Chapter II: Part 2

Enough has been said to give a definite idea concerning the actual and possible origin of some of the negro folk-songs. Further examples will be given when the discussion of the negro's secular song has been reached. The psychology of negro music and song is not difficult to explain in the light of the facts already suggested. His plaintive appeals in prayer, his emotional and religious nature, his primitive expression, his love of rhythm and melody, his feelings and misguided imagination, his interpretation of life and Scripture, his faith in dreams and visions quickly exaggerated into fabrications, his whole nature but reveals within him what we call the musical nature of the race. With the negro, motion and song instinctively go together. Systematic movement is more conducive to singing than a careless, haphazard motion. Movement and song give rhythm that is not to be found under other circumstances. Regularity and rhythm in movement, emphasis and rhythm in music, these give the negro songs essential pleasure-giving qualities that appeal strongly to the negro's entire being. If his music is primitive and if it has much of the sensuous in it; if his songs and verse are full of primitive art having many qualities of possible worth, nevertheless they are not thereby rendered less distinct.

In no way can a better insight into the negro's religion be obtained than by a careful study of his songs. An analysis of those songs that have been preserved will give us at once a better conception of his folk-songs and his religion. 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 day. Only the chief conceptions which have been portrayed in negro song are here given; further analysis may be made in connection with the songs themselves. The devil is prominent in the religious songs of the negroes. He is the constant terror and proverbial enemy of the race. He is alive, alert, and concrete. He represents the demon trickster incarnate in the form of a man. He is the opposite of God but always less powerful. He is the enemy against whom the battle is always on; it is a personal battle, but he is usually outwitted or disappointed. Here are some pictures of "Old Satan" as found in the songs of the slave and the negro of to-day:[3]

Ef you want to see ole satan run,
Jes' fire off dat gospel gun.

Ole satan is a liar an' conjurer, too,
An' if you don't mind he'll conjure you.

Other forms are

An' if you don't mind he'll cut you in two,
An' if you don't mind he'll cut you through.

Ole satan lak a snake in the grass,
Always in some Christian's path,

or

If you don't mind he'll git you at las'.

Ole satan weahs a mighty loose ole shoe,
If you don't min' gwine a slip it on you.

Ole satan like dat hunting dog,
He hunt dem Christians home to God.

O shout, shout, de debbil is about,
O shut yo' do' an' keep him out.

All de debbils in hell can't pluck me out,
An' I wonder what satan's a grumblin' erbout,
He's boun' in hell an' can't get out,
But he shall be loose an' hab his way,
Yonder at de great reserection day.

I went down de hillside to make a one prayer,
An' when I get dere ole satan wus dere,
O what you think he said to me?
Said, "Off frum here you better be."

Old satan tole me to my face,
"I'll git you when a you leave this place;"
O brother dat scere me to my heart,
I was 'feared to walk a when it wus dark.

I started home but I did pray,
An' I met ole satan on de way;
Ole satan made a one grab at me,
But he missed my soul an' I went free.

I tell you brother you better not laugh,
Ole satan'll run you down his path,
If he runs you lak he run me,
You'll be glad to fall upon yo' knee.

We shout so fas' de debbil look,
An' he gits away wid his cluven foot.

Ole satan is mad an' I am glad,
He missed the soul he thought he had.

What make ole satan hate me so?
'Cause he got me once an' let me go.

Ole satan tole me not to pray;
He want my soul at jedgement day.

I wrestle wid satan and wrestle wid sin,
Stepped over hell an' come back agin.

Ole satan tremble when he sees,
The weakest saint upon his knees.

Go 'way satan I doan min' you;
You wonder, too, you can't come through?

Oh brother, breth'ren, you better be engaged,
For de debbil he's out on a big rampage.

I plucked one block out o' satan's wall,
I heard him stumble an' saw him fall.

Ole satan thought he had me fas',
Broke his chain an I'm free at las'.

I met ole satan in my way;
He say, young man, you too young to pray.

The devil tries to throw down everything that's good,
He'd fix a way to confuse the righteous if he could,
Thanks be to God-er-mighty he can't be beguiled,
Ole satan will be done fighting after awhile.

The negroes have many other phrases which they apply to satan and picture him in other relations. "Ole satan is a mighty busy ole man, an' throw rocks in my way." "What makes ole satan follow me so? Satan ain't got nothin' fer to do with me." As a _busy man_ he also has his "shield and sword", not only _gives_ trouble but _gets_ into trouble. Says the negro: "I heard de debbil howlin' when I come out'n de wilderness an' I gib de debbil battle." "Now stan' back, satan, an' let me go by ... why doan de debbil let a me be?" "Ole satan mighty busy, he follow me night an' day. Ole satan toss ball at me, he think the ball hit my soul, the ball for hell an' me for heaven." "Ole satan gettin' in mighty rage", for "satan's camp's afier." "Satan mount de iron gray hoss an' ride half way to pilot bar." But "We'll shout ole satan's kingdom down, gwine a pull down satan's kingdom, gwine a win ag'in de debbil." Victory is the negro's for he exclaims: "I saw dem bindin' satan", and "I saw ole satan's kingdom fallin'." But while satan is a great schemer and is very busy and "wash his face in ashes", "put on leather apron", his greatest attribute is the liar. The negro cannot give too insistent warning:

When I got dere Cap'n satan wus dere.
Sayin' "Young man, dere's no use to pray,
For Jesus is daid an' God gone away."
An' I made 'im out a liar an' went on my way.

With these pictures and warnings the negro song gives a final bit of advice. "If you ain't got de grace ob God in yo' heart, den de debbil will git you sho'", then the singer rests securely in the knowledge that _he_ is filled with the grace that holds against the devil.

"King Jesus" was the original name most commonly given to Christ in the spirituals. Besides this He was the bosom friend of the negro. He comes in to intercept satan and to save the individual from hell. He is very real and no one is more vividly described than He. He bears many relations to his people.

Now my Jesus bein' so good an' kind,
My Jesus lowered his mercy down,
An' snatch me from de doors of hell,
An' took me in with him to dwell.

Oh, Jesus tole you once befo'
To go in peace and sin no mo'.

I heard o' my Jesus many one say,
Could move po' sinner's sins away.

Den Jesus he come ridin' by,
Gib me wings to ride an' fly.

Jesus Christ the first and las',
_No man wuks lak him_;
He built a platform in de air,
He meets de saints from eve'where.

Virgin Mary had one son,
The cruel Jews had him hung.

Me an' my Jesus goin' live at ease,
Me an' my Jesus goin' do as we please.

If you want er die like Jesus died,
Fold yo' arms an' clasp yo' eyes.

I tell you breth'ren an' I tell you twist,
My soul done anchored in Jesus Christ.

Up on de hillside King Jesus spoke,
Out of his mouth come fire an' smoke.

Yer say yo' Jesus set you free;
Why don't you let yo' neighbors be?

Other shorter lines give equally concrete pictures and mention equally definite attributes.

You'll see my Jesus come to wake up de nations underground.
King Jesus died for every man.
An' de son He set me free.
I got my Jesus as well as you.
If you want to see Jesus go in de wilderness.
Gwine serve my Jesus till I die.
I call my Jesus king Emanuel.
He pluck my feet out'n de miry clay.
He sot dem on de firm rock of age.
Christ hab bought yo' liberty.
King Jesus' settin' in de kingdom.
De win' blow eas' an' de win' blow wes' from Jesus.
Oh yonder comes my Jesus, I know him by his shinin'.
Hear my Jesus when he call you? Hear my Jesus callin'?
I'm goin' to hebben where my Jesus dwell.
O I walk and talk with Jesus.
Jesus loosen de man frum under de groun'.
Jesus ain't comin' here to die no mo'.
The son of man he dunno where to lay his weary head.

See what wonder Jesus done:
Jesus make dumb to speak.
Jesus make de cripple walk.
Jesus gib de blin' deir sight.
Jesus do mos' anything.
I want to do (or die) like Jesus.
Jesus stan' on de udder side Jordan.
Jesus settin' on de water side.
Jesus is our captain, Jesus got de hellum.
Jesus mount (ride) a milk-white hoss.
You had better follow Jesus.
Daddy Peter set out for Jesus.
Jesus will bring you milk an' honey.
Mas' Jesus is my bosom friend.
Gwine follow King Jesus, I really do believe.
King Jesus he was so strong, my Lord, till he jar down de walls ob hell.
Gwine to write to my Jesus.
King Jesus settin' in de heaven.
King Jesus on de mountain top.
O Jesus is a mighty man. Ride in kind Jesus, who set po' sinner free.
For Jesus came an' lock de do'.
De Jews kill po' Jesus.
Jesus call you--Jesus waitin'.
I wus los' in de wilderness; Jesus hand me de candle down.
Mas' Jesus gib me little broom fer to sweep my heart clean.
Jesus fed me when I was hungry, he clothed me when I was naked, he gave
me drink when I was dry.
Jesus rose an' flew away on Sunday morning.
Christ was there four thousand years ago, drinking of the wine.
Jesus he wore the starry crown. Did you see Jesus when he wore the
starry crown?
Jesus he wore long white robe.
King Jesus speaks an' de chariot stops.
King Jesus is the Rock.
Well did you say you love Jesus?
Jesus done bless my soul an' gone to glory.
Won't you ride on Jesus? O yes.
I look fer Jesus all o' my days.
Jesus is a listening all the day long.

The scenes of the crucifixion seem to impress the negroes very forcibly and their songs abound in references to His suffering. Some of these expressions are full of feeling, and are touching in their sentiment.

They nail my Jesus down
They put him on the crown of thorn (thorny crown).
O see my Jesus hangin' high!
He look so pale an' bleed so free:
O don't you think it was a shame,
He hung three hours in dreadful pain?

Next to Jesus and often synonymous with Him is God. He is "My Lord", "My God", "Lord God-er-mighty", and "king Jehobah", and represents the personal God and the ruler of the world.

Upon de mountain Jehobah spoke,
Out o' his mouth come fire an' smoke.

My God a walkin' down hebbenly road,
Out o' his mouth come two edged sword.

If yo' find yo' way to God,
The gospel highway mus' be trod.

De father he look upon de Son an' smile,
De Son he look on me,
De Father redeem my soul from hell,
De Son he set me free.

I'm a chile of God wid my soul set free.
For Christ hab bought my liberty.

