Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 9

Well, won't you get in the Union?

Jesus is a listenin', Jesus die._

Where was Ezekiel when the church fell down?

Down in de valley wid his head hung down.

Hypocrite, hypocrite, G.o.d do despise, Tongue so keen till he will tell lies.

Upon the mountain Jehober spoke, Out of his mouth come fier an' smoke.

With this chorus are sung also as already given, "Satan, the snake in the gra.s.s", "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.

Blow Gable, at the judgment, Blow Gable, at the judgment bar.

For my G.o.d is a talkin' at the judgment, For my G.o.d is a talkin' at the judgment bar.

Now won't you blow Gable at the judgment?

For my G.o.d is a preachin' at the judgment bar.

Now won't you blow Gable at the judgment bar?

Well, I'm goin' to meet my preacher at the judgment bar.

In the same manner, making a four-line stanza of each one, are sung, "Goin' to meet brother, mother, sister, etc.", and also "My G.o.d 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 cla.s.s peculiar to warnings and admonitions to sinners. It closes with still other verses that give vivid pictures of the judgment bar.

Well, sinners, keep a prayin' at the judgment bar.

Well, it's too late to pray at the judgment bar.

Why didn't you take heed at the judgment?

Some come crippled at judgment.

Oh, I look fer my mother, brother, sister, at de judgment.

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 h.e.l.l" 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 cla.s.sed 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.

_Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time--All G.o.d's children have a hard time._ Oh, what a hard time, oh, what a hard time, Oh, what a hard time, my Lord had a hard time, too.

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 "n.o.body knows the trouble I've seen", in which they were "sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes almost to de groun'." Others sung it "n.o.body 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.

My mother' n yo' mother both daid an' gone, My mother' n yo' mother both daid an' gone, My mother' n yo' mother both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe.

My folks an' yo' folks both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe.

My brother 'n yo' brother both daid an' gone, Po' sinner man he so hard to believe.

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 h.e.l.l" gives more intensity to the feeling of the sinner. He says:

_When I wus hangin' over h.e.l.l, over h.e.l.l, When I wus hangin' over h.e.l.l, over h.e.l.l, Well, I had no one to pity poor me, poor me._

Well, my mother sick an' my father daid, father daid, Well, my mother sick an' my father daid, father daid, Well, I ain't got no one to pity poor me, poor me.

Well, I ain't got no one to pray for me, to pray for me.

I ain't got no one to feel for me, feel for me.

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.

_Keep er-inchin' erlong, keep er-inchin erlong, Jesus'll come bye'm bye, Keep er-inchin', keep er-inchin erlong, Jesus'll come bye'm bye._

De road is rocky here below, _But Jesus'll come bye'm bye_, But Jesus leads me as I go, _Jesus'll come bye'm bye_.

Sometimes I hangs my head an' cries, _But Jesus'll come bye'm bye_.

An' He gwi' wipe mer weepin' eyes, _But Jesus'll come bye'm bye_.

Uh, run 'long mourner an' git yo' crown, By yo' Father's side set down.

I'm glad that I'm bo'n ter die, Frum trouble here my soul gwi' fly.

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.

Yonder come er sister all dressed in black, She look lak er hipercrit jes' got back, _I'm boun' ter cross Jord'n in dat mornin'_.

_Cross me over, Great Jehover, My Lord, I'm boun' ter cross Jord'n in dat mornin'._

See dat Christian on his knees, He's gwin' ter cross dem jasper seas, _I'm boun' ter cross Jord'n in dat mornin'_.

Swing low chariots in er line, Carry me ter glory in due time, _I'm boun' ter cross Jord'n in dat mornin'_.

Ain't but the one thing grieve my min'

Sister goin' to heaven an' leave me behin', _I'm boun' ter cross Jord'n in dat mornin'_.

It is a favorite theme of the negroes to sing much of their "Lord" and "G.o.d". Much has been noted of the names and attributes which Deity holds in the negro's songs. As his friend the negro believes that G.o.d 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.

_I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord, I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord, I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord, I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord, I do all I can till I can't do no more, I goin' do all I can fer my Lord._

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 G.o.d 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".

De Lord giv' me mer trumpet an' tole me ter blow, He giv' me mer c.u.mmission an' tole me ter go.

_Fer my Lord, fer my Lord, Fer my Lord, gwi' lay down my life fer my Lord._

You can hinder me here but you can't hinder me dere, For de Lord in Heaven gwi' hear my prayer.

De enemy's great but my Cap'n is strong, U'm fightin' fer de city an' de time ain't long.

When I git dar I'll be able fer to tell, How I whipped ole Satan at de door ob h.e.l.l.