Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 18

It has been stated that the negro makes a song his own by the simple act of singing it. If he is free and unrestrained at the same time that he is thoroughly wrought up, he adds enough to his song or changes its version sufficiently to make it almost unique. In the common tunes sung by both white and black people, the negro's rhythm and graceful pa.s.sing from one line to another, together with the insertions of shouts and "amens"

renders them distinct. A number of the favorite "old time" religious songs are thus rendered by the negroes. They are the old "stand-by" hymns. The nature of some of them was indicated in the first chapter. The following songs will serve to ill.u.s.trate the common practice of singing among the "spiritualists".

In "The old-time Religion" there are as many versions as the singer can make combinations. It is "Gi' me dat ole-time religion", or it is "'Tis that ole time religion", or it is "Was that ole-time, etc.," or "Will be the old time religion". In the same way it may be "good enough", "It's good enough". It is, was, will be good enough for "mother, my mother, my ole mother, father, brother, sister," and all the list of biblical names, chiefest among whom are Paul and Silas, Peter and John. So again, it is "good when _dying_, _living_, _mourning_, _sinking_, _praying_, _talking_". It is good "when in _trubble_, when de _worl's on fier_, when the _lightening flashes_, when the _thunder rolls_, when the _heavens are melting_, when the _stars are falling_, when the _moon is bleeding_, when the _grave yards are opening_", and all other times that are conceived as being a part and factor in destiny. Likewise the chorus or the lines may be sung with additional "Yes", "sure", "well", "Uh", and various other expressions that are the product of the moment.

One who has heard the song "Bye and bye we'll go and see them", rendered in an effective way must recognize its power and beauty. It is pre-eminently a song for the emotions, and suggests scenes of the past and of the future; it brings back memories that have been forgotten and forms emotions and conceptions that have not before existed. To the negro it is all this--in so far as he is able to grasp the better emotions--but it is mostly a medium through which he can sing his rhythmic feeling off. And with the additional interpretations and additions both in words and in expression, it is scarcely surpa.s.sed by any of his spirituals. The simplest form is exactly the same as that of the regular song: "Bye and bye, we'll go and see them", From this the negroes vary to "Bye and bye I'm a goin' to see _him_, _them_, _her_". To this chorus they nearly always add in alternate lines "Well it's", "Well", "An'" and such expressions, thus:

Bye an' bye I'm goin' to see them, Bye an' bye I'm goin' to see them, Well, it's bye an' bye I'm goin' to see them, On de oder sh.o.r.e.

These expressions inserted or omitted at pleasure, serve to give an additional rhythm to the song that seems otherwise to be lacking. The verses of the song, like many others, are practically unlimited. Each is repeated three or six times as the singers prefer, with the refrain "On the other sh.o.r.e" added at the end of each stanza. The negroes sing not only of a _brother_, _sister_, _father_, _mother_, _auntie_, _preacher_ and _friends_, but they also sing of _Paul_ and _Silas_ and _Daniel_ and _Moses_; they are at liberty to use any name that comes to mind. And they manifest as much feeling and emotion about meeting _Moses_ or _Noah_ or _Abraham_ as they do about a dear old mother. Not only will they meet these loved ones but there will be scenes "over yonder."

I'm got a brother over yonder-on the other sh.o.r.e.

I'm goin' to meet my brother over yonder.

Tryin' time will soon be over, on the other sh.o.r.e.

Well, it's mournin' time will soon be over, on the other sh.o.r.e.

Cryin' time will soon be over.

Prayin' time will soon be over, etc.

Shoutin' time will soon be over, etc.

If necessary they then turn to the sinner and sing: "_Sinnin' time_, _gamblin'_ time, etc., will soon be over." The old plantation song, instead of saying, "Brother Daniel over yonder," had it, "Wonder where is good ole Daniel? Bye an' bye we'll go an' meet him, 'Way over in de promise lan'. Wonder where's dem Hebrew children? Wonder where's doubtin'

Thomas? Wonder where is sinkin' Peter?" This form is apparently not sung to-day.

In the same way the negroes have modified the comparatively new songs that have been successful among the evangelists the country over. One would scarcely recognize even the tunes at first hearing, while the verses are usually entirely different. The chorus, as a rule, remains the same, save for the variations already mentioned. One or two songs may be taken as ill.u.s.trations. "When the Roll is Called up yonder" appealed to the negroes for many reasons. Most of the churches sing it, and sing it "rousing"

well. Their chorus is beautiful and the parts, though carried informally, make a splendid effect. But the negro does not sing the prescribed stanzas. After singing the chorus, with such additions as he feels disposed to make, and after two or three, perhaps one, of the written verses, he sings his own song:

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

By the grace of G.o.d up yonder, I'll be there.

Yes, my home is way up yonder, an' I'll be there.

I got a mother way up yonder, I'll be there.

I got a sister way up yonder, I'll be there.

