Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes

by Howard Washington Odum

“King Jesus” was the original name most commonly given to Christ in the spirituals. Besides this He was the bosom friend of the negro. He comes in to intercept satan and to save the individual from hell. He is very real and no one is more vividly described than He. He bears many relations to his people.

Now my Jesus bein’ so good an’ kind,
My Jesus lowered his mercy down,
An’ snatch me from de doors of hell,
An’ took me in with him to dwell.
Oh, Jesus tole you once befo’
To go in peace and sin no mo’.
I heard o’ my Jesus many one say,
Could move po’ sinner’s sins away.
Den Jesus he come ridin’ by,
Gib me wings to ride an’ fly.
Jesus Christ the first and las’,
No man wuks lak him;
He built a platform in de air,
He meets de saints from eve’where.
Virgin Mary had one son,
The cruel Jews had him hung.
Me an’ my Jesus goin’ live at ease,
Me an’ my Jesus goin’ do as we please.
If you want er die like Jesus died,
Fold yo’ arms an’ clasp yo’ eyes.
I tell you breth’ren an’ I tell you twist,
My soul done anchored in Jesus Christ.
Up on de hillside King Jesus spoke,
Out of his mouth come fire an’ smoke.
Yer say yo’ Jesus set you free;
Why don’t you let yo’ neighbors be?

Other shorter lines give equally concrete pictures and mention equally definite attributes.

You’ll see my Jesus come to wake up de nations underground.
King Jesus died for every man.
An’ de son He set me free.
I got my Jesus as well as you.
If you want to see Jesus go in de wilderness.
Gwine serve my Jesus till I die.
I call my Jesus king Emanuel.
He pluck my feet out’n de miry clay.
He sot dem on de firm rock of age.
Christ hab bought yo’ liberty.
King Jesus’ settin’ in de kingdom.
De win’ blow eas’ an’ de win’ blow wes’ from Jesus.
Oh yonder comes my Jesus, I know him by his shinin’.
Hear my Jesus when he call you? Hear my Jesus callin’?
I’m goin’ to hebben where my Jesus dwell.
O I walk and talk with Jesus.
Jesus loosen de man frum under de groun’.
Jesus ain’t comin’ here to die no mo’.
The son of man he dunno where to lay his weary head.
See what wonder Jesus done:
Jesus make dumb to speak.
Jesus make de cripple walk.
Jesus gib de blin’ deir sight.
Jesus do mos’ anything.
I want to do (or die) like Jesus.
Jesus stan’ on de udder side Jordan.
Jesus settin’ on de water side.
Jesus is our captain, Jesus got de hellum.
Jesus mount (ride) a milk-white hoss.
You had better follow Jesus.
Daddy Peter set out for Jesus.
Jesus will bring you milk an’ honey.
Mas’ Jesus is my bosom friend.
Gwine follow King Jesus, I really do believe.
King Jesus he was so strong, my Lord, till he jar down de walls ob hell.
Gwine to write to my Jesus.
King Jesus settin’ in de heaven.
King Jesus on de mountain top.
O Jesus is a mighty man. Ride in kind Jesus, who set po’ sinner free.
For Jesus came an’ lock de do’.
De Jews kill po’ Jesus.
Jesus call you—Jesus waitin’.
I wus los’ in de wilderness; Jesus hand me de candle down.
Mas’ Jesus gib me little broom fer to sweep my heart clean.
Jesus fed me when I was hungry, he clothed me when I was naked, he gave me drink when I was dry.
Jesus rose an’ flew away on Sunday morning.
Christ was there four thousand years ago, drinking of the wine.
Jesus he wore the starry crown. Did you see Jesus when he wore the starry crown?
Jesus he wore long white robe.
King Jesus speaks an’ de chariot stops.
King Jesus is the Rock.
Well did you say you love Jesus?
Jesus done bless my soul an’ gone to glory.
Won’t you ride on Jesus? O yes.
I look fer Jesus all o’ my days.
Jesus is a listening all the day long.

The scenes of the crucifixion seem to impress the negroes very forcibly and their songs abound in references to His suffering. Some of these expressions are full of feeling, and are touching in their sentiment.

They nail my Jesus down
They put him on the crown of thorn (thorny crown).
O see my Jesus hangin’ high!
He look so pale an’ bleed so free:
O don’t you think it was a shame,
He hung three hours in dreadful pain?

Next to Jesus and often synonymous with Him is God. He is “My Lord”, “My God”, “Lord God-er-mighty”, and “king Jehobah”, and represents the personal God and the ruler of the world.

