Wade in the Water
Fig.8. Harriet Tubman, a well
known escaped slave, resting her
arm on a chair (Lindsley)
known escaped slave, resting her
arm on a chair (Lindsley)
"Wade in the Water" was published in 1901 by Fisk Jubilee Singers (“Wade in the Water”).
Throughout the years, many variations of the song have existed and therefore have been interpreted in more ways than one. The most common message is clear and remains in many variations of this famous slave song. Harriet Tubman was known to sing this song to fellow slaves.
"Wade in the Water" was used as a freedom song as the lyrics gave geographical hints for a safer travel. “To escaping slaves, the song told them to abandon the path and move into the water. By traveling along the water’s edge or across a body of water, the slaves would throw chasing dogs and their keepers off the scent” (Wade in the Water).
The lyrics also show a spiritual connection as terms like "God", "Moses", and "Jordan's Stream" were lyrics in most of the renditions of the song.
“What are those children all dressed in White? God’s gonna trouble the water. Must be the ones of the Israelites. God’s gonna trouble the water”(“Wade in the Water”)was a religious verse in the song. “Wade in the Water” also remains a contemporary gospel song.
"Harriet often sang spirituals-religious folk songs-so nobody thought much about this one until the next day, when she was missing. Then everyone who had heard her realized that her song had a double meaning. The Promise Land was the biblical land of Israel, to which Moses led the Jewish people, but Harriet also intended it to mean the northern United States, where she hoped to be free" (Fradin 186).
Without this song many slaves would have been caught on their way to reaching a safer place or to their destination of freedom. This song remains one of the most significant encoded slave songs in history. "Wade in the Water" was one of the many songs that held messages to fellow slaves to find a path to freedom. (“Wade in the Water”).
Throughout the years, many variations of the song have existed and therefore have been interpreted in more ways than one. The most common message is clear and remains in many variations of this famous slave song. Harriet Tubman was known to sing this song to fellow slaves.
"Wade in the Water" was used as a freedom song as the lyrics gave geographical hints for a safer travel. “To escaping slaves, the song told them to abandon the path and move into the water. By traveling along the water’s edge or across a body of water, the slaves would throw chasing dogs and their keepers off the scent” (Wade in the Water).
The lyrics also show a spiritual connection as terms like "God", "Moses", and "Jordan's Stream" were lyrics in most of the renditions of the song.
“What are those children all dressed in White? God’s gonna trouble the water. Must be the ones of the Israelites. God’s gonna trouble the water”(“Wade in the Water”)was a religious verse in the song. “Wade in the Water” also remains a contemporary gospel song.
"Harriet often sang spirituals-religious folk songs-so nobody thought much about this one until the next day, when she was missing. Then everyone who had heard her realized that her song had a double meaning. The Promise Land was the biblical land of Israel, to which Moses led the Jewish people, but Harriet also intended it to mean the northern United States, where she hoped to be free" (Fradin 186).
Without this song many slaves would have been caught on their way to reaching a safer place or to their destination of freedom. This song remains one of the most significant encoded slave songs in history. "Wade in the Water" was one of the many songs that held messages to fellow slaves to find a path to freedom. (“Wade in the Water”).
Eva Cassidy singing Wade in the Water
(Cassidy)
(Cassidy)