SLAVE SONGS OF THE UNITED STATES. 112. IV. MY FATHER, HOW LONG? * My father, how long, My father, how long, My father, how long, Poor sinner suf- fer here? 1. And it won't be long, And it won't be long, And it won't be long, Poor sinner suffer here 2 We'll soon be free, (ter) 3 We'll walk de miry road 4 We'll walk de golden streets 5 My brudders do sing De praises of de Lord. 6 We'll fight for liberty When de Lord will call us home. * Mother, etc. ་ [For singing this "the negroes had been put in jail at Georgetown, S. C., at the outbreak of the Rebellion. We'll soon be free' was too dangerous an assertion, and though the chant was an old one, it was no doubt sung with re doubled emphasis during the new events. 'De Lord will call us home,' was evidently thought to be a symbolical verse; for, as a little drummer boy explained it to me, showing all his white teeth as he sat in the moonlight by the door of my tent, 'Dey tink de Lord mean for say de Yankees."-T. W. H.] weep, sometimes I mourn, I'm in trouble about my grave; Sometimes I You call yourself church-member, You hold your head so high, You praise God with your glitt'ring tongue, But you leave all your heart be wea - ry, O brothers, don't get wea - ry, We're waiting for the Lord. We'll land on Canaan's shore, We'll land on Canaan's shore, When we land on Canaan's shore, We'll meet forever more. 116. I WANT TO JOIN THE BAND. What is that up yonder I see? Two little an - gels com in' a' ter me; I want to jine the want to jine the band, (Sing together) I want to jine the band. |