I'm goin' home fer to see my Lord.
My Lord did give me ease.
Ever since my Lord set me free.
I believe it for God he tole me so.
O my Lord's comin' ag'in,
It may be las' time. I don't know.
I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord; I goin' to mourn, pray, weep all I
can fer my Lord.
The Lord is a listenin' all the day long.
My Lord is a talkin (preachin') at de jedgement day.
De Lord goin' to wake up the dead.
My Lord come down wid de key an' unlock de jail house do'.
O, my Lord's a doctor in a weary lan';
My Lord's a preachin' and teachin', and walkin' in a weary lan'.
My Lord calls me by the thunder; by the lightning.
Dat mus' be my Lord in the cloud.

My Lord says there's room enough.
I'm goin' to tell God 'bout my trials.
Thank God-a-mighty, My God's been here.
When I talk I talk wid God.

Gwine to chatter wid de Fadder.
My Fadder call an' I mus' go.
My righteous Lord shall fin' you out.
Look to de Lord wid a tender heart.
O de Lord He plant de garden dere and raise de fruit for you to eat.
O de Lord He comfort sinner.
God did go to Moses house an' tell him who He wus.
God an' Moses walked and talked an' God did sho' him who He wus.

God sits in Heaven an' answers prayer.
I gwine tell God how you sarved me.
Look in my God's right hand.
His chariot wheels roll round.
God's goin' call dem chilluns frum de distant lan'.
My Lord's a-ridin' all the time.
De Lord has been here an' de love come tricklin' down.
Me an' my God goin' to walk an' talk.
O God don't talk lak a nat'ral man.
My Lord God-ermighty come a steppin' down, come a steppin' down on a sea
ob glass.

_Heaven_ for the negro is an eternal resting place where he shall occupy the best place. It is a place of glory and splendor in the material sense. Nor does he think that he will fail to miss his home when he dies. _Hell_ is a place for _thieves_ and _sinners_ and _liars_, but such persons are far removed from him. His religion is the panacea for all evils and all sins, and when he has the "love of God in his heart" nothing can doom him, for has he not been "washed in the blood of the lamb?" and had not the "blood done sign his name"? His ideas of heaven are those which his mind naturally conceives of as applying to a home; his conclusions from the Scriptures are not unusual. A few of the references to heaven will give a better conception of the negro's reality and vividness of interpretation.

I want to go to heaven when I die,
To shout salvation as I fly.

You say yer aiming fer de skies,
Why don't yer quit yer tellin' lies.

I hope I git dere bye an' bye,
To jine de number in de sky.

When I git to heaven gwine to ease, ease,
Me an' my God goin' do as we please,
Settin' down side o' de holy Lamb.

When I git to heaven goin set right down,
Gwin-er ask my Lord fer starry crown.

Now wait till I gits my gospel shoes,
Gwin-er walk 'bout heaven an' carry de news.

We'll walk up an' down dem golden streets,
We'll walk about Zion.

Gwine sit in de kingdom, I raly do believe, where sabbaths have no end.
Look way in de heaven--hope I'll jine de band--Sittin' in de kingdom.
I done bin to heaven an' I done bin' tried.
Dere's a long white robe in de heaven for me,
Dere's a golden crown, golden harp, starry crown, silver slippers in
heaven for me I know.
O yes I'm gwine up to see my Lord; gwine all de way up to see my robe; O
de heaven is shinin', shinin'.
Gwine shout in hebben, gwine hab a big meetin'.
If you want to go to heaven come along wid me.
Take my flight up to de skies in de mornin'.
O de heaven gates are open.
Gwine up to heaven where my Jesus dwells.
My Jesus walkin' de hebbenly road.
De bell is ringin' in odder bright worl'.
If you touch one strin' de whole hebben ring.
De sun gib light in de hebben all round.
I wish I wus in de kingdom settin' side o' my Lord.
No more hard trial in de kingdom; no more tribulation, no more parting,
no more quarreling, backbiting in de kingdom,
No more sunshine fer to bu'n you; no more rain fer to wet you.
Ev'y day will be Sunday in heaven.
Sweet music in heaven jes beginning to roll.
Goin feast off'n milk an' honey.

The negro does not dwell upon thoughts of hell as he does of heaven. Even if he has "stepped over hell an' come back 'gain," he does not reveal so much of its character. Some conceptions, however, are definite enough.

O hell is deep an' hell is wide,
O hell ain't got no bottom or side.

I'd rather pray myself away,
Than live in hell an' burn one day.

O when I git to hebben, I'll be able to tell,
How I shunned dat dismal hell.

Ev'y since my Lord done set me free,
Dis ole worl' bin a hell to me.

When I come to find out I's on de road to hell, I fleed to Jesus.

The negro song finds little satisfaction in his various ideas of hell. "This ole world's a hell to me," says the negro; but "hell is a dark and dismal place," 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 Jordan.

A rich variety of references to scriptural characters is seen in the majority of the negro spirituals, both of the past and of the present. The negro portrays the conduct of heroes in the past with imaginative skill. Their songs are often running-stories of scripture, in which the effort is made to include as many characters as possible and at the same time draw conclusions which have suitable morals, but these songs may be better studied in the examples that follow. Some of the typical references to the Scriptures will show the average interpretation given them by the negroes.

O, sisters, can't you help me sing,
For Moses' sister did help him.

Where wus Ezekiel when de church fell down?
Down in de valley wid his head hung down.

Ezekiel said he spied de train a comin',
He got on board an' she never stop runnin'.

God made Adam an' Adam wus first,
God made Adam out o' the dust o' the earth.

