Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes

by Howard Washington Odum

Perhaps the idea of the letter came from the epistles of the New Testament. John and Peter wrote letters; Mary and Martha read them. The letters of the Hebrews and Ephesians are spoken of. The idea “It just suits me” seems to have sprung up from satisfaction in reading the “word” or in hearing the sermon and praying in the usual way.

John wrote a letter and he wrote it in haste,
An’ it jus’ suit me:
John wrote a letter and he wrote it in haste,
An’ it jus’ suit me.

John wrote a letter and he wrote it in haste,
If yer want to go to heaven yer better make haste,
An’ it jus’ suit me.
I’ll tell you a little thing that was in that letter,
An’ it jus’ suit me.
I’ll tell you a little thing that was in John’s letter,
The Holy Ghost came to make us better,
An’ it jus’ suit me.

In the same form and repetition are sung other stanzas, all of which “suit” the negroes pretty well.

If this isn’t the Holy Ghost I don’t know,
I never felt such a love befo’,
But it jus’ suit me.
O my brother, you oughter been at de pool,
To see me put on my gospel shoes,
An’ it jus’ suit me.
Ezekiel said he spied the train a comin’,
We got on board an’ she never stopped runnin’,
An’ it jus’ suit me.
This kind er religion is better than gold,
It’s better felt than ever told,
An’ it jus’ suit me.
I tell you a little thing you can’t do,
You can’t serve God and the devil, too,
But it jus’ suit me.
When trouble is done an’ conflict have passed,
I rise to reign in peace at last,
An’ it jus’ suit me.

By this time the singers are happy enough and the preacher joins them in shouting, “Yes, brethren, it just suits me.” It is gratifying to the negroes that their sins have been “washed in the blood of the Lamb”, as indeed it ought to be. Perhaps they give it its undue prominence without thought; for they have no conception of the seriousness of their claims. The negro singers have exhibited a characteristic specimen of their word combinations, concrete pictures, and theological principles in their song, “De blood done sign my name.”

O de blood, O de blood,
O de blood done sign my name;
O Jesus said so, Jesus said so,
O de blood done sign my name.
I believe it for God he tole me,
That the blood done sign my name,
I believe it for God he tole me,
That the blood done sign my name,
Yes, the blood done sign my name.
How do you know so, God he said so
That the blood done sign my name.
Well it’s written in de Kingdom,
That the blood done sign my name.
Well in de Lamb’s book it is written,
That the blood done sign my name.
Well the wheels a turnin’, wheels a turnin’,
Blood done sign my name.
I’m boun’ for glory, boun’ for glory,
The blood done sign my name.
On de mountain, on de mountain,
The blood done sign my name.
In the valley, in the valley,
Blood done sign my name.

But the Christian does not have an easy time after his conversion. Satan is always at hand and ready to lead him away if there is a chance. The negro’s idea of satan and the devil has been noted. In his march songs the negro imagines that he is marching against his foe; this foe is sometimes satan himself. “The other world is not lak’ dis” is a typical marching song.

I er’s walkin’ ’long de oder day,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis,
I met ole satan on de way,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis,
He said, “Young man, you’re too young to pray”,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis.
Tell all dis worl’,
Tell all dis worl’,
Tell all dis worl’,
De odder worl’ is not lak’ dis.
As I went down in de valley to pray,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis,
I met a little looker on de way,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis,
He said: “Look out fer de Judgment day”,
De udder worl’ is not lak’ dis.

Another marching song that is a rousing one is “Goin’ down to Jord’n”. It represents, like the one just given, the attributes of satan and his relation to the Christian. The scene as pictured, the army marching on down to Jordan, the imaginary foe, and the rhythm of the song make it a favorite.

Halleluyer to the Lam’,
Goin’ on down to Jordan,
Lord God’s on that givin’ han’,
Goin’ on down to Jordan.
Goin’ down to Jordan,
Goin’ down to Jordan,
I got my breas’plate, sword an’ shield,
Goin’ down to Jordan,
Boldly mar chin’ thru’ the field,
Goin’ on down to Jordan.
I plucked one block out’n satan’s wall,
Goin’ on down to Jordan,
I heard him stumble an’ saw him fall,
Goin’ on down to Jordan.
Ole satan’s a liar an’ a conjurer, too,
Goin’ on down to Jordan,
If you don’t mind he’ll conjure you,
Goin’ down to Jordan.
Ole satan mad an’ I am glad,
He missed a soul he thought he had.
Ole satan thought he had me fast,
Broke his chain an’ I’m free at last.
I’ve landed my feet on Jordan’s sho’,
Now I’m free forever mo’,
Goin’ on down to Jordan.