Wade in the Water

Infobox standard
title=Wade in the Water
comment="New Jubilee Songs" (1901)


image_size=
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writer=Traditional
composer=
lyricist=
published=
written=
language=English
form=Negro spiritual
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performed_by="Wade in the Water" (Roud 5439) is the name of a Negro spiritual first published in "New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers" (1901) by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work.

The main chorus is::"Wade in the water.":"Wade in the water, children.":"Wade in the water.":"God's gonna trouble the water."

The song relates to both the Old and New Testaments. The verses reflect the Israelites escape out of Egypt as found in Exodus:14. [cite web |title=Wade in De Water |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~e73afram/dw-ah-ek.html#wade |accessdaye=January 11, 2008] The chorus refers to healing: see John 5:4, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."

Many internet sources and popular books claim that songs such as "Wade in the Water" contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom. [http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/Soulreview/Understandingpages/coded.htm Coded Slave Songs] ] This particular song allegedly recommends leaving dry land and taking to the water as a strategy to throw pursuing bloodhounds off one's trail. "Wade in the Water" was made popular in 1966 by the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (1967),Big Mama Thornton in 1968, and in 1997 by Eva Cassidy. It was also recorded by Graham Bond in 1965 and Billy Preston in 1967. The melody was used for the 1988 Tony Toni Tone hit, Little Walter.

Recordings

* Sunset Four Jubilee Singers (Paramount 12273, 1925)
* The Golden Gate Quartet (1946)
* Odetta "The Tin Angel" 1954
* "The Folksmiths" with Joe Hickerson 1958 Folkways F-2407

References

ources

*Waltz, Robert B; David G. Engle. " [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/LoF242.html Wade In The Water] ". "The Traditional Ballad Index: An Annotated Bibliography of the Folk Songs of the English-Speaking World". Hosted by [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ California State University, Fresno, Folklore] , 2007.

External links

* [http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/wade_in_the_water.htm Lyrics at Negrospirituals.org]
* [http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/wade_in_the_water.html MIDI at Gospelsonglyrics.org]