Well God show Noah de rainbow sign,
No more water but fire nex' time.

Mose live till he got old,
Buried in de mountain so I'm told.

Mary wept and Martha mourned,
Jesus Christ laid de corner stone.

Mary wore the golden chain,
Every link was in Jesus' name.

Judas was a deceitful man--
Well he betrayed the innercent lam'.

John wrote a letter an' he wrote it in haste,
If yer want to go to heaven, you better make haste.

John declar he saw a man,
Wid seben lamps in his right han'.

The negroes wonder "wher's sister Mary, Martha, Brudder Moses, brudder Daniel (and the others) gone." So, too, "Sister Hannah, Hagar, brudder Moses" and the rest "took dey seat." And again, "Wondah whar good ole Daniel, doubtin' Thomas, sinkin' Peter" and others. Moses "smote de water" and the negro says:

I want to go where Moses trod,
For Moses gone to de house o' God.

Peter is commanded again and again to "go ring dem bells"; "Daddy Peter go to Jesus", "Fisherman Peter out at sea", the latter perhaps being the origin of "sinkin' Peter." Elijah is one of the favorites of the Old Testament. "Elijah gwine ride in de chariot in de mornin'", and Isaiah who "mounted on de wheel o' time" is a kindred character to Ezekiel and Elijah. Jacob's ladder and struggle is vivid enough to be sung. "I'm gwine climb up Jacob's ladder"; "Rastlin' Jacob, let me go." "Jacob tremblin' on a limb." Noah's victory is the common theme. "Dey call Brudder Noah a foolish man", but that makes no difference for "de Lord tole Noah fer to build him ark", and "de ole ark a moverin." The negro remarks characteristically: "God placed Adam in de garden, 'was 'bout de cool o' day." Gabriel is proverbial and the attitude of the singer is always ready "fer to hear Gabriel blow his horn." "Don't you hear Gabriel's trumpet in de mornin'"? "Little David play on de harp" has been a shining example for many another "David" who loved to blow on his harp. "Father Abraham sittin' down side o' de holy Lamb", is almost synonymous with Christ. Prominent among the clear impressions made by the Scriptures is that of the delivery of Daniel, the Hebrew children and Jonah. However, one must read the songs in order to get the full significance of the references.

Although the negro bases everything in his religion upon the Bible, and his songs and sermons and exhortations abound in quotations from the "Holy word", he has comparatively little to say of the Bible itself as a book. He thinks sometimes that it is a "cumpass" and also bases his convictions on the truth of the Bible. He asks "How do you know? For my Bible hit tell me so."

For in dat Bible you will see.
Jesus died fer you an' me.
Matthew, Mark, Luke an' John
Tell me where my Master's gone.

Go read de fifth of Matthew
An' read de chapter through,
It is de guide to Christians
An' tell 'em what to do.

Now take yo' Bible an' read it through,
An' ev'y word you fin' is true.

As the Bible is the _compass_, so sometimes the Holy Ghost is thought of as the _pilot_. The Holy Ghost is too vague for the negroes to fathom and is not tangible enough for their imaginations. But he says: "If this ain't de holy Ghost I don't know", but goes little further.

Just as the negro expects to talk and walk with God and Jesus, so he looks forward to seeing the angels in Heaven. He wants to see them with their white robes and hear them sing; he even says they mourn. "Bright angels hoverin' on de water by de light", are but a part of the angel band which he hopes to join. "Join de hebben wid de angels" is his watchword and by it he sees in his child-like fancy all the beauties of ideal creatures.

I'm gwine to keep a climbin' high,
Till I meet dem angels in de sky.

Dem pooty angels I shall see--
Why doan de debbil let a me be?

O when I git to heaven goin' sit an' tell,
Three archangels gwine er ring dem bells.

Two white angels come a walkin' down,
Long white robes an' starry crown.

What's dat yonder dat I see?
Big tall angel comin' after me.

The negro makes a terrible picture of the day of judgment. For him it means everything that could possibly happen at the end of the world. It is the destruction of the sinner and the glory of the righteous. Nor does he hesitate to affirm that the Christian in heaven will shout amen to the sinner's damnation. The sinner will see his mother and friends in heaven while he is doomed to hell. It serves as a warning theme for the song more than it indicates reality of thought. But here is a part of his picture:

My Lord what a morning when de stars begin to fall,
You'll see de worl' on fire,
You'll see de moon a bleedin' an'
De moon will turn to blood,
Den you'll see de elements a meltin',
You'll see de stars a fallin',
O yes, de stars in de elements a fallin',
An' de moon drips way in blood,
When God goin' call dem childuns from de distant lan',
Den you see de coffins bustin',
Den you see de bones a creepin',
Den you see po' sinner risin',
Den you hear de tombstones crackin',
An' you see de graves a bustin',
Hell an' seas gwine give up their daid,
Den you see de forked lightenin',
Den you hear de rollin' thunder,
Earth shall reel an' totter,
Hell shall be uncapped,
De dragon be loosed,
Don't you hear them sinners cryin'?

Such a scene vividly told of at a revival and sung to the associations of the moment is too much for the average negro; the sinner cries for mercy and turns to a Christian; the latter sings: "Fare you well po' sinner" and

A mighty sea of glass mingled wid fier,
Good-bye, brother, I'm goin' higher.

