Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 3

My G.o.d a walkin' down hebbenly road, Out o' his mouth come two edged sword.

If yo' find yo' way to G.o.d, The gospel highway mus' be trod.

De father he look upon de Son an' smile, De Son he look on me, De Father redeem my soul from h.e.l.l, De Son he set me free.

I'm a chile of G.o.d wid my soul set free.

For Christ hab bought my liberty.

I'm goin' home fer to see my Lord.

My Lord did give me ease.

Ever since my Lord set me free.

I believe it for G.o.d he tole me so.

O my Lord's comin' ag'in, It may be las' time. I don't know.

I goin' to do all I can fer my Lord; I goin' to mourn, pray, weep all I can fer my Lord.

The Lord is a listenin' all the day long.

My Lord is a talkin (preachin') at de jedgement day.

De Lord goin' to wake up the dead.

My Lord come down wid de key an' unlock de jail house do'.

O, my Lord's a doctor in a weary lan'; My Lord's a preachin' and teachin', and walkin' in a weary lan'.

My Lord calls me by the thunder; by the lightning.

Dat mus' be my Lord in the cloud.

My Lord says there's room enough.

I'm goin' to tell G.o.d 'bout my trials.

Thank G.o.d-a-mighty, My G.o.d's been here.

When I talk I talk wid G.o.d.

Gwine to chatter wid de Fadder.

My Fadder call an' I mus' go.

My righteous Lord shall fin' you out.

Look to de Lord wid a tender heart.

O de Lord He plant de garden dere and raise de fruit for you to eat.

O de Lord He comfort sinner.

G.o.d did go to Moses house an' tell him who He wus.

G.o.d an' Moses walked and talked an' G.o.d did sho' him who He wus.

G.o.d sits in Heaven an' answers prayer.

I gwine tell G.o.d how you sarved me.

Look in my G.o.d's right hand.

His chariot wheels roll round.

G.o.d's goin' call dem chilluns frum de distant lan'.

My Lord's a-ridin' all the time.

De Lord has been here an' de love come tricklin' down.

Me an' my G.o.d goin' to walk an' talk.

O G.o.d don't talk lak a nat'ral man.

My Lord G.o.d-ermighty come a steppin' down, come a steppin' down on a sea ob gla.s.s.

_Heaven_ for the negro is an eternal resting place where he shall occupy the best place. It is a place of glory and splendor in the material sense.

Nor does he think that he will fail to miss his home when he dies. _h.e.l.l_ is a place for _thieves_ and _sinners_ and _liars_, but such persons are far removed from him. His religion is the panacea for all evils and all sins, and when he has the "love of G.o.d in his heart" nothing can doom him, for has he not been "washed in the blood of the lamb?" and had not the "blood done sign his name"? His ideas of heaven are those which his mind naturally conceives of as applying to a home; his conclusions from the Scriptures are not unusual. A few of the references to heaven will give a better conception of the negro's reality and vividness of interpretation.

I want to go to heaven when I die, To shout salvation as I fly.

You say yer aiming fer de skies, Why don't yer quit yer tellin' lies.

I hope I git dere bye an' bye, To jine de number in de sky.

When I git to heaven gwine to ease, ease, Me an' my G.o.d goin' do as we please, Settin' down side o' de holy Lamb.

When I git to heaven goin set right down, Gwin-er ask my Lord fer starry crown.

Now wait till I gits my gospel shoes, Gwin-er walk 'bout heaven an' carry de news.

We'll walk up an' down dem golden streets, We'll walk about Zion.

Gwine sit in de kingdom, I raly do believe, where sabbaths have no end.

Look way in de heaven--hope I'll jine de band--Sittin' in de kingdom.

I done bin to heaven an' I done bin' tried.

Dere's a long white robe in de heaven for me, Dere's a golden crown, golden harp, starry crown, silver slippers in heaven for me I know.

O yes I'm gwine up to see my Lord; gwine all de way up to see my robe; O de heaven is s.h.i.+nin', s.h.i.+nin'.

Gwine shout in hebben, gwine hab a big meetin'.

If you want to go to heaven come along wid me.

Take my flight up to de skies in de mornin'.

O de heaven gates are open.

Gwine up to heaven where my Jesus dwells.

My Jesus walkin' de hebbenly road.

De bell is ringin' in odder bright worl'.

If you touch one strin' de whole hebben ring.

De sun gib light in de hebben all round.

I wish I wus in de kingdom settin' side o' my Lord.

No more hard trial in de kingdom; no more tribulation, no more parting, no more quarreling, backbiting in de kingdom, No more suns.h.i.+ne fer to bu'n you; no more rain fer to wet you.

Ev'y day will be Sunday in heaven.

Sweet music in heaven jes beginning to roll.

Goin feast off'n milk an' honey.

The negro does not dwell upon thoughts of h.e.l.l as he does of heaven. Even if he has "stepped over h.e.l.l an' come back 'gain," he does not reveal so much of its character. Some conceptions, however, are definite enough.

O h.e.l.l is deep an' h.e.l.l is wide, O h.e.l.l ain't got no bottom or side.

I'd rather pray myself away, Than live in h.e.l.l an' burn one day.

O when I git to hebben, I'll be able to tell, How I shunned dat dismal h.e.l.l.

Ev'y since my Lord done set me free, Dis ole worl' bin a h.e.l.l to me.

When I come to find out I's on de road to h.e.l.l, I fleed to Jesus.

The negro song finds little satisfaction in his various ideas of h.e.l.l.

"This ole world's a h.e.l.l to me," says the negro; but "h.e.l.l is a dark and dismal place," so that the only immediate conclusion which he can reach is that he must "shun de gates of h.e.l.l" and make for the home beyond the Jordan.