Front matter (continued 2)

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

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

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.”

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.

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

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:

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:

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,

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

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,

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.

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

They also sing of mother and sister being called to the bedside. The old plantation song of the same name had a similar chorus but the stanzas were quite different.

The Lord will come to judge the world and wake up the dead. It is the supreme ambition of the singer to be ready to meet his Lord when He comes. Just what form the Lord will take the negro does not say; perhaps it will be in a cloud or fire or He will come as in the days of Moses. “My Lord’s comin’ again” gives a general conception.

And so he sings “Better put off dancin’ shoes”, “better put off gamblin’ shoes”. For the sinner’s shoes will not be suitable to “walk on the cross”. He sings: “God’s goin’ to wake up the Dead” and makes a beautiful melody out of the simple repetition.

Then “you better min’ my sister, my brother, my mother, my preacher” are sung. The old song contained words similar to the lines just given, with the chorus: “De young lambs mus’ fin’ de way”:

But the sinner sometimes gets confused, it would seem; sometimes he heeds the preacher’s warnings, sometimes he scoffs at them. Often he does not hear them. More rarely he inquires into conditions. In the lines which follow the negroes make each a stanza, repeating three times. It perhaps represents the retort of the “sinner man.”

But the sinner gets little reply to his inquiries. “Time is comin’ when sinner mus’ die” and there is none so pitiable as the lost sinner.

The plantation song of some years ago, sometimes called “O sinner, you better get ready”, had the same line refrain, “Time is a comin’ dat sinner mus’ die.” The repetition of “sinner die”, is a new addition. In the old song were lines similar to those quoted:

In addition to the line-refrain which was sung after each line of the song, an additional chorus followed at intervals; this chorus had “ready my Lord” where the new one has a short line, “Hurry home”.

An interesting type of song is that in which an imaginary conversation is carried on between two parties. 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 speakers, while the other chorus take up the other speaker’s words. Both then join in the grand refrain, which in the following song is “Lord, I’m on my way”.

And so the sinner will then “run to the mountain,” and “De mountain fly open” or “De mountain cry mercy.” The sinner must needs be hopeless at his death and there is neither mercy nor pity for him. It is the idea of the negro that at the great day “we won’t be bothered with them any mo’”. A sad picture he makes of the poor, and forsaken man who dies “with achin’ heart”, with “weary min’”, and with his “head hung down”. Consequently it is not surprising to find appeals of all sorts made to the sinner man; now he is told of his doom, now of possible salvation, now of the joys of being saved, now of immediate satisfaction. Sung like the above song is “Come, sinner, come”.

In the same manner he sings, “Won’t you come an’ see yo’ Lord?” and “Ole Satan like a snake in de grass, Always in some sister’s path,” “Ole Satan weahs mighty loose ole shoe, Ef you don’t min’ gwine slip it on you”. “Up on hill side King Jesus spoke, Out of his mouth come fier an’ smoke”, “Down in de valley, down on my knees, Ask de Lord to save me if He please”, and others. The plantation song asked,

Besides these stanzas there were sung the various other warnings such as have been given in the idea of Judgment and Resurrection already noted. In the old slave song the sinner asks:

Instead of the regular refrain which is sung by the chorus of voices in response to a line by the leader, the negroes often respond with “um-m’” in a general mingling of chant, humming, and “amens”. For the most part they do this with closed lips; the volume is surprisingly strong, however, and makes a stirring effect. The meaning of the expression is something like “Yes?” or “Of course, we know it is true” or “Sure, you talkin’ brother”. The singer says: “I look for Jesus all my days”, and the chorus answers, “um-u’” and he then continues,

Again, “Brother, you’d Better be a Prayin’”, while mostly repetition makes a long song when sung to its limit. “Sister”, “Sinner”, “Backslider”, “Mourner”, “Children”, each serves to make a complete stanza of eight lines:

The chorus song, “Wheel in middle of Wheel” is most likely a variation of the old song “Wheel in a wheel” which was “run by love, by faith,” and was sometimes conceived as a chariot wheel upon which “gwine take a ride, On de chariot wheel”, for “de chariot’s comin’, O my Lord”. Sometimes the wheel was conceived as being a “Little wheel a-turnin’ in my heart”, in which case it signified some sort of feeling. The phrase means nothing more than a chorus in the present-day song.

Jesus and God are represented as “Listenin’ all the day long”, and the sinner is directed to pray. The plantation songs called to him: “Where you goin’ sinner? O come back, don’t go dat way.” And one of the singers affirmed that “about the break o’ day” his sins were forgiven and “his soul set free.” The song “Jesus is a listenin’” seems at some time to have been considerably corrupted. The negroes have sung it: “I’ve been a listenin’ all day long, and all night long, to hear some sinner pray.” However, the correct version now seems to be:

But in “Bear yo’ Burden, sinner”, another version is given of the same idea. This song is a popular one, while the figures used give a definite conviction.

This last stanza is an improvisation made by a young negro of some twenty-five years, although he claimed that it belonged to the song that was regularly sung, maintaining that they only forgot to sing it in the church on that special occasion. “True Religion” gives one view of the requisites of him who will be saved. The song is based in form on a current secular song, and belongs to the class of colloquies.

He continues, “Where are you goin’ gambler, backslider, drunkard, liar, hypocrite?” and answers each with, “An’ you can’t cross there,” while the entire chorus, “You must have that true religion,” is often repeated after each. The sinner is asked still other questions, one of which is given in the song “Waitin’”.

The negro preacher often rebukes his flock for talking about each other in uncomplimentary terms. Sometimes the “sisters” who do not like the preacher retort variously, “I heard you talkin ’bout So and So, you know I did” or “We gwine talk ’bout you,” or “Yes, you knows it.” Slander and gossip are fast runners and the average negro assumes that somebody is talking about him or something which he has done. Out of this has grown the song “Talk about me” and others.

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’”; he actually sings father, brother, mother, sister, mourner, preacher, to both “on his knees a prayin’”, and “on bed a dyin’.” A very popular stanza which is regularly sung in a number of songs goes: “You may talk about me just as you please, I’m goin’ to talk about you when I git on my knees.”

The old slave and plantation song asked: “Who’ll jine de Union?” saying, “Say, ef you belong to de union ban’, den here’s my heart an’ here’s my hand.” There have been societies known as “The Union” or “Union Band” both in the church and outside. The name “Union” itself is a favorite one among the negro societies and organizations. 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 destination. It is almost certain that a number of references in their songs referred to the Union army in and after the war. However, the exact origin of the song as it is now sung has not been found, but appears to be a general corruption of several old songs.

With this chorus are sung also as already given, “Satan, the snake in the grass”, “Ole satan weah mighty loose ole shoe”, etc. The “Hallelujah” so common among the old songs is less frequently heard now: it will be found to some degree in the shouting songs and songs of heaven.

Not the least among the warnings to the sinner were to be reckoned the times when “Gable” should blow his horn. “Gable” has been proverbial among the negroes; Gabriel and the trumpet are, however, significant in the same way among the whites in vulgar reference. Many ideas of “Gable’s” trumpet have appeared in the negro songs. Sometimes it is “blow louder, Gable.” “How loud mus’ I blow?” Reference has already been made to these lines. The song “Blow, Gable, blow” has changed considerably from the old plantation songs of the same name.

In the same manner, making a four-line stanza of each one, are sung, “Goin’ to meet brother, mother, sister, etc.”, and also “My God is a walkin’, tryin’, etc.,” at the judgment bar. So, too, it is “prayin’ time, mournin’ time, singin’ time, shoutin’ time, tryin’ time, etc., at the judgment bar.” This song may be given as the last one of the class peculiar to warnings and admonitions to sinners. It closes with still other verses that give vivid pictures of the judgment bar.

