Songs of Slavery

Subject: Songs of Slavery
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 02:44 PM

I'm just sitting here listening to Coope Boyes & Simpson's lovely 'Hindsight' CD and the incredibly moving 'Shallow Brown' is the first track on there..

What other songs about slavery are there?

I know Show of Hands 'Bristol Slaver' which you can listen to here, although it's a bit muffled...

The Bristol Slaver and other Show of Hands songs

And have you seen the incredibly inspirational film 'Amazing Grace' yet? If you haven't....GO AND SEE IT! It's all about William Wilberforce and it's really wonderful.

AMAZING GRACE

And lastly, take a look at this young lad. His name is Zach Hunter, he's 15 years old and an abolitionist. William is one of his heroes and Zach is the student spokesman for the Amazing Change Campaign....A very special young man I think.

ZACH HUNTER talking about modern day slavery

Subject: RE: Songs of Slavery
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 02:51 PM

Sorry, forgot this link...

The Amazing Change

Subject: RE: Songs of Slavery
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 03:20 PM

"Follow the Drinking Gourd," a song of the Underground Railroad, was one of the songs I performed and heard performed quite frequently in the fifties and early sixties. Ironically, I have just recently begun re-viewing "Roots" on DVD for the first time since it was originally broadcast. A recurring theme in the background is "Kumbaya," which has become an unfortunate metaphor for "sickeningly overperformed folks songs" of late. Yet, in context, it can still be quite moving.

Subject: RE: Songs of Slavery
From: GUEST,Henryp
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 12:00 PM

Harriet Tubman written by Walter Robinson - it's in the DT

One night I dreamed I was in slavery
'Bout 1850 was the time
Sorrow was the only sign
Nothing around to ease my mind.
Out of the night appeared a lady
Leading a distant Pilgrim band
"First mate" she yelled, pointing her hand.
"Make room aboard for this young woman"

See; Steal Away - Songs Of The Underground Railroad by Kim & Reggie Harris

Subject: RE: Songs of Slavery
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 01:11 PM

Information- and misinformation (e. g., the Drinking Gourd) posted in thread 2864:
Songs on or about slavery

Any new information should be posted there.

Subject: Lyr Add: BALLAD OF THOMAS HIGGINS (Jed Marum)
From: JedMarum
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 02:09 PM

Ballad of Thomas Higgins

Life on the Bark boys
Is better then hell
The Charles W Morgan
I remember her well
So fill up my glass boys
I'll tell you my tale
How I came to New Bedford
To hunt for the whale

I'm called Thomas Higgins
My journey's been long
On a Georgia plantation
In slavery was born
My mother dark and
My father was pale
So I came to New Bedford
To hunt for the whale

Now I was but twenty
When I made my mark
On the log of the Morgan
A fine whaling bark
Her Captain a friend to
The Underground Rail
When I came to New Bedford
To hunt for the whale

Now the Boatsteerer kills boys
And the runaway steals
But the African slave's born
To work and die in the fields
For my sins I just ran boys
With no bill-of-sale
'til I came to New Bedford
to hunt for the whale

Our first voyage took three years
When we finally reached shore
The nation was torn by
A great Civil War
But a proclamation
And the Union prevailed
Still I stayed in New Bedford
To hunt for the whale

Now the whaling life's hard boys
But it's the best that I've known
For a man's just a man boys
And at sea life's his own
For forty three years now
Through the calm and gale
I stayed in New Bedford
To hunt for the whale

______________________
This based on the true story of runaway slave, James Hamlin.
lyrics (c) Jed Marum 2002, traditional melody