I always play wood ghost cus I wus bo'n with a "call". I kin see the ghost jus' is plain is ebber. Some time I see some I know an' again others I don' know. Only thing you can' see their feet cus dey walk off de ground. W'en I use to see dem my sister would put sand on de fire den dey would go an' I wouldn' see any for a long time. One mornin' my uncle wus passin' a church an' a ghost appear on the porch. My uncle had a dog wood 'im. He start to run an' the dog start to run too, an' down the road dey went. He didn' hab on anything but his shirt an' he say he run so fas' 'til the wind had his shirt-tail stif as a board. He couldn' out run the dog, nor could the dog out run 'im.
Dis is a spiritual dey use to sing durin' slavery:
Climb up de walls of Zion
Ah, Lord,
Climb up de walls of Zion
Ah, Lord, Climbin' up de walls of Zion
Ah, Lord.
Climbin' up de walls of Zion
Ah, Lord,
Great camp meetin' in the promise lan'.
My pa use to sing dis song:
See w'en' 'e rise
Rise an' gone,
See w'en' 'e rise
Rise an' gone.
Gone to Galilee on a Sunday morning.
Oh, my Jesus rise an' gone to Galilee
On a Sunday morning.
Dey use to sing dis in experience meetin's:
Go round, go round
Look at the mornin' star,
Go round, go round
Got a soul to save.
CHORUS
Wuan' for ole satan
I wouldn' have to pray,
Satan broke God's Holy Law
I got a soul to save.
Dey use to sing dis too:
Room Anough, room anough
Room anough, room anough
Room anough in de Heaven I know,
I can't stay away,
Room anough in de Heaven I know,
I can't stay away.
Source: Interview with Thomas Goodwater, 108 Anson Street.
P.S. The variations of words and sentences describe interviews with
individuals, naturally.