As the Bible is the compass, so sometimes the Holy Ghost is thought of as the pilot. The Holy Ghost is too vague for the negroes to fathom and is not tangible enough for their imaginations. But he says: “If this ain’t de holy Ghost I don’t know”, but goes little further.
Just as the negro expects to talk and walk with God and Jesus, so he looks forward to seeing the angels in Heaven. He wants to see them with their white robes and hear them sing; he even says they mourn. “Bright angels hoverin’ on de water by de light”, are but a part of the angel band which he hopes to join. “Join de hebben wid de angels” is his watchword and by it he sees in his child-like fancy all the beauties of ideal creatures.
I’m gwine to keep a climbin’ high,
Till I meet dem angels in de sky.
Dem pooty angels I shall see—
Why doan de debbil let a me be?
O when I git to heaven goin’ sit an’ tell,
Three archangels gwine er ring dem bells.
Two white angels come a walkin’ down,
Long white robes an’ starry crown.
What’s dat yonder dat I see?
Big tall angel comin’ after me.
The negro makes a terrible picture of the day of judgment. For him it means everything that could possibly happen at the end of the world. It is the destruction of the sinner and the glory of the righteous. Nor does he hesitate to affirm that the Christian in heaven will shout amen to the sinner’s damnation. The sinner will see his mother and friends in heaven while he is doomed to hell. It serves as a warning theme for the song more than it indicates reality of thought. But here is a part of his picture:
My Lord what a morning when de stars begin to fall,
You’ll see de worl’ on fire,
You’ll see de moon a bleedin’ an’
De moon will turn to blood,
Den you’ll see de elements a meltin’,
You’ll see de stars a fallin’,
O yes, de stars in de elements a fallin’,
An’ de moon drips way in blood,
When God goin’ call dem childuns from de distant lan’,
Den you see de coffins bustin’,
Den you see de bones a creepin’,
Den you see po’ sinner risin’,
Den you hear de tombstones crackin’,
An’ you see de graves a bustin’,
Hell an’ seas gwine give up their daid,
Den you see de forked lightenin’,
Den you hear de rollin’ thunder,
Earth shall reel an’ totter,
Hell shall be uncapped,
De dragon be loosed,
Don’t you hear them sinners cryin’?
Such a scene vividly told of at a revival and sung to the associations of the moment is too much for the average negro; the sinner cries for mercy and turns to a Christian; the latter sings: “Fare you well po’ sinner” and
A mighty sea of glass mingled wid fier,
Good-bye, brother, I’m goin’ higher.
Along with the scenes which are associated with the resurrection and judgment go the sadder strains of the “mourners”; “weepin’ mournin’, cry’n’”—these will be much in evidence. A study of the songs that follow will give some idea of the emotional nature of the themes and music. The negroes sing sympathy. “Weepin’ Mary, weep no mo’”—“Mary wept, Martha cried”, why can’t they too? “Now ain’t dis hard trial and tribulation?” He sings often in his songs of hard times and trials. “When you see me,” he says, “pity me.” “Nobody knows de trubble I seen” but “I boun’ to leave dis worl’; Fare you well, dere’s a better day comin’.” His prayers are more pathetic than his songs; his appeals interpret the spirit of song and of worship. But one would scarcely look for a more pathetic wail than that of the negro who sings
Sometimes I hangs my head an’ cries,
But Jesus goin’ to wipe my weep’n’ eyes.
If the negro loves to mourn and if his songs are full of sadness and pathos, he also loves to shout and vigorously defends the right to shout as much as he pleases. His songs have many “Hallelujahs” in them; many notes of victory may be read in the songs of his choice. They often sing, however, the songs which should be the most joyous in the same sad and plaintive tone of the sadder ones. They forget the words. In many, however, the shouting takes away any sadness and these livelier songs voice the light and sensuous emotions equally as well as the more serious ones tell of hardships. The negro maintains that always and everywhere, “You’ll hear the Christian shout.” “De richest man I ever seed, his heart was fill wid Jesus an’ Holy Ghost.” “I got de glory in my soul” he says and