Both the sinner and the seeker has a “hard time” during some time in his experience. The duties of everyday life, too, often seem hard. Now on his knees, now shouting, now sorrowful and now glad, the negro comes from “hanging over hell” to die and “set by de Fadder’s side.” The average negro appears to pity himself, and his song intensifies the feeling. The songs that follow may be classed as those that give the state of uncertainty and doubt, together with pity mingled now and then with the note of triumph. In “Oh, what a hard time”, sisters, brothers, children, preachers, seekers—all have the same difficulties.

So in another division will be given the song “My Trouble is Hard”, the idea of which seems to be derived from the old plantation songs, though the new song is entirely different from the old ones. The plantation negroes used to sing “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen”, in which they were “sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes almost to de groun’.” Others sung it “Nobody knows the trouble I see, or I’ve had”, and asked: “Brother, sister, preacher, will you pray for me?” In the same pathetic tone the “Sinner man” gives another phase of the feeling.

In the same way “my sister”, etc., completes the song, with favorite lines, “Down in de valley”, “Upon mountain Jehober spoke”, etc., being inserted as often as they desire. “Hanging over hell” gives more intensity to the feeling of the sinner. He says:

Likewise he has no one to “cry” for him, to “mourn” or to “care” for him. It will be noticed that the negroes insert the word “well” frequently. There is no regularity or rule for its use; it apparently gives the song a more plastic turn and makes it seem more conversational. In some of their songs they insert in the same way, “says”, and “er”, “a”, “an”, at will. The struggle is well represented by the song “Keep inchin’ along”, which was also common in the old plantation melodies; the chorus is the same, while the words are entirely different from the older song.

In the same hopeful strain the negro sings “Boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat Mornin’,” which has a large number of stanzas, none of which have any similarity of meaning to the general theme.

It is a favorite theme of the negroes to sing much of their “Lord” and “God”. Much has been noted of the names and attributes which Deity holds in the negro’s songs. As his friend the negro believes that God is always true; consequently he sings his loyalty to Him. The old plantation song “Tell Jesus” had as its chorus: “Tell Jesus done done all I can, Tell Jesus done done all I can, Tell Jesus done done all I can, I can’t do no more”. Very much like it is the song “For my Lord” that is much in demand among the present-day negroes.

In the same way he sings “I goin’ weep all I can till I can’t weep no more”, “I goin’ pray all I can till I can’t pray no more”, and “sing” and “mourn” and “work” for his Lord. The phrases “till I can’t do no mo’”, and the others are characteristic of the negro’s prayers. He usually closes his church prayers, “Now Lord, when we’s done prayin’ an’ can’t pray no mo’; when we’s done meetin’ an’ can’t meet no mo’”, etc. The closing scene, the final act of life, seems to appeal to the negro with wonderful dramatic power. It is in the end that he himself will be great; it is then that God and Jesus and the angels will be made manifest, and it is there in the new home that his condition will be one of ease and rest, at the same time that it is one of prominence. He sings “Gwi’ lay down my life fer my Lord”.

So again the negro magnifies his Lord in “a weary Lan’” and makes both a striking picture and a pleasing song. His Lord is not only “a walkin’ in a weary lan’”, but he is also a “doctor”, a “preacher” and a “shelter”. Thus he pictures him “walkin’” “talkin’” “preachin’”, and “healin’” in the weary land.

Likewise he is a healer in a mighty storm or in the time of storm. It is but natural that the negro should call upon the Lord to remember him. The old plantation song “Do Lord remember me” was apparently based upon the idea of being remembered at Christmas times; indeed the negroes always ask to be remembered at such a time by the “whitefolks”. They were always remembered and often their homes were made happy. The song asked: “O do Lord remember me, O do Lord remember me, O do remember me until de year roll round, Do Lord remember me.” The song now current is most likely not the same song but an entirely different one.

The negroes sometimes call the following song the “riddle song”, asking “who is the Rock”, while the answer comes back, like the Psalmist, “King Jesus is the Rock”.

