Lyr Add: Bound to Go (Spiritual)

Subject: BOUND TO GO (Spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 02:12 PM

BOUND TO GO

I build my house upon de rock- O yes, Lord!
No wind, no storm can blow 'em down- O yes, Lord!
March on, march on, bound to go,
Been to de ferry, bound to go;
Left St. Helena, bound to go,
Brudder, Fare ye well.

I build my house on shiftin' sand,
De first wind come he blow him down.
Cho.
I am not like de foolish man,
He build his house upon de sand.
Cho.
One mornin' as I was walkin' along,
I saw de berries a-hangin' down.
Cho.
I pick de berries and I suck de juice,
He sweeter dan de honey comb.
Cho.
I tuk dem brudder, two by two,
I tuk dem sister, tree by tree.

(Alternate chorus and verses:)

I build my house upon de rock- O yes, Lord!
No wind nor storm shall blow dem down- O yes, Lord!
March on, member, bound to go;
March on, member, bound to go;
Bid 'em Fare you well.

I build my house upon a rock- O yes, Lord!
No wind nor storm shall blow dem down,
O yes, Lord!

March on, member, bound to go;
March on, member, bound to go;
March on, member, bound to go;
Bid 'em fare you well.

A rowing song as well as a spiritual. St. Helena is the sound near Beaufort, S. C., (pronounced Bew-fort).
Not related to the McCalman song of the same name (in Forum).
From Allen, Wise and Garrison, 1867, Slave Songs of the United States p. 22-23, (electronic edition).
@spiritual @work song

BOUND TO GO II

Jordan River, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, bound to go,
Jordan River, I'm bound to go,
An' bid 'em fare ye well.

My brudder Robert, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, etc.

My sister Lucy, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, etc.

Higginson, Negro Spirituals,Atlantic Monthly, 1867, No. II.
@spiritual @work song

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: BOUND TO GO (Spiritual)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 10:45 AM

John Anthony Scott (The Ballad of America, Bantam, 1966, p. 202) says:

"Bound to Go," collected by C.P. Ware and W.F. Allen on St. Helena Island, is another example of a spiritual that served a practical purpose both as boat song and as marching song. Its rousing melody is that of an old sea shanty, "A Long Time Ago." The combination of this with the slave lyric produces a song of great spiritual as well as rhythmic impact.

The music of "Bound to Go" is HERE (p. 22). "A Long Time Ago" has been discussed at this thread. The tune of "A Long Time Ago" in Lomax's Folk Songs of North America (p. 55) is not similar to that of "Bound to Go."

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: BOUND TO GO (Spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 01:18 PM

These work-spiritual songs are among the best (and oldest preserved) of the slave folk songs. The songs of Negro troops recruited to take action in the Civil War strongly affected Higginson (who wrote "Army Life in a Black Regiment") and other items about Black soldiers. He was also exposed to the songs of the Negros working in the ports as a result of his military associations.