
 but in different combinations4 ,they   
thus lose their former worth4 ,it will  
be interesting1 too1 to compare the     
negro's religious conceptions of the    
,bible and ,god as expressed in these   
songs with those expressed in the older 
productions3 ,has he advanced in his    
theology8    ,read in ,genesis1 you     
understand1   ,methuselah was the oldest
 man1   ,lived nine hundred and         
sixty-nine1   ,died and went to heaven  

in due time4    ,methuselah is a witness
 for my ,lord1   ,methuselah is a       
witness for my ,lord4    ,you read about
 ,sampson from his birth1   ,strongest  
man that lived on the earth1   ',way    
back yonder in ancient times1   ,he     
slayed three thousand of the            
,philistines4    ,sampson he went       
wanderin' about1   ,for his strength    
hadn't been found out1   ,his wife      
dropped down upon her knees1   ,said3   
,sampson1 tell me where your strength   
lies1 please4    ,delila' talked so good
 and fair2   ,he told her his strength  
lie in his hair2   ,shave my head just  
as clean as your hands1   ,and my       
strength'll be like a nachual man's4    
,wasn't that a witness for my ,lord8    
,wasn't that a witness for my ,lord8    
,isaiah mounted on de wheel o'time1     
,spoke to ,god-er-mighty way down the   
line3   ,said1 ,o ,lord1 to me reveal1  
,how can this vile race be healed8      
,god said3 ,tell the sons of men1       
,unto them'll be born a king1   ,them   

that believe upon his ,way1   ,they     
shall rest in the latter day4    ,isaiah
 was a witness for my ,lord1   ,isaiah  
was a witness for my ,lord4    ,there   
was a man amongst the ,pharisees1       
,named ,nicodemus and he didn't believe1
   ,he went to the ,master in the night1
   ,and told him to take him out er     
human sight4    ,you are the ,christ1   
,i'm sure it's true1   ,for none do de  
miracles dat you do1   ,but how can a   
man1 now old in sin1   ,turn back still 
and be born again8    ,christ said1     
,man1 if you want to be wise1   ,you'd  
better repent and be baptized2          
,believe on me1 the ,son of ,man1       
,then you will be born'd again4         
,wasn't that a witness for my ,lord8    
,wasn't that a witness for my ,lord8    
,after ',while gives a slightly         
different form of verse1 but with       
somewhat the same characteristics in    
other respects as those just given4     
,there is little regularity in the      
metrical arrangement1 but it makes a    

good song4        ,the worl' is full of 
forms and changes1       ,it's just now 
so confuse1       ,you will find some   
danger       ,in everything you use3    
,but this is consolation to every blood 
washed child1       ,god's goin' to     
change our station after while4         
,afterwhile1 afterwhile1       ,god's   
goin' to change our station1 afterwhile4
        ,the devil tries to throw down  
,everything that's good1        ,he'd   
fix a way to confine       ,the         
righteous if he could1       ,thanks be 
to ,god almighty1 he cannot be beguiled1
       ,ole satan will be done fightin' 
afterwhile4    ,some men and women who  
help the world along1   ,by constantly  
complaining of everything that's done1  
,they want to be called ,christians and 
all their badness hide1   ,god's goin'  
to open the secret afterwhile4          
,preachers in their sermons stand up and
 tell the truth1   ,they'll go about and
 murmur with slander and abuse2   ,they 
want the whole arrangement to suit their

 selfish style1   ,god's goin' to rain  
down fire afterwhile4  ,in a general    
mixture of old song and new song1 of old
 traits and new traits1 the negro sings 
a beautiful song which he has called3   
,whar' shall ,i be8 ,the usual imagery  
is seen4        ,moses lived til he got 
old1           ,whar' shall ,i be8      
,buried in de mountain1 so ,i'm told1   
,whar' shall ,i be8    ,whar' shall ,i  
be when de fust trumpet sounds8   ,whar'
 shall ,i be when it sounds so loud8    
,when it sound so loud that it wake up  
the dead1   ,whar' shall ,i be when it  
sounds8        ,well ,god showed ,noar  
de rainbow sign1           ,whar' shall 
,i be8       ,no more water but fire    
nex' time1           ,whar' shall ,i be8
        ,mathew1 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john1
           ,whar' shall ,i be8          
,tole me whar' my ,saviour gone2        
,whar' shall ,i be8        ,john        
declar'd he saw a man1           ,whar' 
shall ,i be8       ,wid seben lamps in  
his right han'1           ,whar' shall  