As Jesus is the Rock so the negroes have sung “Dere’s no one lak’ Jesus”. The chorus-line was common in the old songs; the verses of the song of to-day are different.

The song “Gi’ me Jesus” was said to have been the product of “over-free spirit and super-religiousness” just after the war. The negro claims that the white man took him at his word when he sang, “Gi’ me Jesus, You may have all this worl”, and has left him nothing in this world but Jesus. At least this is one view of the song, which is represented as a bargain which the white man wants the negro to keep. The song is a typical and well known one, said to have been first sung by a blind negro preacher.

The negro says that if you love Jesus, it seems to him that you “can’t keep it”, and that you are duty bound to let the world know it. The custom is a common one of asking “members” at the class meeting and revival services whether or not they “love the Lord”. It is the duty of the class leader to see to the religious welfare of the members. The song “Love the Lord” represents this phase of worship.

The chorus then varies from “Yes, I say” to “Yes, my mother”, “Yes, my sister”, “Yes, my brother”.

In striking contrast to his earthly life, the negro sings of his heavenly home. It will be seen in the study of his social songs that home plays a small part in their subject matter. It is true that the negro has little love of home or devotion to loved ones. Perhaps for this very reason he expects to have a better home in the beyond. He wants that which is ideal and impractical; he wants that which will come without effort. If in slavery days he had no home, it was natural that he should look to Heaven for his home. This conception, intensified by the negro’s emotional nature and self-pity, is still prominent. Not only is his home to be a happy one, but it is to be exclusive; only the fortunate, of whom he is the chiefest, may go there. This class of songs—of Heaven and home—is perhaps as large as any. The negro sings:

In the same way the singers repeat, using the words “drunkards,” “hypocrits”, and other sinners. Sometimes instead of saying “I got a home where the drunkards can’t come”, the sinner will say “where the drunkards can’t find me”. Another version of the same song is found in different localities:

The “Home in the Rock” and the “Rock of ages” mean little to the negroes; they are suitable terms and appeal to their sense of sound. Like other peoples, the negroes have inserted them into their religion as forceful symbols. Interesting comparisons may be made in a later chapter. The chorus of “Heaven” hummed in a monotone, with lips sometimes closed, makes a beautiful song, and one that appeals much to both old and young negroes.

This version and wording is rather that of the children, who are very fond of singing it. They continue “Heaven so high you can’t go over it”, “Heaven so low you can’t go under it”, “Heaven so deep you can’t go through it”, and “Heaven so wide you can’t go round it”. The most common form of the song is a variation of the above. Sinners, gamblers, dancers, liars, drunkards are everywhere, but not in Heaven.

As has been indicated, many of the negro songs consist of single lines repeated in couplets or by fours in order to give length to the singing. The most simple sentences that could be devised may serve as a good song. The negro happens to think of an ordinary truth; he then sings it to his tune and chorus.

In the same way he is “going to see” his father, brother, master, preacher, singing each line four times, altering them as he desires and putting in any chorus that appeals to his fancy. The next song shows a typical variation of a line, and the negro sometimes sings the second version with more determination than the first.

The darkeys used to sing, “Hail, hail, hail, I’m gwine jine saints above, I’m on my journey home”. So, too, in many of their songs the “promise Lan’” was held out as the goal of future happiness. So it is to-day. “On my journey home” and “Goin’ to Heaven” represent the common conception.

So, too, the singer has a mother, a sister, an auntie and others in the “promise lan’”. Likewise he says instead of “sister when you pray,” etc., brother, member, mourner, sinner, preacher, and the others. As a rule morning signified to the negroes the time for going to heaven and for the resurrection. The morning star shining as a witness to his conversion, and the midnight dew typified the early morning time of his religion. “In the morning” is sung as of old.

So if you see “brother John, sister Nancy,” and others makes the song complete. The song once so popular, “Yes, I’ll be dere, When gen’ral roll call” is still heard occasionally. Many of these songs have been corrupted and changed, consolidated and revised into new songs. Such a song is “Study war no mo’”, which combines the old camp meeting, “down by the river side”, and a new element of peace, the origin of which is not known.

