Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 11

Gamblers dere an' gamblers here, I'm so glad dat G.o.d declare, Dere ain't no gamblers in heaven.

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.

Well there are sinners here and sinners there, An' there are sinners everywhere, But I thank G.o.d that G.o.d declare, That there ain't no sinners in heaven.

_Heaven, Heaven, Everybody talkin' 'bout heaven an' goin' there, Heaven, Heaven, Goin' to s.h.i.+ne all 'round G.o.d's heaven._

Well there are drunkards here an' drunkards there, An' there are drunkards everywhere, But I'm so glad that G.o.d declare, There ain't no drunkards in heaven.

_Heaven, Heaven, Preachers all preachin' 'bout heaven an' goin' there, Heaven, Heaven, Goin' to s.h.i.+ne all 'round G.o.d's 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.

I'm goin' to be a Christian if I keep a prayin' on, I goin' to be a Christian if I keep a prayin' on, I goin' to be a Christian, I'm goin' to be a Christian, I goin' to be a Christian if I keep a prayin' on.

An' when I git religion, I goin' to keep a prayin' on.

I goin' to see my Jesus if I keep a prayin' on.

I goin' to see my mother if I keep a prayin' on.

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.

Lord, I want to go to heaven fer to stan' my trials, Lord, I want to go to heaven fer to stan' my trials, Yes, I want to go to heaven fer to stan' my trials, _Great Judgment day_.

Well, _I'm goin'_ to heaven fer to stan' my trials, An' _I'm goin'_ to heaven fer to stan' my trials, Yes, _I'm goin'_ to heaven fer to stan' my trials, _Great Judgment day_.

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.

Sister when you pray you mus' pray to de Lord, For I hab some hopes ob glory, _I feel like, I feel like I'm on my journey home, I feel like, I feel like, I'm on my journey home_.

_I'll away, I'll away to de promise lan', My Father calls me, I mus' go, To meet Him in de promise lan'._

I have a father in the promise lan', Go meet him in de promise lan', _I feel like, I feel like I'm on my journey home, I feel like, I feel like I'm on my journey home_.

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 s.h.i.+ning 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.

I have been tempted, _O yes_, An' I have been tried, _O yes_, I have been to the river an' been baptize, An' I want to go to heaven in the morning.

_Won't you ride on Jesus?

Ride on Jesus, ride on crowning King, For I want to go to heaven in the morning._

If you see my mother, _O yes_, Please tell her for me, _O yes_, That the angels in heaven done change my name, An' I want to go to heaven in the morning.

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.

Well there's goin' to be a big camp meetin', Well there's goin' to be a big camp meetin', Well there's goin' to be a big camp meetin', Down by the river side.

_Well, I ain't goin' to study war no mo', Well, I ain't goin' to study war no mo', Well, I ain't goin' to study war no mo'._

Well such a shoutin' an' prayin'

Down by the riverside.

Well I goin' to meet my sister, Down by the riverside.

Well the brothers got to shoutin', Down by the riverside.

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:

Gwine to weep, gwine to mourn, Gwine to git up early in de morn, Fo' my soul's goin' to heaven jes' sho's you born, Brother Gabriel goin' to blow his horn.

Goin' to sing, goin' to pray, Goin' to pack all my things away, Fo' my soul's goin' to heaven jes' sho's you born, Brother Gabriel gwine ter blow his horn.

"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.

Some go ter meetin' to sing an' shout, _Dry bones goin' ter rise again_; Fore six month deys all turned out, _Dry bones goin' ter rise again_.

_O little chillun, O little childun, O lit'le childun, dry bones goin' rise ergin._

Talk erbout me but taint my fault, Dry bones goin ter rise ergin; But me an' G.o.dermighty goin' walk an' talk, Dry bones goin' ter rise ergin.

Ef you want ter go to heaven when you die, Dry bones goin' rise ergin; Jes' stop yo' tongue from tellin' lies, Dry bones goin' ter rise ergin.

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 shake, Fin' de ole sinners too dry to quake,

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,

My mother dies a shoutin', an' I goin' die shoutin', too, Yes, my mother died a shoutin' an' I goin' die shoutin', too.

My mother died a shoutin', my mother died a shoutin', Yes, my mother died a shoutin' an' I goin' die shoutin', too.

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 "_Ma.s.sa_". 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 surpa.s.sed.

O join on, join my Lord, _Join de heaven wid de angels_; O join on, join my Lord, _Join de heaven wid de angels_.

What kin' er shoes is dem you wear?

_Join de heaven wid de angels_; Dat you kin' walk upon de air, _Join de heaven wid de angels_.

Oh, G.o.d don't talk like a nat'al man, Join de heaven wid de angels; He talk to de sinner, he understan', Join de heaven wid de angels.

I'm Baptis' bred an' I'm Baptis' bo'n, Join de heaven wid de angels; An' when I die dey's a Baptis' gone, Join de heaven wid de angels.

Jes' so de tree fall jes' so it lie, Join de heaven wid de angels; Jes so de sinner lib' jes' so he die, Join de heaven wid de angels.