,i be8  ,the exact meaning of the       
following song could not be ascertained4
 ,it is apparently derived from some    
idea of the scriptural invocation and   
blessing upon the disciples4 ,it is said
 to have a special message to the       
preacher1 and is sometimes represented  
as being the words of ,god2 at other    
times the encouragement of a friend and 
the reply4        ,go and ,i will go    
with you2       ,open your mouth and    
,i'll speak for you2   ,if ,i go and    
tell them what you say they won't       
believe me4        ,shout and ,i shout  
with you2       ,throw out your arms and
 ,i catch you2   ,if they see you going 
with me1 they won't believe on you4     
,so it's go and ,i go with you2         
,open your mouth and ,i speak for you1  
,shout and ,i shout with you1           
,throw out your arms and ,i catch you1  
,if ,i go and tell them what you say    
they won't believe me4  ,another song of
 the modern type seems to appeal to the 
negroes very strongly4 ,again he is     

seeing a vivid picture of the ,christ in
 the long years ago4 ,but just where he 
gets the exact ideas by which to make   
the combinations is a little doubtful4  
,perhaps he gets the central thought    
from the miracle of ,cana4    ,if my    
mother ask you for me1 tell her ,i gone 
to ,gallerlee1   ,i ought to a been     
there four thousand years ago1          
,to drink of the wine4      ,drinkin' of
 the wine1 drinkin' of the wine1        
,drinkin' of the wine1 ,drinkin' of the 
wine1     ,christ was there four        
thousand years ago1     ,drinkin' of the
 wine4    ,you may mourn1 sinner1 mourn1
 the ,lord help you to mourn1   ,christ 
was there four thousand years ago1      
,drinkin' of the wine4  ,so1 too1 you   
may moan1 weep1 cry1 pray1 brother1     
sister1 father1 mother1 backslider1 and 
any others that the singer happens to   
think of1 and the chorus1 ,drinkin' of  
the wine1 is the favorite refrain4      
,again in ,the ,blind ,man the picture  
is one of confusing the scriptural      

scenes with those of the present1 and of
 placing himself in the stead of the    
central character of the story4    ,well
 the blind man stood by the grave and   
cried1   ,well the blind man stood by   
the wave and cried1   ,yes1 the blind   
man stood by the wave and cried4    ,he 
cried1 ,o ,lord1 don't you hear po' me8 
,hark1 the blind man stood by the wave  
and cried1   ,he cried1 ,o ,lord1 don't 
you hear po' me8    ,brother don't you  
hear the blind cries1 blind cries8      
,brother don't you hear the blind cries1
 blind cries8   ,o brother1 don't you   
hear the blind cries8    ,jesus he give 
de blind man sight1 blind man sight1    
,jesus he give de blind man sight1 blind
 man sight1   ,yes1 ,jesus he give de   
blind man sight4  ,he also sings sister1
 don't you hear1 etc41 brother1 father1 
preacher4 ,a peculiar modification of   
,walking in the ,light is the song of   
the same name among the negroes1 which  
seems to have its origin in the         
scriptural injunction1 ,ye are the light

 of the world4    ,let yo' light shine  
all over the world1   ,walkin' in the   
light1 beautiful light4    ,mos'        
wonderful light1 shine by night1   ,let 
yo' light shine all over the world4     
,i am the light1 most pitiful light1    
,let yo' light shine all over the world4
    ,follow the light1 mos' beautiful   
light1   ,let yo' light shine all over  
the world4    ,sinner1 what you gwine do
 when the lamp stops burnin'1   ,let yo'
 light shine all over the world8  ,the  
negro prays to be remembered at         
,calvary2 so1 too1 he asks to remember  
,calvary and the ,lord4 ,a single       
fragment of the old song remains3    ,o 
,lord remember me1 remember ,calvary1   
,for without any doubt and you remember 
the ,lord1   ,i pray thee1 ,lord1       
remember me1   ,o ,lord1 remember me1   
remember ,calvary4  ,the ,pilgrim's song
 that has been considered so beautiful  
is still a favorite2 the words of the   
stanzas differ little4 ,it may be called
 a standard hymn of the negroes4 ,there 