Said the old singers: “Some o’ dese mornin’s, hope I’ll see my mother, hope I’ll jine de ban’, hope I’ll walk bout Zion, Talk wid de angels, Talk my trouble over” while they looked “away to hebben”. Now the negro sings:

“Pray come an’ go wid me” sings the Christian, for “I’m on my journey home to the New Jerusalem”. If refused he says, “Now don’t let me beg you to follow me, for I’m on my journey home”, and finally he sings, “Well, brother come an’ go wid me.” If the sinner needs other exhortation he may listen to the mixed song “Dry bones goin’ to rise ergain”, in which there is first warning, then hope of glory.

In the old plantation song Ezekiel was represented down in a valley “full of bones as dry as dust” and

Death for the Christian is shouting: death for the sinner is doom. “When I git to heaven, goin’ shout on my knees” gives an accurate picture of what the negro conceives to be happiness. But he not only expects to shout while on earth and when he gets home, but even when he dies. For says he,

Still his mother is not the only one who has died shouting; he sings in the same way of father, preacher, brother, sister and others; the slave song included “Missus” and “Marster” or “Massa”. But shouting must not be all. The negro and his brothers, sisters, mother are all to die “mournin’”, and “prayin’”. In “Join de Heaven wid de Angels” the rich voice of one or two leaders and the swelling chorus produce an effect scarcely surpassed.

The song has been found in several forms among which one has it that John is to be in de heavens with the angels. In fact the probable origin of “join on” seems to have been “John saw de heaven wid de angels”. In one of the old songs the singer answers,

There are other references, too, besides the above, to the denominations of the negro churchmen. It has already been seen that the negro likes “bes’” the “shoutin’ Mefodes’”. So he says “There’s fire in de eas’ an’ fire in de wes; An’ fire among de Methodes’”. He is loyal and proclaims: “Methodist, Methodist is my name, Methodist till I die, I’ll be baptize in the Methodist name, An’ I’ll lib’ on the Methodist side”. In the same way he is Baptist and Presbyterian; the Baptist is the favorite church of the negro, however, and there are more Baptists than all other denominations combined.

The “Angel Band”, while a very simple song in which the chorus constitutes the greater part, is one of the most beautiful that the negroes sing. The tune is a variation of a well-known hymn used by the whites. 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 band. The chorus is repeated after each stanza, while each stanza itself is the repetition of a single line. From one to ten; from ten to twenty and so on to one hundred is ordinarily sung, thus making a lengthy song. The children love to sing the chorus; two forms are ordinarily found, varying the monotony enough to please the negro.

The “little” in the chorus is preferred to the “dere’s” as a rule, apparently serving to describe the angels. The stanzas of the song are equally as unlimited and as simple as the chorus. “Sunday morning” is the common factor to all of the verses; sometimes it is omitted.

While this form of the song may be continued indefinitely, other verses may also be inserted. Instead of the “On Sunday mornin’” is often substituted “Fer to see my Lord”.

And so he continues with preacher, brother, mother, auntie and any others that he wishes to enumerate. As a shouting song or as a “collection” song, it is not surpassed.

The negro’s fancies of the “Heaven’s bright home” are not exceeded by the world’s fairy tales. There are silver and golden slippers; there are crowns of stars and jewels and belts of gold. There are robes of spotless white and wings all bejewelled with heavenly gems. Beyond the jasper seas he will outshine the sun; the golden streets and the fruit of the tree of life are far superior to any golden apples or silver pears of a Mother Goose. In fact the negro’s fairy stories centre on heaven; the children’s definitions of heaven consisted entirely of pictures of splendor and glory. To this place the negro imagines he will go and who knows but that he may fly there?

