Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes

by Howard Washington Odum

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 God 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 assertion 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 hell,
For po’ man got his starry crown,
Rich man got his wealth.

This “ole worl’ bin a hell 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 hell 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 God, 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 association, climbin’ Jacob’s ladder, climbin’ higher an’ higher, sittin’ down at de welcome table, feastin’ off’n milk an’ honey, tell God 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.
The crown that my Jesus give me,
Goin’ to outshine the sun, my Lord,
An’ it’s way beyond the moon.
Goin’ to put on my crown in glory,
An’ outshine the sun, O Lord.
’Way beyon’ de moon.

Other verses sing of putting on slippers, long white robe, in each case the singer is to “outshine the sun.” The dazzling splendor of it all makes anticipation full of staying qualities; it makes the picture one of reality because of the vigor of an imaginative power. Who knows if the negroes often dream of the grandeurs of the sky?