And without limitations he sings this new song into his old and favorite themes, often inserting stanzas and words that belong to the oldest existing negro spirituals in the same verse with the evangelist's best efforts. Another may ill.u.s.trate further: "Blessed be the Name of the Lord", has a great many variations, some of which would never be recognized without considerable study and investigation. At first the searcher is inclined to wonder at the distance the singer has got from his original, but the evolutionary steps make the process quite clear. The negroes love to sing blessing to the Lord; much of the basic principle of their theology is based upon grat.i.tude for the final deliverance of bondage from work and suffering. It is not surprising, then, that this song should become a favorite. One of the present versions, most commonly sung is:

If you git there before I do, Blessed be the name of the Lord, Tell my G.o.d I'm a comin' too, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I turn my eyes toward de sky, Blessed be the name of the Lord, I ask the Lord for wings to fly, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

And encouraged by the happy putting in to this new song an old verse, the singer proceeds to put in as many as he wishes; then in his desire for rhythm and his habit of repet.i.tion, together with the cries of "amen" or "Lord" the chorus often becomes: "My Lord, blessed be the name of the Lord." The outcome of such a chorus may be seen in the song already cited: "Lor' bless the Name."

In the effort to make new songs or to appropriate songs themselves, the negroes are thus constantly introducing various songs into their wors.h.i.+p.

The most common method, that of having the song printed on a single sheet for distribution, has already been mentioned. And as was there suggested, these songs are often verses taken at random from song books or poems, and put into song form. In most cases such songs are varied in such a way that the song may both meet the demand for a song of its kind and at the same time appear original. Some, indeed, are purely original productions, some of which have been cited. Just between the "spirituals" and the standard hymns are these innovation songs. They show well the circ.u.mstances which they represent. The effort is often made by members of the younger generation of negroes to subst.i.tute the new songs, together with the standard hymns for the old spirituals. They represent a step forward; young educated negroes do not like to be heard singing the simple spirituals. They claim that they are songs of the past, and, as such only, are they beautiful. The following song, given in the exact form in which it was distributed, will serve to ill.u.s.trate.

_BLESSED HOPE._ _By Rev. W. E. Bailey._

Blessed hope that in Jesus is given, All our sorrow to cheer and sustain, That soon in the mansions of heaven We shall meet with our loved ones again.

_Blessed hope, blessed hope, We shall meet with our loved ones again, Blessed hope, blessed hope, We shall meet with our loved ones again._

Blessed hope in the word G.o.d has spoken, All our peace by that word we obtain, And as sure as G.o.d's word was never broken, We shall meet with our loved ones again.

Blessed hope how it s.h.i.+nes in our sorrows, Like the star over Bethlehem's plain, We will see our Lord ere the morrow, We shall meet with our loved ones again.

Blessed hope the bright star of the morning, That shall herald his coming to reign, He will come and reward all the faithful, We shall meet with our loved ones again.

(Sung by Rev. J. T. Johnson.)

Such a song is neither sung to an old melody nor a new tune; it is not a spiritual; it is scarcely native nor yet borrowed. It represents the general result that comes from a free intermingling of all. To such a song there may be any number of tunes; likewise there are a great many such songs introduced and may be sung alike to simple tunes. A tune is as easily selected and rendered as are the words; words are as easily improvised, or written with some care, as the melodies are natural. But they appeal less strongly to the negroes as a rule for the simple reason that "they don't put a feelin' in you like the old songs."

Thus the negro's religion is dependent upon feeling; song facilitates and intensifies the feelings, and song is the essential joy of much of the negro's life. Whenever and wherever occasion demands religious manifestation, the song is the prerequisite. Not only at the church, but at lodge celebrations, funerals and memorial services, the song begins the process of "putting a feelin'" in the congregation. Again, the stress of the negro's religion is placed upon the supernatural and the life that lies beyond his present sphere. A religious att.i.tude is scarcely conceived by the negro without the fundamental conception of the next world. Thus is life contrasted with heaven and h.e.l.l; the sinner and the righteous are but temporary; so will the souls of all one day sing with Jehovah the songs that the angels love; and there will be feeling there, too. It is thus that the central themes of the negro's religious songs reveal both his religious nature and his mental att.i.tude, together with the emotional characteristics that predominate. And it is easily seen that the negro's imagery and imagination are scarcely surpa.s.sed. His religious fervor depends upon the reality of such imagery; the folk-song reflects this imagery as nothing else does. Again, the negro's sense of sin is ever present in a feeling of guilt in the struggle between himself and the real or the imaginary; consequently he insures himself against a final sense of guilt by strong declarations of his righteousness as opposed to the sinner's state. His sense of sin thus becomes less practical; it is rather an imaginative expression of a religious feeling. As the clearest exponent of the negro's real self, the folk song reveals the heart of his psychic nature; it is indeed a witness to the fact that "'Ligion's so sweet". Does he not sing well and truthfully?

I jus' got home f'um Jordan, I jus' got home f'um Jordan, I jus' got home f'um Jordan, 'Ligion's so-o-o sweet.

My work is done an' I mus' go, My work is done an' I mus' go, My work is done an' I mus' go, 'Ligion's so-o-o sweet.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] This paper presents in substance the contents of Chapters I and II of a study on "Negro Folk-Song and Character," with other chapters as follows: Chapter III, The Negro's Social and Secular Songs; Chapter IV, Types of Social Songs among the Negroes; Chapter V, Work Songs and Phrases; Chapter VI, The Negro's Mental Imagery; Chapter VII, Negro Character as Revealed in Folk-Songs and Poetry.

[2] See _Atlantic Monthly_, Vol. XIX, pp. 685 _seq._, _Scribners_, Vol.

XX, pp. 425 _seq._, _Lippincott's_, Vol. II, 617 _seq._

[3] For verses not found in the present-day negro spirituals, see _Slave Songs in the United States_, W. F. Allen, New York, 1867, _The Jubilee Singers_, New York, 1873, _Plantation and Cabin Songs_, New York, 1892.