Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 5

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 a.n.a.lysis of the following

_Types of Negro Spirituals._

An exact cla.s.sification 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 cla.s.sification 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 cla.s.s 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 repet.i.tion 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 G.o.d-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 G.o.d'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 h.e.l.l 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.