Something has been observed about the negro’s attitude toward the crucifixion. The old songs asked: “Wus you dere when dey crucified my Lord? When dey put the crown of thorns on?” and other scenes. In some of the songs the negroes sang “I wus dere when”, etc., while still others only affirm the facts. The songs of the present generation of negroes are less vivid and less full of feeling for the suffering of the Master. Some of the verses are similar to those of the plantation songs.
He carried his cross, he carried his cross,
Up Zion hill, up Zion hill,
He carried his cross, he carried his cross,
Up Zion hill, up Zion hill,
He carried his cross up Zion hill, Zion hill, Zion hill.
They put on him the thorny crown (3),
Then they nail my Jesus down,
They nail him down, nail him down, nail him down,
They lif’ the cross high in the air (3),
To show the worl’ how they nail him there,
How they nail him there, nail him there, nail him there.
A peculiar corruption of this song represents the prodigal son as being in the place of Christ; now it is the prodigal, now it is the Lord. It indicates the manner of the development of many of these songs, and shows something of the insignificance of the words on the minds of the singers. He sings with his holy laugh:
Yes, the prodigal son come home, ha, ha,
Yes, the prodigal son come home, ha, ha,
The prodigal son come home by hisself.
An’ they nail him to the cross, ha, ha,
An’ they nail him to the cross, ha, ha,
An’ they nail him to the cross on that day.
An’ the blood come runnin’ down, ha, ha,
The blood come runnin’ down, ha, ha,
An’ the blood come runnin’ down, on that day.
An’ they kill the fat’nin’ calf, ha, ha,
An’ they kill the fat’nin’ calf, ha, ha,
They kill the fat’nin’ calf on that day.
An’ they carried my Lord away, ha, ha,
An’ they carried my Lord away, ha, ha,
They carried my Lord away, by hisself.
Paul and Silas, Peter and John are models for proper contemplation. One of the old songs represented Peter and Paul as bound in jail. “Togedda dey sung, togedda dey prayed, De Lawd he heard how dey sung an’ prayed. Den humble yo’selves, de bell done rung.” “Paul an’ Silas bound in jail, The Christians pray both night and day,” represented another song, one version of which has survived and is current to-day. Most of the song consists in repetitions.
Paul and Silas bound in jail,
Paul and Silas bound in jail,
Paul and Silas bound in jail,
Paul and Silas bound in jail.
Paul did pray one mournful prayer (4).
Don’t you wish you could pray like Paul?(4)
He prayed an’ the good Lord set him free (4).
Another version prays for the angels to come down and unlock the door of the jail. It has a striking parallel among the secular songs and might have been composed with the idea of the negro in jail as being rescued.
Come down angel with the key,
Come down angel with the key,
My Lord, angel, come down with the key.
Unlock the door for me-e-e,
Unlock the door for me-e-e,
My Lord, unlock the door for me.
Paul and Silas is in jail,
Paul and Silas is in jail,
My Lord, Paul and Silas is in jail.
Unlock the jail-house door,
Unlock the jail-house door-oor,
My Lord, unlock the jail house door.
Among those of the Bible who have been the special subject of song, Noah has a prominent place. References to him have been made already. He is always the hero of the flood. In most of the songs wherein a special character has an important part, it is in the chorus or refrain. So in “Fohty days an’ nights”, a general mixture of songs and ideas, Noah and the flood make the chorus.
Dey calls bro’ Noah a foolish man,
Fohty days an’ nights,
He built de ark upon de lan’,
Fohty days an’ nights.
En, ho, ho, didn’t it rain?
O yes, you know it did.
Ho, ho, didn’t it rain?
O yes, you know it did.
Ole Satan wears a iron shoe,
Hit’s fohty days an’ nights,
Ef you don’t mind gwine slip it on you,
Fohty days an’ nights.
Some go to meetin’ to put on pretense,
Fohty days an’ nights,
Until de day ob grace is spent,
Fohty days an’ nights.
Some go to meetin’ to sing an’ shout,
Fohty days an’ nights,
Fo’ six months dey’ll be turned out,
Fohty days an’ nights.
I tell you brother an’ I tell you twice,
It’s fohty days an’ nights,
My soul done anchored in Jesus Christ,
Fohty days an’ nights.
If you git dar befo’ I do,
Forty days an’ nights,
Look out fer me I’se comin’ too,
Fohty days an’ nights.
You baptize Peter an’ you baptize Paul,
It’s fohty days an’ nights,
But de Lord-God-er-mighty gwine baptize all,
It’s fohty days an’ nights.