Along with the scenes which are associated with the resurrection and judgment go the sadder strains of the "mourners"; "weepin' mournin', cry'n'"--these will be much in evidence. A study of the songs that follow will give some idea of the emotional nature of the themes and music. The negroes sing sympathy. "Weepin' Mary, weep no mo'"--"Mary wept, Martha cried", why can't they too? "Now ain't dis hard trial and tribulation?" He sings often in his songs of hard times and trials. "When you see me," he says, "pity me." "Nobody knows de trubble I seen" but "I boun' to leave dis worl'; Fare you well, dere's a better day comin'." His prayers are more pathetic than his songs; his appeals interpret the spirit of song and of worship. But one would scarcely look for a more pathetic wail than that of the negro who sings

Sometimes I hangs my head an' cries,
But Jesus goin' to wipe my weep'n' eyes.

If the negro loves to mourn and if his songs are full of sadness and pathos, he also loves to shout and vigorously defends the right to shout as much as he pleases. His songs have many "Hallelujahs" in them; many notes of victory may be read in the songs of his choice. They often sing, however, the songs which should be the most joyous in the same sad and plaintive tone of the sadder ones. They forget the words. In many, however, 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 hardships. The negro maintains that always and everywhere, "You'll hear the Christian shout." "De richest man I ever seed, his heart was fill wid Jesus an' Holy Ghost." "I got de glory in my soul" he says and

I real'y do b'lieve widout a doubt,
Dat de church hab a mighty right to shout.

I tell you what I lak de bes',
It is dem shoutin' Mefodes'.

If the negro's mother and sister and father and preacher and the others, as the songs put it, "died a shoutin'," why he is "goin' die shoutin' too."

Gwine hab happy meetin',
Gwine shout in hebben,
Gwine shout an' nebber tire,
O slap yo' han's chilluns,
O pat yo' feets chilluns,
I feels de spirit movin'
O now I'm gittin' happy.

Of true love and devotion to God one finds little definite and concrete expressions as compared with other themes. The negro is constantly affirming his love for "his Jesus" and offering his eternal allegiance in a general way. 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 song. What does he mean when he asks: "Does yo' love continue true?" or when he insists: "I wants to know, does you love yo' Jesus?" The negroes are often heard to say that they want to do something "for the Lord". In the same way they sing "I goin' to weep all I can for my Lord, I goin' pray all I can for my Lord, I goin' do all I can for my Lord." In each case the relation of the negro and his God are ideal and he conceives of his own deeds as being, not the practical every-day life, but as coming in the future when there will be nothing unpleasant about them. It was doubted if the negro's ideas of God and Heaven and his relation to them were truly expressed in his songs. A series of experiments were made with negro children, wherein questions were answered by them at the time they were given, others being carried to their homes or teachers. Their ideas of hell and heaven, God and the angels are almost identical. Perhaps some of them were gained from the songs; some of them were certainly not; all seemed to agree with each other and with those of the race in a remarkable way.

Nature contributes something to the negro spirituals. Certain parts of nature are symbolic and serve to convey the picture of a vivid imagination as nothing else can do. The wonders of God and the terrors of the judgment must be seen in their relation and effect upon the forces of nature. Certain natural phenomena inspire awe and reverence; they add thus to the conception of his religious fear. Other references to nature convey, as they only could, pleasing features of life, hence of heaven and God. The negro refers to the "break o' day", the "settin' o' the sun", the "cool o' de evenin'" and each is very expressive. Morning and evening are common; he prays in the evening perhaps; in the morning he is going to heaven. The hillside, the mountain and mountain top, the valley, signify and typify the experiences of the Christian of the past and present; the heavenly breeze comes from the valley. The negro sees a paradise and a wilderness, a sunshine and a storm. But

Dere's a tree in paradise,
Christians call de tree ob life,

and he faithfully believes "I specs to eat de fruit off'n dat tree". The earth trembles and is jarred; the sky is "shook." The river is "chilly an' cold, wide an' deep." The "rock" is better than the miry clay and "nebber mind de sun--see how she run." The stars, moon, and world fall, bleed, and burn. The thunder and the lightning are in the stormy cloud; Jesus may be, too. Satan is a snake in the grass and a hunting dog. Young lambs and "de sheep done know de road." The summer, spring, flowers and the field are mentioned. The negro wishes he had wings like Noah's dove. He is sometimes awed:

I looked toward dat northern pole,
I seed black clouds of fire roll.

With his vivid imagination the negro feels much of the thought expressed in the folk-song. Thus sin and the sinner are intimately connected with life and death, religion and repentance. How skillfully the songs express the folk-feeling may better be inferred in the further analysis of the following

_Types of Negro Spirituals._

An exact classification of negro songs, either as to subject-matter or as to form, is scarcely possible. There is little unity of thought in their content; their metres conform to no consistent standards. A single favorite stanza, regardless of its meaning, is constantly being sung in a dozen different songs. It is a distinct folk-song; and it matters little to which one it belongs; it serves its purpose in any one of them. So in the form of the verse, a single tune is adapted to lines that differ widely in length; likewise a single line is not infrequently made to fit into any tune that is desired. Again, no final version of any song can be given. The lines are rarely sung in exactly the same form. 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 word. The stanzas have no order of sequence, but are sung as they occur in the mind of the singer; a song does not have a standard number of stanzas, but the length depends upon the time in which it is wanted to sing that particular song. In the songs that follow the most common versions are given. In giving the dialect no attempt is made at consistency; for the negro of the present generation has no consistency of speech. He uses "the" and "de", "them" and "dem", "gwine" and "goin'", "and" and "an'", together with many other varied forms, which will be noted in a later chapter; nor does it matter that each of the forms is used in the same line or stanza. In the old songs that are here quoted for comparisons, the exact form of speech in which they have been published is used. In the miscellaneous songs gathered here and there, what may be called the average dialect is used. The songs that form the basis of this work are those that are found among the present-day negroes of the South; 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 noted. In all instances the _basis_ of the chapter is the _present-day song_, and these should not be confused with those that have already been published. The words of the chorus and refrain are italicized. Further particulars will be pointed out in connection with the several songs.

Perhaps no better beginning can be made towards general classification of the religious songs of the negroes than by introducing some that combine several characteristics, but still have a general theme predominating. Sin is an important factor in the religious life of the negro and his songs refer to it in many forms. The three general tones which pervade the theme are: A note of victory over sin and the conception of it as being in the past or belonging to some other person; the conception of sin as being present and the singer as being in its grasp; and thirdly, the "sinner-man" himself and warnings given him. The very popular song, "All my Sins Done Taken Away" is typical of the first class mentioned above. There is no reason why the stanzas given below should come in the order presented, except that they are heard in this arrangement as much as in any other. The stanzas consist of two rhymed lines with the refrain. These, however, are usually extended to four, the first two and refrain being sung slowly and in a more or less plaintive tone, while the repetition of the same lines with the rhymed line and refrain are rapid and joyous. The common version follows.

I'm goin' to heaven an' I don't want ter stop,
Yes, I'm goin' to heaven an' I don't want ter stop,
_All o' my sins done taken away, taken away_;
I'm goin' to heaven an' I don't want ter stop,
An' I don't want ter be no stumblin' block,
_All my sins done taken away, taken away_.

Instead of repeating the chorus line at the end of the first two lines that are sung, the negroes often vary the song by repeating the last half of the line, as in the following stanza:

Well "M" for Mary, an' "P" for Paul,
Well "M" for Mary, an' "P" for Paul,
An' "P" for Paul;
Well "M" for Mary an' "P" for Paul.
"C" for Chris' who died for us all,
_All o' my sins done taken away, taken away_.

The chorus is again varied from "all my sins" to "all o' my sins" or "all of my sins," "done taken away," or "bin taken away," while the entire line is sometimes changed in a single stanza. Sometimes it is sung as given above; at other times the line goes: "All my sins done taken away, bin' taken away," or omitting either "done" or "bin" it is sung equally well as "All my sins taken away, taken away," while in the grand chorus at the climax of song the chorus goes:

_Yes all o' my sins bin taken away,
Yes all my sins done taken away,_

_Yes all o' my sins done taken away,
Yes all my sins done taken away,
Glory, glory to His name-e,
All my sins done taken away, taken away._

This last chorus may be repeated whenever the singers do not think of words to fit in with the songs, although this is rarely necessary. The following stanzas are sung in the same manner as those just given.

If I had er died when I wus young,
I never would a had dis rist to run,
_All o' my sins done taken away, taken away_.

Well you oughter bin dere to see de sight,
The peoples come runnin' both cullud an' white.

My feet got wet in de midnight dew,
An' de mornin' star was a witness, too.

If you doan b'leave I bin redeem,
Jes follow me down to Jordan stream.

When a sinner see me it make him laugh,
Thank God-a-mighty, I'm free at las'.

Mary wept an' Martha mourned,
Mary wept all 'round the throne.

Mary wept an' Martha mourned,
All because deir brother done daid an' gone.

Mary wept an' Martha cried,
All 'cause dey brother done gone an' died.

I'm goin' to ride on de mornin' train,
All don't see me goin' ter hear me sing.

I'm gwine to heaven on eagle's wing,
All don't see me goin' ter hear me sing.

My mother's sick an' my father's daid,
Got nowhere to lay my weary head.

I went down in de valley to pray,
My soul got happy an' I stayed all day.

A number of other versions are common. Instead of "Mary wept all 'round the throne" is sung "all 'round God's hebbenly throne." Instead of the morning star as a witness the old songs have it "angels witness too." Instead of in the valley, the old songs also had "on de mountain" and also inserted "I didn't go dere to stay." This version is sung in some of the songs still. "The Sabbath has no End" is the name of a favorite somewhat similar to "All my sins done taken away." It has a number of forms for the chorus.

I went down in de valley,
I didn't go ter stay,
My little soul got happy
An' I like to a stayed all day.

_I thought I had religion, I b'lieve
I thought I had religion, I b'lieve.
I thought I had religion, I b'lieve,
Dat Sabbath hath no end._

I wouldn't be a sinner,
Tell you de reason why--
Feard de good Lord might call me,
An I wouldn't be ready ter die.

_Gwine rock trubbel over, I b'lieve,
Rock trubbel over, I b'lieve,
Rock trubbel over, I b'lieve,
Dat Sabbath has no end._

Ole Satan's mighty busy,
Fixin' up his snares,
He'll ketch all dem mourners,
If dey don't keep deir prayers.

_Yer better get ready, I b'lieve
Yer better get ready, I b'lieve,
Yer better get ready, I b'lieve,
Dat Sabbath has no end._

The singer is a little more definite in his convictions in "I am de light uv de Worl'". He is no longer a sinner and looks forward to the time when he will "cross de ribber."

_Hallaluyer, good Lord,
I am de light uv de worl',
Halleluyer, good Lord,
I am de light uv de worl'._

Ever since my Lord done sot me free,
Dis ole worl' bin a hell to me,
_I am de light uv de worl'_.

I looked toward dat Northern pole,
I seed black clouds of fier roll,
_I am de light uv de worl'_.

_I gwine 'clare de word,
I am de light uv de worl',
I'm gwine 'clar de word,
I am de light uv de worl'._

Der ain't but one train on dis track,
Goes straight to heaven an' run right back.
_I am de light uv de worl'._

_Ever since I bin in de worl',
I am de light uv de worl',
Ever since I been in de worl',
I am de light uv de worl'._

When I cross Jordan I'll be free,
Gwine a slip an' slide dem golden streets,
_I am de light uv de worl'_.

_'Way up in de kingdom, Lord,
I am de light uv de worl',
'Way up in de kingdom, Lord,
I am de light uv de worl'._

The negro is not troubled because he cannot see his Lord; he has heard Him speak and believes that He has gone "on to glory." His personal relation with Jesus is satisfactory and he sings His praises often as he tells of his own experiences. Says he:

One day, one day, while walkin' along,
_Jesus done bless my soul_;
I heard a voice an' saw no one,
_Jesus done bless my soul_.

O go an' tell it on de mountain,
_Jesus done bless my soul_;
O go an' tell it in de valley,
_Jesus done bless my soul_.

He done bless my soul an' gone on to glory, Good Lord,
_Jesus done bless my soul_;
Done bin here an' bless my soul an' gone on to glory.
_Jesus done bless my soul._

In one of the old plantation songs a similar idea is given of the blessing, but in a different version.

One day when I wus walkin' along, Oh yes, Lord,
De element opened, an' de Love came down, Oh yes, Lord,
I never shall forget dat day, Oh yes, Lord,
When Jesus washed my sins away, Oh yes, Lord.

Another chorus inquired: "O brothers where were you? O sisters where were you? O sinners, O Christians, O mourners, etc., where were you?" for "My good Lord's bin here, bin here, bin here; My good Lord's bin here, An' he blessed my soul an' gone." So the negro exhorters often conclude their services, saying that the Lord has been to the meeting and gone. Said one deacon who was exhorting for a large collection: "De good Lord's done bin with us to-night--I knows he has, done been here an' gone, an' now we wants to git down to bizness, I wants some money."

Again, the negro fresh and enthusiastic from his religious experience and having "come through" sings with some relief:

I have been tryin a great long while,
_Lord, I jus' got over on yo' side_.

_Lord, I jus' got over-er,
Lord, I jus' got over,
Lord, I jus' got over-er,
I jus' got over on yo' side._

I pray'd an' I pray till I come over,
_Lord, I jus' got over on yo' side_.

So also he "weeps" and he "mourns" and "cries" till he "gets over on the Lawd's side." Then he sings "O de sunshine,"

O the sunshine, O the sunshine,
O sunshine in my soul this mornin',
Yes the sunshine, the sunshine,
Yes sun shine in my soul.

Down in the valley, down on my knees,
_Sunshine in my soul_,
There I met that heavenly breeze,
_Sunshine in my soul_.

Ole devil like a snake in the grass,
_Sunshine in my soul_,
He's always in some sister's path,
_Sunshine in my soul_.

While the song is also sung at times with more dialect, it lends itself more readily to the above form. Very much mixed and somewhat similar to those already given is "Bless the Name."

I've got to go to judgment, I don't know how soon,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_,
I've got to go to judgment to hear my sins,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_.

My Jesus fed me when I's hungry, gave me drink when I's dry,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_,
My Jesus clothed me when I was naked,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_.

In the same song and with the same tune are sung the shorter lines that follow. The chorus is often sung "Lor' bless the name", and is a form of the phrase "Bless the name of the Lord." It is used as a refrain after each line or it may be omitted.

Mary wept and Martha mourned,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_,
Jesus Chris' laid the corner of stone,
_Lord bless the name, Lord bless the name_.

Mary wore the golden chain,
Every link was in Jesus' name.

You may talk about me just as you please,
I'll talk about you when I git on my knees.

God made man an' man was sure,
There was no sin an' his heart was pure.

God made Adam an' Adam was first,
God made Adam out o' the dust o' the earth.

The old slave songs also had other interpretations of man's creation which differ slightly in particular from the last stanza quoted. One form occurs in

God made man an' he made him out o' clay,
_Settin' on de golden altar_,
An' he put him on de earth but he did not stay,
_Settin' on de golden altar_.

A favorite chorus for the old spiritual was: "_What you gwine do when de lamp burns down?_" So there was also another version of the weeping of Mary and Martha:

Mary wept an' Martha cried,
To see deir Saviour crucified,
Weepin' Mary weep no mo',
Jesus say he gone befo'.

It proves an interesting task to follow the development and changes in a song that has survived from slavery days. In "Free, free my Lord", one of the verses was quite a puzzle. During the recent summer the following stanza was heard:

The moon come down like a piper's stem,
The sun 'fuse to shine,
An' ev'y star disappear,
King Jesus set me free.