is a story that ,bishop ,allen1 the     
founder of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 church1      
composed the song on his dying bed4 ,he 
was very well educated and a man of     
considerable ability and feeling4 ,while
 the sadly hopeful words of the song are
 of a higher type than the average      
spiritual1 and while its metrical form  
is far above the usual1 the song still  
combines many of the ideas and phrases  
of the favorite spirituals of the       
slaves4 ,one of these songs1 ,i hope my 
mother will be there1 ,in that beautiful
 world on high1 embodies the same       
sentiment and in similar words4         
,another1 ,give 'way ,jordan1 ,i want to
 go across to see my ,lord4 ,i heard    
sweet music1 ,i wish dat music would    
come here1 represents the other part of 
the song4 ,the ,pilgrim's song as it is 
found is3    ,i am a poor way-faring    
stranger1     ,while journeying through 
this world of woe1   ,but there is no   
sickness1 toil1 nor danger1     ,in that
 bright world to which ,i go4    ,i'm   

going there to see my classmates1       
,they said they'd meet me when ,i come1 
,i'm just a going over ,jordan1     ,i'm
 just going over home4    ,i know dark  
clouds'll gather round me1     ,i know  
my road is rough and steep1   ,yet there
 bright fields are lying just before me1
     ,where ,god's redeemed and vigils  
keep4    ,i'm going there to see my     
mother1     ,she said she'd meet me when
 ,i come1   ,i'm just going over        
,jordan1     ,i'm just a going over     
home4    ,i'll soon be free1 free every 
trial1     ,my body will sleep in the   
old churchyard4   ,i'll quit the cross  
of self-denial1     ,and enter in my    
great reward4    ,i'm going there to see
 my mother1     ,she said she'd meet me 
when ,i come1   ,i'm just a going over  
,jordan1     ,i'm just going over home4 
,the only differences in the versions of
 the old song and its present form is   
the substitution of ,but for yet1 and   
for their1 and free for from1 drop for  
quit in the various lines4 ,very much in

 the same class of song is ,steal ,away4
 ,the present version is much the same  
in general as the old1 of which there   
were several1 differing only in minor   
details4 ,there is in some of the church
 song books a version of the song2      
however1 the most common verses now sung
 are3    ,o the green trees a-bowin'1   
,an' po' sinner stan' tremblin'1   ,well
 the trumpet soun' in my soul1   ,an' ,i
 ain't got long to stay here4    ,o     
steal away1 steal away1   ,o steal away 
to my ,jesus1   ,steal away1 steal away1
   ,for ,i ain't got long to stay here4 
,my ,lord is a callin'1   ,po' sinner he
 can't answer1   ,well1 the trumpet     
sound in my soul1   ,an' ,i ain't got   
long to stay here4  ,one of the most    
beautiful and at the same time simple   
and pathetic songs of the negroes is    
,heal me1 ,jesus4 ,here the negro is at 
his typical best in prayer3 without     
pretension1 without reserve1 claiming   
nothing1 he simply pleads for his       
desire4    ,o ,lord1 ,i'm sick an' ,i   

want to be healed1   ,o ,lord1 ,i'm sick
 an' ,i want to be healed1   ,o ,lord1  
,i'm sick an' ,i want to be healed1   ,o
 ,lord1 ,i'm sick an' ,i want to be     
healed4          ,heal me ,jesus1 heal  
me ,jesus1           ,along the heavenly
 way1         ,heal me ,jesus1 heal me  
,jesus1           ,along the heavenly   
way4    ,o ,lord1 ,i'm blind an' ,i want
 to see1   ,o ,lord1 ,i'm blin' an' ,i  
wan' ter see1   ,o ,lord1 ,i'm blin' an'
 ,i wan' 'er see1   ,heal me ,jesus     
along the heavenly way4    ,o ,lord1    
,i'm crippl'd an' ,i wan' 'er walk1   ,o
 ,lord1 ,i'm crippl'd an' ,i wan' 'er   
wa-a-a-l-k1   ,o ,lord1 ,i'm            
cri-p-p-l-e-d an' ,i want 'er walk1     
,heal me ,jesus along the heavenly way4 
,o ,lord1 ,i'm deaf an' ,i want to hear1
 etc4  ,the negroes are great believers 
in dress and uniform4 ,color1 too1      
appeals to them as significant and the  
more strikingly distinct the color1 the 
stronger impression it makes upon their 
imaginations4 ,chief among all others is

 the white which the angels wear2 gold  
and purple1 too1 are concerned with the 
heavens4 ,among men red and black are   
strongest4 ,this idea of color dressing 
has become interwoven in many of their  
songs4 ,the rhyme helps to give the     
picture its vividness4 ,the following   
song1 with its variants1 is still sung  
with considerable zest4    ,who is that 
yonder all dressed in red8     ,i heard 
the angels singing2   ,it look like the 
children ,moses led1     ,i heard the   
angels singin'4          ,down on my    
knees1         ,down on my knees1       
,i heard the angels singing4    ,well   
who that yonder all dressed in black8   
,i heard the angels singing2   ,it look 
like it's de mourner jus' got back1     
,i heard the angels singing4    ,yes'   
who's that yonder all dressed in blue8  
,it look like the children just come    
through4  ,instead of mourners jus' got 
back the negroes sing a sister1 a       
sinner1 a hypocrite1 etc41 jus' got     
back4 ,once the negroes sang3 ,who's    

that yonder all dressed in black8 ,must 
be children of the ,israelites1 which is
 the common version for the answer to   
,who's all them come dressed in white8  
,the songs almost invariably have a     
different chorus for the different      
versions and combinations4 ,in one of   
the old songs1 the above verses were    
sung to the chorus    ,oh1 what you say1
 ,john8   ,oh1 what you say1 ,john8     
,oh1 what you say1 ,john8     ,de       
ressurection drawin' nigh4  with this   
last line as a refrain after each line  
of the song1 just as above in ,i heard  
the angels singing4 ,in another of the  
old songs the chorus was3    ,go1 ,mary1
 an' ring de bell1   ,come1 ,john1 and  
call de roll1       ,i thank ,god4  ,the
 negro visualizes with a good deal of   
satisfaction4 ,he imagines that he can  
see the things about which he sings4 ,so
 they have imagined seeing the people   
dressed in white1 black1 red and blue2  
so he imagined that he could see two    
tall angels comin' after me1 or big     

tall1 long tall1 band of angels or      
whatever form the song has taken4 ,so   
the negroes have told wonderful stories 
about the whale and the gourd vine2     
about the cutter worm as well as ,jonah4
 ,the old song1 modified and adapted    
with characteristic phraseology and     
expression still appeals to the negro4  
,the ,big fish and ,sherk represents the
 terror of the sea to the negro4 ,one   
old darkey explained this fact by saying
 that it was because the negroes were   
terrified as they were brought over from
 ,africa1 and that they saw the whales  
and fishes in de sea and that de race   
hain't nebber got ober it yet4 ,another 
ascribes the fear and imagination much  
to the biblical story of the whale and  
,jonah4 ,perhaps neither determines to  
any marked degree this feeling4         
,however1 the song ,big fish swallow    
,jonah1 which has made such a hit in its
 paraphrases and in the glee clubs1 and 
variously1 is still current in this     
form3    ,lord1 the big fish1 big fish1 

big fish1 swallow ole ,jonah whole1     
,the big fish1 the big fish1 the big    
fish swallow ole ,jonah2   ,the big     
fish1 big fish1 big fish1 swallow ole   
,jonah whole4      ,ole ,jonah cried1   
,lord save my soul1     ,ole ,jonah1 ole
 ,jonah1 ole ,jonah cried save          
my-save-m-y-y1     ,ole ,jonah cried    
,lord save my soul4  ,in the same manner
 are sung other lines3    ,lord1 the    
gourd vine1 gourd vine1 gourd vine      
growed over ,jonah4   ,well1 the cutter 
worm1 cutter worm1 cutter worm cut that 
vine down4  ,in addition to ,jonah--and 
the last two stanzas are not common in  
the old songs--,peter on the sea1       
,gabriel1 blow your trump1 ,daniel in   
the lion's den1 are sung4 ,those who    
have heard the latest form of this song 
rendered would scarcely imagine that it 
was a very appropriate church song4  ,it
 has been stated that the negro makes a 
song his own by the simple act of       
singing it4 ,if he is free and          
unrestrained at the same time that he is

