In a general mixture of old song and new song, of old traits and new traits, the negro sings a beautiful song which he has called: “Whar’ shall I be?” The usual imagery is seen.
Moses lived til he got old,
Whar’ shall I be?
Buried in de mountain, so I’m told,
Whar’ shall I be?
Whar’ shall I be when de fust trumpet sounds?
Whar’ shall I be when it sounds so loud?
When it sound so loud that it wake up the dead,
Whar’ shall I be when it sounds?
Well God showed Noar de rainbow sign,
Whar’ shall I be?
No more water but fire nex’ time,
Whar’ shall I be?
Mathew, Mark, Luke and John,
Whar’ shall I be?
Tole me whar’ my Saviour gone;
Whar’ shall I be?
John declar’d he saw a man,
Whar’ shall I be?
Wid seben lamps in his right han’,
Whar’ shall I be?
The exact meaning of the following song could not be ascertained. It is apparently derived from some idea of the scriptural invocation and blessing upon the disciples. It is said to have a special message to the preacher, and is sometimes represented as being the words of God; at other times the encouragement of a friend and the reply.
Go and I will go with you;
Open your mouth and I’ll speak for you;
If I go and tell them what you say they won’t believe me.
Shout and I shout with you;
Throw out your arms and I catch you;
If they see you going with me, they won’t believe on you.
So it’s go and I go with you;
Open your mouth and I speak for you,
Shout and I shout with you,
Throw out your arms and I catch you,
If I go and tell them what you say they won’t believe me.
Another song of the modern type seems to appeal to the negroes very strongly. Again he is seeing a vivid picture of the Christ in the long years ago. But just where he gets the exact ideas by which to make the combinations is a little doubtful. Perhaps he gets the central thought from the miracle of Cana.
If my mother ask you for me, tell her I gone to Gallerlee,
I ought to a been there four thousand years ago,
To drink of the wine.
Drinkin’ of the wine, drinkin’ of the wine,
Drinkin’ of the wine, Drinkin’ of the wine,
Christ was there four thousand years ago,
Drinkin’ of the wine.
You may mourn, sinner, mourn, the Lord help you to mourn,
Christ was there four thousand years ago,
Drinkin’ of the wine.
So, too, you may moan, weep, cry, pray, brother, sister, father, mother, backslider, and any others that the singer happens to think of, and the chorus, “Drinkin’ of the wine,” is the favorite refrain. Again in “The Blind Man” the picture is one of confusing the scriptural scenes with those of the present, and of placing himself in the stead of the central character of the story.
Well the blind man stood by the grave and cried,
Well the blind man stood by the wave and cried,
Yes, the blind man stood by the wave and cried.
He cried, “O Lord, don’t you hear po’ me?”
Hark, the blind man stood by the wave and cried,
He cried, “O Lord, don’t you hear po’ me?”
Brother don’t you hear the blind cries, blind cries?
Brother don’t you hear the blind cries, blind cries?
O brother, don’t you hear the blind cries?
Jesus he give de blind man sight, blind man sight,
Jesus he give de blind man sight, blind man sight,
Yes, Jesus he give de blind man sight.
He also sings “sister, don’t you hear,” etc., brother, father, preacher. A peculiar modification of “Walking in the Light” is the song of the same name among the negroes, which seems to have its origin in the scriptural injunction, “Ye are the light of the world.”
Let yo’ light shine all over the world,
Walkin’ in the light, beautiful light.
Mos’ wonderful light, shine by night,
Let yo’ light shine all over the world.
I am the light, most pitiful light,
Let yo’ light shine all over the world.
Follow the light, mos’ beautiful light,
Let yo’ light shine all over the world.
Sinner, what you gwine do when the lamp stops burnin’,
Let yo’ light shine all over the world?