Upon de mountain Jehobah spoke,
Out o’ his mouth come fire an’ smoke.
My God a walkin’ down hebbenly road,
Out o’ his mouth come two edged sword.
If yo’ find yo’ way to God,
The gospel highway mus’ be trod.
De father he look upon de Son an’ smile,
De Son he look on me,
De Father redeem my soul from hell,
De Son he set me free.
I’m a chile of God wid my soul set free.
For Christ hab bought my liberty.
I’m goin’ home fer to see my Lord.
My Lord did give me ease.
Ever since my Lord set me free.
I believe it for God he tole me so.
O my Lord’s comin’ ag’in,
It may be las’ time. I don’t know.
I goin’ to do all I can fer my Lord; I goin’ to mourn, pray, weep all I can fer my Lord.
The Lord is a listenin’ all the day long.
My Lord is a talkin (preachin’) at de jedgement day.
De Lord goin’ to wake up the dead.
My Lord come down wid de key an’ unlock de jail house do’.
O, my Lord’s a doctor in a weary lan’;
My Lord’s a preachin’ and teachin’, and walkin’ in a weary lan’.
My Lord calls me by the thunder; by the lightning.
Dat mus’ be my Lord in the cloud.
My Lord says there’s room enough.
I’m goin’ to tell God ’bout my trials.
Thank God-a-mighty, My God’s been here.
When I talk I talk wid God.
Gwine to chatter wid de Fadder.
My Fadder call an’ I mus’ go.
My righteous Lord shall fin’ you out.
Look to de Lord wid a tender heart.
O de Lord He plant de garden dere and raise de fruit for you to eat.
O de Lord He comfort sinner.
God did go to Moses house an’ tell him who He wus.
God an’ Moses walked and talked an’ God did sho’ him who He wus.
God sits in Heaven an’ answers prayer.
I gwine tell God how you sarved me.
Look in my God’s right hand.
His chariot wheels roll round.
God’s goin’ call dem chilluns frum de distant lan’.
My Lord’s a-ridin’ all the time.
De Lord has been here an’ de love come tricklin’ down.
Me an’ my God goin’ to walk an’ talk.
O God don’t talk lak a nat’ral man.
My Lord God-ermighty come a steppin’ down, come a steppin’ down on a sea ob glass.

Heaven for the negro is an eternal resting place where he shall occupy the best place. It is a place of glory and splendor in the material sense. Nor does he think that he will fail to miss his home when he dies. Hell is a place for thieves and sinners and liars, but such persons are far removed from him. His religion is the panacea for all evils and all sins, and when he has the “love of God in his heart” nothing can doom him, for has he not been “washed in the blood of the lamb?” and had not the “blood done sign his name”? His ideas of heaven are those which his mind naturally conceives of as applying to a home; his conclusions from the Scriptures are not unusual. A few of the references to heaven will give a better conception of the negro’s reality and vividness of interpretation.

I want to go to heaven when I die,
To shout salvation as I fly.
You say yer aiming fer de skies,
Why don’t yer quit yer tellin’ lies.
I hope I git dere bye an’ bye,
To jine de number in de sky.
When I git to heaven gwine to ease, ease,
Me an’ my God goin’ do as we please,
Settin’ down side o’ de holy Lamb.
When I git to heaven goin set right down,
Gwin-er ask my Lord fer starry crown.
Now wait till I gits my gospel shoes,
Gwin-er walk ’bout heaven an’ carry de news.
We’ll walk up an’ down dem golden streets,
We’ll walk about Zion.

Gwine sit in de kingdom, I raly do believe, where sabbaths have no end.
Look way in de heaven—hope I’ll jine de band—Sittin’ in de kingdom.
I done bin to heaven an’ I done bin’ tried.
Dere’s a long white robe in de heaven for me,
Dere’s a golden crown, golden harp, starry crown, silver slippers in heaven for me I know.
O yes I’m gwine up to see my Lord; gwine all de way up to see my robe; O de heaven is shinin’, shinin’.
Gwine shout in hebben, gwine hab a big meetin’.
If you want to go to heaven come along wid me.
Take my flight up to de skies in de mornin’.
O de heaven gates are open.
Gwine up to heaven where my Jesus dwells.
My Jesus walkin’ de hebbenly road.
De bell is ringin’ in odder bright worl’.
If you touch one strin’ de whole hebben ring.
De sun gib light in de hebben all round.
I wish I wus in de kingdom settin’ side o’ my Lord.
No more hard trial in de kingdom; no more tribulation, no more parting, no more quarreling, backbiting in de kingdom,
No more sunshine fer to bu’n you; no more rain fer to wet you.
Ev’y day will be Sunday in heaven.
Sweet music in heaven jes beginning to roll.
Goin feast off’n milk an’ honey.