 thoroughly wrought up1 he adds enough  
to his song or changes its version      
sufficiently to make it almost unique4  
,in the common tunes sung by both white 
and black people1 the negro's rhythm and
 graceful passing from one line to      
another1 together with the insertions of
 shouts and amens renders them distinct4
 ,a number of the favorite old time     
religious songs are thus rendered by the
 negroes4 ,they are the old stand-by    
hymns4 ,the nature of some of them was  
indicated in the first chapter4 ,the    
following songs will serve to illustrate
 the common practice of singing among   
the spiritualists4  ,in ,the old-time   
,religion there are as many versions as 
the singer can make combinations4 ,it is
 ,gi' me dat ole-time religion1 or it is
 ',tis that ole time religion1 or it is 
,was that ole-time1 etc41 or ,will be   
the old time religion4 ,in the same way 
it may be good enough1 ,it's good       
enough4 ,it is1 was1 will be good enough
 for mother1 my mother1 my ole mother1  

father1 brother1 sister1 and all the    
list of biblical names1 chiefest among  
whom are ,paul and ,silas1 ,peter and   
,john4 ,so again1 it is good when dying1
 living1 mourning1 sinking1 praying1    
talking4 ,it is good when in trubble1   
when de worl's on fier1 when the        
lightening flashes1 when the thunder    
rolls1 when the heavens are melting1    
when the stars are falling1 when the    
moon is bleeding1 when the grave yards  
are opening1 and all other times that   
are conceived as being a part and factor
 in destiny4 ,likewise the chorus or the
 lines may be sung with additional ,yes1
 sure1 well1 ,uh1 and various other     
expressions that are the product of the 
moment4  ,one who has heard the song    
,bye and bye we'll go and see them1     
rendered in an effective way must       
recognize its power and beauty4 ,it is  
pre-eminently a song for the emotions1  
and suggests scenes of the past and of  
the future2 it brings back memories that
 have been forgotten and forms emotions 

and conceptions that have not before    
existed4 ,to the negro it is all        
this--in so far as he is able to grasp  
the better emotions--but it is mostly a 
medium through which he can sing his    
rhythmic feeling off4 ,and with the     
additional interpretations and additions
 both in words and in expression1 it is 
scarcely surpassed by any of his        
spirituals4 ,the simplest form is       
exactly the same as that of the regular 
song3 ,bye and bye1 we'll go and see    
them1 ,from this the negroes vary to    
,bye and bye ,i'm a goin' to see him1   
them1 her4 ,to this chorus they nearly  
always add in alternate lines ,well     
it's1 ,well1 ,an' and such expressions1 
thus3    ,bye an' bye ,i'm goin' to see 
them1   ,bye an' bye ,i'm goin' to see  
them1   ,well1 it's bye an' bye ,i'm    
goin' to see them1   ,on de oder shore4 
,these expressions inserted or omitted  
at pleasure1 serve to give an additional
 rhythm to the song that seems otherwise
 to be lacking4 ,the verses of the song1

 like many others1 are practically      
unlimited4 ,each is repeated three or   
six times as the singers prefer1 with   
the refrain ,on the other shore added at
 the end of each stanza4 ,the negroes   
sing not only of a brother1 sister1     
father1 mother1 auntie1 preacher and    
friends1 but they also sing of ,paul and
 ,silas and ,daniel and ,moses2 they are
 at liberty to use any name that comes  
to mind4 ,and they manifest as much     
feeling and emotion about meeting ,moses
 or ,noah or ,abraham as they do about a
 dear old mother4 ,not only will they   
meet these loved ones but there will be 
scenes over yonder4      ,i'm got a     
brother over yonder-on the other shore4 
,i'm goin' to meet my brother over      
yonder4     ,tryin' time will soon be   
over1 on the other shore4   ,well1 it's 
mournin' time will soon be over1 on the 
other shore4         ,cryin' time will  
soon be over4         ,prayin' time will
 soon be over1 etc4         ,shoutin'   
time will soon be over1 etc4  ,if       

necessary they then turn to the sinner  
and sing3 ,sinnin' time1 gamblin' time1 
etc41 will soon be over4 ,the old       
plantation song1 instead of saying1     
,brother ,daniel over yonder1 had it1   
,wonder where is good ole ,daniel8 ,bye 
an' bye we'll go an' meet him1 ',way    
over in de promise lan'4 ,wonder where's
 dem ,hebrew children8 ,wonder where's  
doubtin' ,thomas8 ,wonder where is      
sinkin' ,peter8 ,this form is apparently
 not sung to-day4  ,in the same way the 
negroes have modified the comparatively 
new songs that have been successful     
among the evangelists the country over4 
,one would scarcely recognize even the  
tunes at first hearing1 while the verses
 are usually entirely different4 ,the   
chorus1 as a rule1 remains the same1    
save for the variations already         
mentioned4 ,one or two songs may be     
taken as illustrations4 ,when the ,roll 
is ,called up yonder appealed to the    
negroes for many reasons4 ,most of the  
churches sing it1 and sing it rousing   

