WADE IN THE WATER
The Lincoln Four Quartette c. 1928
Available on: Vocal Quartets vol. 4 K/L/M (1927-1943)
Document Records 2005
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WADE IN THE WATER
The Soul Stirrers
Available on: Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story: 1959-1965
ABKCO : 1994
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WADE IN THE WATER
Booker T. & The MGs
Available on: Soul Men
Stax : 2003
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WAIT 'ROUND THE CORNER
Leona & The Lovejoys
Available on: The Daisy/Tiger Records Story
Sundazed : 2003
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LET'S WADE IN THE WATER
Marlena Shaw
Cadet : 1966
Available on: Anthology
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WADE IN THE WATER
The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Cadet : 1966
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"In all the songs of the slaves, there was ever some expression of praise of the great house farm," Frederick Douglass wrote in his memoirs. "Something which would flatter the pride of the owner, and if possible, draw a favorable glance from him:I am going away to the great house farm,
O yea! O yea! O yea!
My old master is a good old master,
O yeah! O yea! O yea!
But the flattery was mixed with "other words of [the slaves'] own improvising- jargon to others, but full of meaning to themselves." So, baptismal songd like "Wade in The Water" doubled as sets of instructions for escaping slaves: Wade in the water, they reminded you, so that the bloodhounds lose your scent.
The codes were subtle and/or site-specific, and not even slaves caught the gist of every song; it wasn't until his own escape that Douglass himself fully understood "the deep meanings of those rude, and apparently incoherent songs," or heard in them a "tale which was then beyond my feeble comprehension." (I've been reading, folks.)
The textual instability - an all-American slippage - gave the music much of its force, and accounts for a good deal of its crossover appeal. So, join us next week, when we trace Levi Stubb's tears straight back to the middle passage.Labels: alex, gospel music, soul
