It's interesting that some people equate the song Kumbaya-or at least the phrase Kumbaya moments-with fake comraderie for that African American spiritual was originally a heartfelt plea by enslaved peope for divine intervention.

There actually is at least one African American spiritual that talks about fake comraderie. That song is "Scandalize My Name".

Scandalize My Name

I met my brother the other day
And gave him my right hand
As soon as ever my back was turned
He scandalized my name

Now do you call that a brother?
No, no
You call that a brother?
No, no
You call that a brother
No, no
Scandalize my name

I met my sister the other day
And gave her my right hand
As soon as ever my back was turned
She too scandalized my name

Now do you call that a sister?
No, no
You call that a sister?
No, no
You call that a sister?
No, no
Scandalize my name

I met my preacher the other day
And gave him my right hand
As soon as ever my back was turned
He too scandalized my name

Now do you call that religion?
No, no
You call that religion?
No, no
You call that religion?
No, no
Scandalize my name.

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/paul-robeson-scandalize-my-name-lyrics.html

**

This past summer, I had the pleasure of hearing and singing the song "Scandalize Your Name" at my home church in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reverend Bey, the lead minister of Union Baptist Temple started singing that song in response to another song that the choir had just sung. That song {whose title and words I can't remember} had a line in it about ministers doing wrong. I think that I remember the song "Scandalize My Name" so well partly because I had never heard it before, and partly because I admired the improvisational way the minister riffed on the choir's song.

The choir's song occurred right before Rev. Bey was to give his sermon. However, after the choir ended their song, instead of reading the scripture that his sermon was based on and then going into his prepared sermon, Rev. Bey made a jocular comment something like "Oh no, you had to go and talk about the pastor, didn't you? Well, that puts me to mind of this song". And then he started singing the song, and after the first line the pianist played accompaniment and the choir and the congregation started singing the song.

This experience was memorable for me because it "put me to mind" of olden day, downhome {Southern} Black social, good natured give and take experiences that I've read about but rarely if ever before this had experienced. The fact that the sung was unplanned and was in response to another song added to the experience for me.

**

Here's a link to a YouTube video of "Scandalize My Name" sung by two great vocalists-Jessye Norman And Kathleen Battle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ZktluC0Mg