Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes Part 12

The song has been found in several forms among which one has it that _John_ is to be in de heavens with the angels. In fact the probable origin of "join on" seems to have been "John saw de heaven wid de angels". In one of the old songs the singer answers,

Dem shoes I wears is gospel shoes, _View de lan', view de lan'_; An' you can wear dem if you choose, View de lan', view de lan'.

There are other references, too, besides the above, to the denominations of the negro churchmen. It has already been seen that the negro likes "bes'" the "shoutin' Mefodes'". So he says "There's fire in de eas' an'

fire in de wes; An' fire among de Methodes'". He is loyal and proclaims: "Methodist, Methodist is my name, Methodist till I die, I'll be baptize in the Methodist name, An' I'll lib' on the Methodist side". In the same way he is _Baptist_ and _Presbyterian_; the _Baptist_ is the favorite church of the negro, however, and there are more Baptists than all other denominations combined.

The "Angel Band", while a very simple song in which the chorus const.i.tutes the greater part, is one of the most beautiful that the negroes sing. The tune is a variation of a well-known hymn used by the whites. The power of the song seems to lie in the tender interest which centres about the vivid portrayal of the little angels in the heavenly band. The chorus is repeated after each stanza, while each stanza itself is the repet.i.tion of a single line. From one to ten; from ten to twenty and so on to one hundred is ordinarily sung, thus making a lengthy song. The children love to sing the chorus; two forms are ordinarily found, varying the monotony enough to please the negro.

_Dere's one little, two little, three little angels, Dere's four little, five little, six little angels.

Dere's seven little, eight little, nine little angels, Dere's ten little angels in de band.

Dere's leben, dere's twelve, dere's thir'een little angels, Dere's fourteen, dere's fifteen, dere's sixteen little angels.

Dere's seventeen, dere's eighteen, dere's nineteen little angels, Dere's twenty little angels in de band._

The "little" in the chorus is preferred to the "dere's" as a rule, apparently serving to describe the angels. The stanzas of the song are equally as unlimited and as simple as the chorus. "Sunday morning" is the common factor to all of the verses; sometimes it is omitted.

Jesus rose on Sunday mornin', Jesus rose on Sunday mornin', Jesus rose on Sunday mornin', On Sunday mornin' so soon.

He rose an' flew away on Sunday mornin'.

My mother died on Sunday mornin'.

Oh wasn't that sad on Sunday mornin'?

Dere's goin' to be a big camp meetin' on Sunday mornin'.

Dere's goin' to be a mournin' on Sunday mornin'.

Mourners got to shoutin' on Sunday mornin'.

I'm goin' away to leave you on Sunday mornin'.

Well, my sister's goin' to heaven on Sunday mornin'.

While this form of the song may be continued indefinitely, other verses may also be inserted. Instead of the "On Sunday mornin'" is often subst.i.tuted "Fer to see my Lord".

Well, my sister's goin' to heaven fer to see my Lord, To see my Lord, to see my Lord; Well, my sister's goin' to heaven fer to see my Lord, What's de onbelievin' soul?

And so he continues with _preacher_, _brother_, _mother_, _auntie_ and any others that he wishes to enumerate. As a shouting song or as a "collection" song, it is not surpa.s.sed.

The negro's fancies of the "Heaven's bright home" are not exceeded by the world's fairy tales. There are silver and golden slippers; there are crowns of stars and jewels and belts of gold. There are robes of spotless white and wings all bejewelled with heavenly gems. Beyond the jasper seas he will outshine the sun; the golden streets and the fruit of the tree of life are far superior to any golden apples or silver pears of a Mother Goose. In fact the negro's fairy stories centre on heaven; the children's definitions of heaven consisted entirely of pictures of splendor and glory. To this place the negro imagines he will go and who knows but that he may fly there?

Some o' dese mornin's bright an' fair, _Way in de middle of de air_; Gwi' hitch on my wings an' try de air, _Way in de middle of de air_.

_Come over, den, John saw de holy number, Way in de middle of de air; John saw de holy number, Way in de middle of de air;_

If yer wanter dream dem heavenly dreams, Way in de middle of de air; Lay yo' head on Jord'n's stream, Way in de middle of de air.

I got a book goin' read it thru', Way in de middle of de air, I got my Jesus well as you, Way in de middle of de air.

With a golden "band all round his waist, An' de palms ob victory in a-his hands", the negro sings in reality: "Pray come an' go wid me", for so vivid is his picture that he has been known to start up a post or pillar in the church, saying, "Good bye brothers, I'm gone". His songs make much of flying; different from that just quoted he repeats:

_One mornin' soon, One mornin' soon, my Lord, One mornin' soon, I goin' try the air, I goin' try the air, Pray come an' go wid me._

Well I got on my travellin' shoes, Well I got on my travellin' shoes, Well I got on my travellin' shoes, Pray come an' go wid me.

He sings, too, "I goin' to put on my long white robe", "We'll try on de slippah shoe an' wear de golden belt". Again he sings of his doings in the _morning_, _noontime_, and _midnight_.

In the morning--um-u', In the morning--um-u', In the morning--um-u', I goin' put on my golden shoes.

In the midnight--um-u', In the midnight--um-u', In the midnight--um-u', I goin' put on my long white robe.

Talk about it--um-u', Talk about it--um-u', Talk about it--um-u', I goin' wear that starry crown.

The angels and Jesus wear the starry crown and long white robes; there will be no separating line between us and G.o.d in the new world. "Oh how I long to go dere, too", sang the old negroes. Now he pictures again the appearance of Jesus.

Jesus, he wore the starry crown, Jesus he wore the starry crown, Jesus he wore the starry crown, starry crown.

How does you know he wore the crown?

How does you know he wore the crown?

How does you know he wore the crown? wore the crown?

For the Bible it tell me so, For the Bible it tell me so, For the Bible it tell me so, tell me so.

Then, too, Jesus "he wore the long white robe, for the Bible it tell me so." More than the _world_ or _riches_ or _dress_ the singer claims he values the treasures of heaven. In this a.s.sertion he is doubtless sincere, both because he is thinking only of his religious state while he sings, and because he has little opportunity for obtaining these earthly riches.

Says he:

I don't care fur riches, Neither dress so fine, Jes' giv' me my long white robe, An' I want my starry crown.

_For my Lord done bin here, Done bless my soul an' gone away._

Po' man goin' to heaven, Rich man goin' to h.e.l.l, For po' man got his starry crown, Rich man got his wealth.

This "ole worl' bin a h.e.l.l to me" indicates the contrast between the everyday life of the world and that which the negro will enjoy after death. In his eagerness and impatience to rest in the "promise lan'," the negro does not always think kindly of the world and he does not care even though "Death is in dis lan'."

Ever since my Lord has set me free, _Death is in dis lan'_, This ole worl' bin a h.e.l.l to me, _Death is in dis lan'_.

_I'm so glad death is in dis lan', I'm so glad death is in dis lan'._

O run 'long mourner 'n git yo' crown, _Death is in dis lan'_, By yo' father's side set down, _Death is in dis lan'_.

Some er dese mornin's bright and fair, _Death is in dis lan'_, Gwin'r hitch on my wings an' try de air, _Death is in dis lan'_.

If the negro expects to go to heaven and there mingle with G.o.d, the angels and his loved ones, he also expects to sing in all the glory and splendor imaginable. The negroes used to sing of "jinin' de a.s.sociation, climbin'

Jacob's ladder, climbin' higher an' higher, sittin' down at de welcome table, feastin' off'n milk an' honey, tell G.o.d how you served me, jine de big baptizin", after which "den my little soul gwine shine." So they sang of a mother, father, brother in heaven who "outshines de sun", and ended by declaring that when they got to heaven "we will outshine de sun." In very much the same way the negroes sing to-day in one of their favorites, "Goin' to Outshine de Sun."

Well, my mother's goin' to heaven, She's goin' to outshine the sun, _O Lord_, Well, my mother's goin' to heaven, She's goin' to outshine the sun, Yes, my mother's goin' to heaven to outshine the sun, An' it's way beyon' the moon.

You got a home in the promise lan', Goin' to outshine the sun, _O Lord_, An' it's way beyon' the moon.