With a golden “band all round his waist, An’ de palms ob victory in a-his hands”, the negro sings in reality: “Pray come an’ go wid me”, for so vivid is his picture that he has been known to start up a post or pillar in the church, saying, “Good bye brothers, I’m gone”. His songs make much of flying; different from that just quoted he repeats:

He sings, too, “I goin’ to put on my long white robe”, “We’ll try on de slippah shoe an’ wear de golden belt”. Again he sings of his doings in the morning, noontime, and midnight.

The angels and Jesus wear the starry crown and long white robes; there will be no separating line between us and God in the new world. “Oh how I long to go dere, too”, sang the old negroes. Now he pictures again the appearance of Jesus.

Then, too, Jesus “he wore the long white robe, for the Bible it tell me so.” More than the world or riches or dress the singer claims he values the treasures of heaven. In this assertion he is doubtless sincere, both because he is thinking only of his religious state while he sings, and because he has little opportunity for obtaining these earthly riches. Says he:

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 death. In his eagerness and impatience to rest in the “promise lan’,” the negro does not always think kindly of the world and he does not care even though “Death is in dis lan’.”

If the negro expects to go to heaven and there mingle with God, the angels and his loved ones, he also expects to sing in all the glory and splendor imaginable. The negroes used to sing of “jinin’ de association, climbin’ Jacob’s ladder, climbin’ higher an’ higher, sittin’ down at de welcome table, feastin’ off’n milk an’ honey, tell God how you served me, jine de big baptizin”, after which “den my little soul gwine shine.” So they sang of a mother, father, brother in heaven who “outshines de sun”, and ended by declaring that when they got to heaven “we will outshine de sun.” In very much the same way the negroes sing to-day in one of their favorites, “Goin’ to Outshine de Sun.”

Other verses sing of putting on slippers, long white robe, in each case the singer is to “outshine the sun.” The dazzling splendor of it all makes anticipation full of staying qualities; it makes the picture one of reality because of the vigor of an imaginative power. Who knows if the negroes often dream of the grandeurs of the sky?

The negro uses many figures and symbols in his religion. He can see the chariot wheel and the chariot of fire taking him to heaven as easily as Elijah. He can imagine that he, too, can ascend even as Christ and the angels. Besides these methods he has the Gospel Train and the Ship of Zion. The train has much fascination for the negro: much will be seen of this in his social songs. It is but natural that he should bring it into his religious songs. The negro often goes to meet the train at the station, even when sick. It is a great social event of a Sunday. So again, he wishes to go on an excursion; few things can hinder him. Very much in the same strain is the religious song, “When the train come along.”

While no mention is made of the exact kind of train, it is generally understood to mean the Gospel train. This song also has a popular variant which is used in a secular way. In either case it expresses in a very forceful way the importance of meeting the train. In proportion as a picture resembles real life or magnifies that which has been imaged, to that degree does it bring home its truth to the negro’s mind. The negro continues to sing of the train on which he is to ride into the Kingdom. Says he:

The “same train” also carried his brother, sister, preacher and others. But the train which will come back to-morrow will not wait always. One must not only be at the station but must also have a ticket. There is plenty of room, according to the negro’s conception, but there is not plenty of time. It would be a wistful negro that looked upon the train pulling out for heaven and he all alone is left behind. He sings,

Instead of the chorus just given he often sings: “I sure God am ready,” and “I sho’ God is ready.” With this in view he is willing and glad for the train to come along. If he is ready, all the better for him to be on his journey. So he continues in another song and at another time:

In the old plantation songs the exhortation was given to “Git on board little children, dere’s room for many a mo’.” So also they sang:

In addition to the above stanzas the Jubilee singers added others. They heard the bell and whistle and “she’s playin’ all her steam an’ power.” The rhyme and imagery of the old song struck a more responsive chord than the present song; this is due to the fact that the negro of to-day sings his railroad songs and enjoys them in his secular music. There he pictures the train with such vividness that the train may be easily heard and seen in his imagination. Other verses of the Gospel Train as it was sung by the Jubilee singers are:

While the song as reported by the Jubilee singers does not possess the mere characteristics of form and dialect, it nevertheless appeals to the negroes and it is sometimes sung. One of the fears of the negro is that others may go to heaven and he be left behind. This, as has been indicated, constitutes the sum total of misery. 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 goal. One of the most touching of these songs represents the negro as an orphan who is unwilling to stay alone in the world:

Very much like the song just given the negroes used to sing: “Dar’s room in dar, room in dar, room in de heaven, Lord, I can’t stay behin’”. So, too, “I can’t or don’t want to stay here no longer” are common and classic verses of negro song. Again they sang the “good news” because “De chariot’s comin’, I doan want her to leave a-me behind, Gwine get upon dat chariot, Carry me home”. In a prayer the negro sang: “Jesus, don’t leave me behind”. In his songs to-day the negro says:

While the old negroes used to sing “Oh brother, sisters, mourners, don’t stay away, For my Lord says there’s room enough”, the modern negro sings “You can’t stay away”.

There have been a great many versions of the song “Ole Ship of Zion”, none of which differ materially. The four or five versions most common in the slave and plantation song represented the Ship of Zion somewhat as follows: “She has landed many a thousand, She can land as many more, Do you think she will be able, For to take us all home? You can tell ’em I’m comin’ home”, “Dis de good ole ship of Zion, An’ she’s maken’ fer de promise lan’. She hab angels fer de sailors. An’ how you know dey’s angels? Dat ship is out a sailin’ she’s a sailin’ mighty steady. She’ll neither reel nor totter, She’s a sailin’ ’way cold Jordan. King Jesus is de captain, captain”. “De gospel ship is sailin’, O Jesus is de captain, De angels are de sailors, O is yo’ bundle ready? O have you got yo’ ticket!” Another version has “her loaded down with angels”; Another “wid a-bright angels”. Another asks what ship is that “you’re enlisted upon”? and answers that it is the “Good ship of Zion”, which “sails like she’s heavy loaded”, and “has King Jesus for the captain”, and “the Holy Ghost is de pilot” The coast negroes had many songs that originated in ideas suggested by the boats. To-day the river negroes have songs of their own, but they do not go into the church songs. The Old Ship of Zion, however, is sung, but only as a remnant of the former song, less elaborate.

While the negro sings, he sees the ship reelin’ an’ rockin’, and repeats these phrases enough and in a rhythmic manner, so that he imitates the imagined motion of the ship. The other stanzas of the song are practically the same as those of the earlier days.

“This ole worl’s a rollin’” is most likely a figure of the ship and modelled on the same song. However, it conveys a different idea, one of judgment and the end of the world. The negro sings:

He sings for the sinner, mourner, and all his friends and relatives to get on board the world as she rolls away. It reminds one somewhat of the song once current among the negroes: “O de ole ferry boat stan’ a-waitin’ at de landin’, Chilluns we’se all gwine home”. The same feeling of motion and the end of the world as is indicated in the moving of the train, ship, and the world itself is also reflected in the opening of the graveyards and the rolling of the hearse wheel. The same rhythmic effect of motion and words give a strikingly appropriate attitude to the singer.

And very much like the above song is “Every Day”. However, it is so similar to other songs that one concludes that it is only a putting together of what the singer already knew. The Bahama negroes have a song, “If hev’ry day was judgment day”, that is almost exactly the same in meaning as this one. The song, however, is a powerful one and seems to be gaining in popularity.

The getting of mail, and especially of letters, usually means much to the negroes; perhaps simply because they receive little mail. To have a letter from a distinguished person is superlative honor and the recipient usually makes the fact known generally. Just how the negro conceived of receiving letters from God, or why he imagined the angels and apostles as writing letters does not appear clear. One gets a letter, another reads it; one writes a letter and all know its contents. Such a reference is found in a number of songs, that serve as a warning or admonition.

