Slave Songs of the United States [Paperback]

William Francis Allen (Compiler), Charles Pickard Ware (Compiler), Lucy McKim Garrison (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1996

Originally published in 1867, the book is a collection of songs of African-American slaves. A few of the songs were written after the emancipation, but all were inspired by it.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Originally published in 1867, this book is a collection of songs of African-American slaves. A few of the songs were written after the emancipation, but all were inspired by slavery. The wild, sad strains tell, as the sufferers themselves could, of crushed hopes, keen sorrow, and a dull, daily misery, which covered them as hopelessly as the fog from the rice swamps. On the other hand, the words breathe a trusting faith in the life after, to which their eyes seem constantly turned.

About the Author

1842-1877

1840-1921

1830-1899

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Applewood Books (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557094349
• ISBN-13: 978-1557094346
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A trove, March 22, 2007

By 

Andrew Calhoun (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slave Songs of the United States (Paperback)

There are 136 songs in this book, most of which are no longer sung. They are simply amazing, musically and theologically. An example: "Come and Go With Me", collected in Augusta, GA, presents a major scale with a flat 6th and 7th, and the tune ends on the 4th. Unfortunately, the collectors, as went on for generations as standard procedure, did not acknowledge the names of any of their sources. The original "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" is in here; it is a rowing song from the sea islands, addressed to the archangel Michael as a prayer for safe passage; these lyrics are more striking than the familiar ones. Here are the complete lyrics to "Come and Go With Me", which is singular both in its scale and its notion that heaven is in the present, to be accepted rather than earned:

Ole Satan is a busy ole man
He roll stones in my way
Master Jesus is my bosom friend
He roll 'em out my way

Oh, come and go with me
Oh, come and go with me
Oh, come and go with me
A-walking in the heaven I roam

I did not come here myself my Lord
It was my Lord who brought me here
And I really do believe I'm a child of God
A-walking in the heaven I roam

Oh, come and go with me
Oh, come and go with me
Oh, come and go with me
A-walking in the heaven I roam

It was reported that the freed slaves did not want to remember their old songs. And we all have reasons for forgetting a painful past. But look at these songs; they are the heart and soul's truth of life. It is not too late to learn from these people. Put this music in your heart.

Water spring that never dry, Hallelu, Hallelu
The more we dig, the more it spring, Hallelujah!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars yes, it is a classic & an essential resource, but this printing..., July 25, 2008

By 

D. Corl (Fukuoka Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slave Songs of the United States (Paperback)

No doubt about it, this is an essential book in the field of American music history, black music history, ethnomusicology, etc. However, one would do better to buy the 1995 Dover edition--the reprinting is much clearer and legible, and the paper stock is smoother. And the price is the same, plus you get a preface (undated) by Harold Courlander. Sorry, this Applegate printing is just not as good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Tool, December 12, 2005

By 

C. Lee "Charles E. Lee" (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slave Songs of the United States (Paperback)

Those who love spirituals often find the origins of spirituals in general to be elusive, if not impossible to track with any degree of reliability. Though this collection of spirituals is quite limited in terms of being highly localized (versus attempting to comprehend all of the spirituals of all of the South), it covers many of the best-loved Negro spirituals. Published first in 1867, it provides perhaps the strongest link for the largest grouping of spirituals, contemporaneous (or nearly so) with the music it attempts to capture.

For those who love the Negro spiritual, this is a 'must have' for your collection.