Inquiry was made in order to see if the words had not been misunderstood. The older negroes gave this version and insisted that it was correct, but none of them could explain what it meant. 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 moon. Anyway, they maintained, this was the "way we got de song an' guess it must be right." The words of the original song were,

The moon run down in purple stream,
The sun forbear to shine,
An' ev'y star disappear,
King Jesus shall be mine,

of which there seemed to be several versions. Other verses that are found to-day are:

As I went down in de valley one day,
I fell upon my knees,
I begged and cried fer pardon,
The Lord did give me ease.

_Free, free, my Lord,
Free, free, my Lord,
Free, free, my Lord,
To march de heaven's highway._

The Lord called Moses,
Moses refuse to answer,

_Free, free_, etc.

My mother look at de son an' smile,
My Father look at me,
My mother turn my soul from hell,
King Jesus set me free,

is an unusual variation and interpretation of the old song; just how and when the negro inserted the idea of mother would be difficult to ascertain; perhaps it came from "master," or more likely it was introduced by them while they interpreted _father_ and _son_ as names of the ordinary members of a human family. The original form seems to have been,

De Father, he looked on de Son and smiled,
De Son, he looked on me;
De Father, he redeemed my soul from hell;
An' de Son, he set me free.

The chorus, too, has been much confused and is given as "_Children light on dat cross, God bless you forever mo'_." The song is not a common one among the negroes and is not known, apparently, among the younger ones. In contrast with this favorite of the older negroes may be given a favorite of the younger generation, "Glad I got religion." The repetition represents pretty well the relative depth of the feeling which the convert feels. But he loves to sing it for its pleasing sound and for the faith it gives him in his own religious state. 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 sin.

I'm so glad, so glad; I'm so glad, so glad,
Glad I _got religion_, so glad,
Glad I _got religion_, so glad.

I'm so glad, so glad; I'm so glad, so glad,
I'm _glad all over_, so glad,
I'm _glad all over_, so glad.

I'm so glad, so glad; I'm so glad, so glad,
Glad I bin' _changed_, so glad.
Glad I bin' _changed_, so glad.

And so he continues singing; he is glad that he is _goin' to heaven_, he is glad that he is _not a sinner_, glad he has been _set free_, and many other such states. Then when he has finished he begins all over again, if he wishes and sings: "Sister, ain't you glad? Brother, ain't you glad?" and goes through with as many of these as he wishes, _preacher_, _mourner_, _auntie_, and the others.

The "sinner-man" is the theme for many verses of the negro favorites. Directed at him are warnings and admonitions. He is told what he must do and when; how he must do and why. He is told of the experiences of the Christians and he is told of the doom of the damned. The negro rejoices over his own safety and boasts of the sinner's destruction; at the same time he constantly refers to the "po' sinner" in a sympathetic way. But the sinner must be warned:

_God knows it's time, it's time, it's time,
That a sinner was makin' up his min'
It's time, it's time he was makin' up his min' to die._

A sinner was walkin' off his time, his time,
An' when my God call him he did not have the _time_,
God know it was time, it was time, it was time for him to die.

Again the words of the righteous to the sinner are driven home by repetition, and, by a dark and dismal picture,

O hell is deep an' hell is wide,
O hell is deep an' hell is wide,
O hell is deep an' hell is wide,
O hell ain't got no bottom or side.

Well before I lay in hell all day, hell all day,
Well before I lay in hell all day, hell all day,
Well before I lay in hell all day, hell all day,
I goin' to sing an' pray myself away, self away.

O sinner don't you let this harves' pass, harves' pass,
O sinner don't you let this harves' pass, harves' pass,
O sinner don't you let this harves' pass, harves' pass,
Do you die an' got to hell at las', hell at las'.

The sinner may be a _gambler_ or a _dancer_ or a _rogue_ or a _drunkard_. But each name has the same signification in the religious phraseology of the negro song. There are various ways of _repenting_ and of _serving the Lord_ just as there are as many ways of offending and sinning against him. "Workin' on the Building" appeals to the average negro.

If I wus a sinner man, I tell you what I'd do,
I'd lay down all my sinful ways an' work on the building, too.

_I'm workin' on the building fer my Lord,
Fer my Lord, fer my Lord,
I'm workin' on the building fer my Lord,
I'm workin' on the building, too._

If I wus a gamblin' man, I tell you what I'd do,
I'd lay down all my gamblin', an' work on the building, too.

If I was a ho-munger, I tell you what I'd do,
I'd lay down all my munglin' and work on the building, too.

And so he sings for the _dancer_ and the _drunkard_ and the "_cussin' man_." So in another song the negro sings of the _sinners_ and _mourners_.

If I wus a mourner jus' like you,
'u-m-u',
I'd go to church an' try to come thru',
'um-u'.

When I was a mourner, um-u', jus' lak you,
I prayed an' prayed till I come thru, um-u'.

Upon de mountain King Jesus spoke, um-u',
Out of his mouth come fier an smoke, um-u'.
Now mourner won't you please come on, um-u',
An' join us in that heavenly lan', um-u'.

In the "Downward road is crowded" a mournful picture is given of the sinner who failed to repent. His example is held up for the contemplation of those who are following in his steps.

Young people who delight in sin,
I tell you what I lately seen,
A po' godless sinner die,
An' he said: "In hell I soon'll lie."