Welcome to Mudcat!

I agree with Joe that 'Beauty land' is probably folk etymology for 'Beulah land'.

{'folk etymology'=substitution of a familiar word, phrase or sound for an unfamiliar word, phrase or sound}

Also, as you probably are aware, 'Beulah land' was an African American referent for heaven {the promised land; glory; glory land}.

'Beulah land' was also said to be a referent for Canada {freedom land} for after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 if they were successful in entering this nation, African Americans fleeing slavery could be assured that they remained free.

Of course, 'the water' sung about in this song was the 'Jordan River' which symbolized the passage from earthly existence to heaven.
The 'water' {or the Jordon River} could also symbolize the Ohio River which was crossed by many escaping slaves to reach freedom in the North {and which, after 1850, marked the first successful part of their journey on to Canada}.

'Wade In The Water' and 'Steal Away' are two spirituals which are usually said to have sometimes been used to convey coded messages that someone was planning to escape from slavery 'soon and very soon' with help from the 'underground railroad' or with no help whatsoever.

I'm one of those people who doubts that spirituals were used in this manner as often as some have suggested. For a discussion on spirituals and other songs as coded messages, click here for the Mudcat thread Follow The Drinking Gourd

By the way, "Wade In The Water" is a call & reponse, open-ended song-which means that it was led by a soloist, with the rest of the folks responding to his or her lines. And its verses could go on and on depending on the creativity of the soloist {caller/soloist} and the willingness of the rest of the group {responders} to continue singing it. Therefore like other African American spirtuals and like secular folk songs that originated in slavery, "Wade in the Water" is not supposed to have any fixed verses or fixed order of verses.

I remember singing "Wade in the Water" as a member of my African American church in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. And it was definitely NOT sung with the verses given in the "Rise Up Singing" book.

That's all good-unless folks require that everytime it is sung, it must be done the way that book provides.

In my opinion, the spirit of a spiritual is diminished if folks mandate that it must be sung the same way at all times.

Peace!


Ms. Azizi