well4 ,their chorus is beautiful and the
 parts1 though carried informally1 make 
a splendid effect4 ,but the negro does  
not sing the prescribed stanzas4 ,after 
singing the chorus1 with such additions 
as he feels disposed to make1 and after 
two or three1 perhaps one1 of the       
written verses1 he sings his own song3  
,when the roll is called up yonder1     
,i'll be there4   ,by the grace of ,god 
up yonder1 ,i'll be there4   ,yes1 my   
home is way up yonder1 an' ,i'll be     
there4   ,i got a mother way up yonder1 
,i'll be there4   ,i got a sister way up
 yonder1 ,i'll be there4  ,and without  
limitations he sings this new song into 
his old and favorite themes1 often      
inserting stanzas and words that belong 
to the oldest existing negro spirituals 
in the same verse with the evangelist's 
best efforts4 ,another may illustrate   
further3 ,blessed be the ,name of the   
,lord1 has a great many variations1 some
 of which would never be recognized     
without considerable study and          

investigation4 ,at first the searcher is
 inclined to wonder at the distance the 
singer has got from his original1 but   
the evolutionary steps make the process 
quite clear4 ,the negroes love to sing  
blessing to the ,lord2 much of the basic
 principle of their theology is based   
upon gratitude for the final deliverance
 of bondage from work and suffering4 ,it
 is not surprising1 then1 that this song
 should become a favorite4 ,one of the  
present versions1 most commonly sung is3
    ,if you git there before ,i do1     
,blessed be the name of the ,lord1      
,tell my ,god ,i'm a comin' too1        
,blessed be the name of the ,lord4    ,i
 turn my eyes toward de sky1            
,blessed be the name of the ,lord1   ,i 
ask the ,lord for wings to fly1         
,blessed be the name of the ,lord4  ,and
 encouraged by the happy putting in to  
this new song an old verse1 the singer  
proceeds to put in as many as he wishes2
 then in his desire for rhythm and his  
habit of repetition1 together with the  

cries of amen or ,lord the chorus often 
becomes3 ,my ,lord1 blessed be the name 
of the ,lord4 ,the outcome of such a    
chorus may be seen in the song already  
cited3 ,lor' bless the ,name4  ,in the  
effort to make new songs or to          
appropriate songs themselves1 the       
negroes are thus constantly introducing 
various songs into their worship4 ,the  
most common method1 that of having the  
song printed on a single sheet for      
distribution1 has already been          
mentioned4 ,and as was there suggested1 
these songs are often verses taken at   
random from song books or poems1 and put
 into song form4 ,in most cases such    
songs are varied in such a way that the 
song may both meet the demand for a song
 of its kind and at the same time appear
 original4 ,some1 indeed1 are purely    
original productions1 some of which have
 been cited4 ,just between the          
spirituals and the standard hymns are   
these innovation songs4 ,they show well 
the circumstances which they represent4 

,the effort is often made by members of 
the younger generation of negroes to    
substitute the new songs1 together with 
the standard hymns for the old          
spirituals4 ,they represent a step      
forward2 young educated negroes do not  
like to be heard singing the simple     
spirituals4 ,they claim that they are   
songs of the past1 and1 as such only1   
are they beautiful4 ,the following song1
 given in the exact form in which it was
 distributed1 will serve to illustrate4 
,,blessed ,,hope4   ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,e4   
,bailey4    ,blessed hope that in ,jesus
 is given1     ,all our sorrow to cheer 
and sustain1   ,that soon in the        
mansions of heaven     ,we shall meet   
with our loved ones again4    ,blessed  
hope1 blessed hope1     ,we shall meet  
with our loved ones again1   ,blessed   
hope1 blessed hope1     ,we shall meet  
with our loved ones again4    ,blessed  
hope in the word ,god has spoken1       
,all our peace by that word we obtain1  
,and as sure as ,god's word was never   

broken1     ,we shall meet with our     
loved ones again4    ,blessed hope how  
it shines in our sorrows1     ,like the 
star over ,bethlehem's plain1   ,we will
 see our ,lord ere the morrow1     ,we  
shall meet with our loved ones again4   
,blessed hope the bright star of the    
morning1     ,that shall herald his     
coming to reign1   ,he will come and    
reward all the faithful1     ,we shall  
meet with our loved ones again4         
7,sung by ,rev4 ,j4 ,t4 ,johnson47      
,such a song is neither sung to an old  
melody nor a new tune2 it is not a      
spiritual2 it is scarcely native nor yet
 borrowed4 ,it represents the general   
result that comes from a free           
intermingling of all4 ,to such a song   
there may be any number of tunes2       
likewise there are a great many such    
songs introduced and may be sung alike  
to simple tunes4 ,a tune is as easily   
selected and rendered as are the words2 
words are as easily improvised1 or      
written with some care1 as the melodies 

are natural4 ,but they appeal less      
strongly to the negroes as a rule for   
the simple reason that they don't put a 
feelin' in you like the old songs4      
,thus the negro's religion is dependent 
upon feeling2 song facilitates and      
intensifies the feelings1 and song is   
the essential joy of much of the negro's
 life4 ,whenever and wherever occasion  
demands religious manifestation1 the    
song is the prerequisite4 ,not only at  
the church1 but at lodge celebrations1  
funerals and memorial services1 the song
 begins the process of putting a feelin'
 in the congregation4 ,again1 the stress
 of the negro's religion is placed upon 
the supernatural and the life that lies 
beyond his present sphere4 ,a religious 
attitude is scarcely conceived by the   
negro without the fundamental conception
 of the next world4 ,thus is life       
contrasted with heaven and hell2 the    
sinner and the righteous are but        
temporary2 so will the souls of all one 
day sing with ,jehovah the songs that   

the angels love2 and there will be      
feeling there1 too4 ,it is thus that the
 central themes of the negro's religious
 songs reveal both his religious nature 
and his mental attitude1 together with  
the emotional characteristics that      
predominate4 ,and it is easily seen that
 the negro's imagery and imagination are
 scarcely surpassed4 ,his religious     
fervor depends upon the reality of such 
imagery2 the folk-song reflects this    
imagery as nothing else does4 ,again1   
the negro's sense of sin is ever present
 in a feeling of guilt in the struggle  
between himself and the real or the     
imaginary2 consequently he insures      
himself against a final sense of guilt  
by strong declarations of his           
righteousness as opposed to the sinner's
 state4 ,his sense of sin thus becomes  
less practical2 it is rather an         
imaginative expression of a religious   
feeling4 ,as the clearest exponent of   
the negro's real self1 the folk song    
reveals the heart of his psychic nature2

 it is indeed a witness to the fact that
 ',ligion's so sweet4 ,does he not sing 
well and truthfully8    ,i jus' got home
 f'um ,jordan1   ,i jus' got home f'um  
,jordan1   ,i jus' got home f'um        
,jordan1     ',ligion's so-o-o sweet4   
,my work is done an' ,i mus' go1   ,my  
work is done an' ,i mus' go1   ,my work 
is done an' ,i mus' go1     ',ligion's  
so-o-o sweet4     ,,footnotes3  #a ,this
 paper presents in substance the        
contents of ,chapters ,i and ,,ii of a  
study on ,negro ,folk-,song and         
,character1 with other chapters as      
follows3 ,chapter ,,iii1 ,the ,negro's  
,social and ,secular ,songs2 ,chapter   
,,iv1 ,types of ,social ,songs among the
 ,negroes2 ,chapter ,v1 ,work ,songs and
 ,phrases2 ,chapter ,,vi1 ,the ,negro's 
,mental ,imagery2 ,chapter ,,vii1 ,negro
 ,character as ,revealed in ,folk-,songs
 and ,poetry4  #b ,see ,atlantic        
,monthly1 ,vol4 ,,xix1 pp4 #fhe seq41   
,scribners1 ,vol4 ,,xx1 pp4 #dbe seq41  
,lippincott's1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 #fag seq4  #c

 ,for verses not found in the           
present-day negro spirituals1 see ,slave
 ,songs in the ,united ,states1 ,w4 ,f4 
,allen1 ,new ,york1 #ahfg1 ,the ,jubilee
 ,singers1 ,new ,york1 #ahgc1           
,plantation and ,cabin ,songs1 ,new     
,york1 #ahib4