Oh, Freedom

Oh, Freedom is a post Civil War African American freedom song, notably associated with Odetta, who recorded it as part of the Spiritual Trilogy, on her "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues", and Joan Baez, who first performed the song at the 1963 March on Washington, and has since performed the song live numerous times throughout the years, both during her concerts and at other events.

Some versions of the fourth verse contain the line "No more tommin'," where the word tommin is a derogatory term denoting some black men's extreme submissiveness towards a white person or white people. The word seems to have been derived from Harriet Beecher Stowe's fictitious character Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin. These words are not part in the traditional verses, but a later addition, itself part of folk tradition in the USA, in which extra verses are added to traditional songs to highlight different personal feelings, agendas, or lyrical invention.

Lyrics

“Oh Freedom” by Lucy Kinchen

Chorale

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

No more moaning, no more moaning, no more moaning over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

No more crying, no more crying, no more crying over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be singin', there'll be singin', there'll be singin' over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be glory, there'll be glory, there'll glory over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free