Perhaps the idea of the letter came from the epistles of the New Testament. John and Peter wrote letters; Mary and Martha read them. The letters of the Hebrews and Ephesians are spoken of. 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 way.

In the same form and repetition are sung other stanzas, all of which “suit” the negroes pretty well.

By this time the singers are happy enough and the preacher joins them in shouting, “Yes, brethren, it just suits me.” It is gratifying to the negroes that their sins have been “washed in the blood of the Lamb”, as indeed it ought to be. Perhaps they give it its undue prominence without thought; for they have no conception of the seriousness of their claims. The negro singers have exhibited a characteristic specimen of their word combinations, concrete pictures, and theological principles in their song, “De blood done sign my name.”

But the Christian does not have an easy time after his conversion. Satan is always at hand and ready to lead him away if there is a chance. The negro’s idea of satan and the devil has been noted. In his march songs the negro imagines that he is marching against his foe; this foe is sometimes satan himself. “The other world is not lak’ dis” is a typical marching song.

Another marching song that is a rousing one is “Goin’ down to Jord’n”. It represents, like the one just given, the attributes of satan and his relation to the Christian. The scene as pictured, the army marching on down to Jordan, the imaginary foe, and the rhythm of the song make it a favorite.

Something has been observed about the negro’s attitude toward the crucifixion. The old songs asked: “Wus you dere when dey crucified my Lord? When dey put the crown of thorns on?” and other scenes. In some of the songs the negroes sang “I wus dere when”, etc., while still others only affirm the facts. The songs of the present generation of negroes are less vivid and less full of feeling for the suffering of the Master. Some of the verses are similar to those of the plantation songs.

A peculiar corruption of this song represents the prodigal son as being in the place of Christ; now it is the prodigal, now it is the Lord. It indicates the manner of the development of many of these songs, and shows something of the insignificance of the words on the minds of the singers. He sings with his holy laugh:

Paul and Silas, Peter and John are models for proper contemplation. One of the old songs represented Peter and Paul as bound in jail. “Togedda dey sung, togedda dey prayed, De Lawd he heard how dey sung an’ prayed. Den humble yo’selves, de bell done rung.” “Paul an’ Silas bound in jail, The Christians pray both night and day,” represented another song, one version of which has survived and is current to-day. Most of the song consists in repetitions.

Another version prays for the angels to come down and unlock the door of the jail. It has a striking parallel among the secular songs and might have been composed with the idea of the negro in jail as being rescued.

Among those of the Bible who have been the special subject of song, Noah has a prominent place. References to him have been made already. He is always the hero of the flood. In most of the songs wherein a special character has an important part, it is in the chorus or refrain. So in “Fohty days an’ nights”, a general mixture of songs and ideas, Noah and the flood make the chorus.

Another version in one of the old songs says: “Some go to church to laugh and talk, but dey knows nuthin’ ’bout de Christian’s walk”. “De Ole Ark a-moverin’” was the title of a plantation song which gave the story of Noah and the flood. Noah and his sons “went to work upon dry lan’”, and everything went according to the original “plan”.

This is the picture which the plantation and slave negro has made for his satisfaction. The present-day song that apparently originated in the above song is less elaborate, having only portions of the old song, and not being much in demand. It, too, is called “Didn’t it rain?”

Among the most interesting of all the negro spirituals are those which have been composed in recent years. These are significant in their bearing upon the temperament and religion of the present-day negro. These songs are efforts at poetry, while at the same time they unite biblical story with song. How they are often begun and for what purposes they are composed was mentioned in the previous discussion concerning the origin of negro songs. Further analysis of the form may be made in the study of the negro’s mental imagery. The following song, which gets its name from the chorus, is entitled “My Trouble is Hard”, and was composed by “Sister Bowers”. It was printed on a single sheet for distribution; each person who contributed to the collection was entitled to a copy, or a copy could be had for a nickel. She sung her new song to the crowds wherever she went, and then was given a pro-rata of the collections. With the chorus repeated after each stanza, as the negroes always do, it becomes a song of unusual length: