Here’s a fascinating book of slave songs collected during & immediately after the war by Allen, Ware, & Garrison:
on Archive.org >>
ALSO: Text + images of book @ DocSouth.unc.edu >>
The first paragraphs of the introduction provide a taste of the authors’ approach & intent:
The musical capacity of the negro race has been recognized for so many years that it is hard to explain why no systematic effort has hitherto been made to collect and preserve their melodies. More than thirty years ago those plantation songs made their appearance which were so extraordinarily popular for a while ; and if “Coal-black Rose,” “Zip Coon” and “Ole Virginny nebber tire” have been succeeded by spurious imitations, manufactured to suit the somewhat sentimental taste of our community, the fact that these were called “negro melodies” was itself a tribute to the musical genius of the race.
The public had well-nigh forgotten these genuine slave songs, and with them the creative power from which they sprung, when a fresh interest was excited through the educational mission to the Port Royal islands, in 1861. The agents of this mission were not long in discovering the rich vein of music that existed in these half-barbarous people, and when visitors from the North were on the islands, there was nothing that seemed better worth their while than to see a ” shout” or hear the “people” sing their “sperichils.” A few of these last, of special merit,* soon became established favorites among the whites, and hardly a Sunday passed at the church on St. Helena without “Gabriel’s Trumpet,” “I hear from Heaven to-day,” or “Jehovah Hallelujah.” The last time I myself heard these was at the Fourth of July celebration, at the church, in 1864. All of them were sung, and then the glorious shout, “I can’t stay behind, my Lord,” was struck up, and sung by the entire multitude with a zest and spirit, a swaying of the bodies and nodding of the heads and lighting of the countenance and rhythmical movement of the hands, which I think no one present will ever forget…
The book contains 136 songs:
- Roll, Jordan, roll
- Jehovah, Hallelujah
- I hear from Heaven to-day
- Blow your trumpet, Gabriel
- Praise, member
- Wrestle on, Jacob
- The Lonesome Valley
- I can’t stay behind
- Poor Rosy
- The Trouble of the World
- There’s a meeting here to-night
- Hold your light
- Happy Morning
- No man can hinder me
- Lord, remember me
- Not weary yet
- Religion so sweet
- Hunting for the Lord
- Go in the wilderness
- Tell my Jesus “Morning.”
- The Graveyard
- John, John, of the Holy Order
- I saw the beam in my sister’s eye
- Hunting for a city
- Gwine follow
- Lay this body down
- Heaven bell a-ring
- Jine ’em
- Rain fall and wet Becca Lawton
- Bound to go
- Michael row the boat ashore
- Sail, O believer
- Rock o’ Jubilee
- Stars begin to fall
- King Emanuel
- Satan’s Camp A-Fire
- Give up the world
- Jesus on the Waterside
- I wish I been dere
- Build a house in Paradise
- I know when I’m going home
- I’m a trouble in de mind
- Travel on
- Archangel, open the door
- My body rock ‘long fever
- Bell da ring
- Pray all de member
- Turn sinner, turn O
- My army cross over
- Join the angel band
- I an’ Satan had a race
- Shall I die?
- When we do meet again
- The White Marble Stone
- I can’t stand the fire
- Meet, O Lord
- Wai’, Mr.~Mackright
- Early in the morning
- Hail, Mary
- No more rain fall for wet you
- I want to go home
- Good-bye, brother
- Fare ye well
- Many thousand go
- Brother Moses gone
- The Sin-sick Soul
- Some Valiant Soldier
- Hallelu, Hallelu
- Children do linger
- Good-bye
- Lord, make me more patient
- The Day of Judgment
- The Resurrection Morn
- Nobody knows the trouble I’ve had
- Who is on the Lord’s side
- Hold out to the end
- Come go with me
- Every hour in the day
- In the mansions above
- Shout on, children
- Jesus, won’t you come by-and-by?
- Heave away
- Wake up, Jacob
- On to Glory
- Just Now
- Shock along, John
- Round the corn, Sally
- Jordan’s Mills
- Sabbath has no end
- I don’t feel weary
- The Hypocrite and the Concubine
- O shout away
- O’er the Crossing
- Rock o’ my Soul
- We will march thro’ the valley
- What a trying time
- Almost Over
- Don’t be weary, traveller
- Let God’s saints come in
- The Golden Altar
- The Winter
- The Heaven Bells
- The Gold Band
- The Good Old Way
- I’m going home
- Sinner won’t die no more
- Brother, guide me home
- Little children, then won’t you be glad?
- Charleston Gals
- Run, nigger, run
- I’m gwine to Alabamy
- My Father, how long?
- I’m in trouble
- O Daniel
- O brother, don’t get weary
- I want to join the band
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Pray on
- Good news, Member
- I want to die like-a Lazarus die
- Away down in Sunbury
- This is the trouble of the world
- Lean on the Lord’s side
- These are all my Father’s children
- The Old Ship of Zion
- Come along, Moses
- The Social Band
- God got plenty o’ room
- You must be pure and holy
- Belle Layotte
- Remon
- Aurore Bradaire
- Caroline
- Calinda
- Lolotte
- Musieu Bainjo
PBS “History Detectives” featured “Slave Songs…” in this 2009 episode: