The theme Jim has given us for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, in his post Praising God, takes me about as far out of my comfort zone as I have ever been in playing music on my blog. That theme is gospel music, and despite the fact that my stepmother is an ordained Church of England priest my knowledge of any kind of religious music stretches not much further than Christmas Carols. As it is a little early in the year for them I looked elsewhere! As aways, Wikipedia came to my rescue, and in the midst of a long and informative article I found details of a subgenre that appealed to me. That was Southern Gospel, about which dear old Wiki says this: “Southern Gospel music comes from the Southeastern United States and is similar in sound to Christian country music, but is sometimes known as “quartet music” for its traditional “four men and a piano” set up. The genre has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas. Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of southern gospel varies according to culture and social context, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace.” I was saved! While others may be going down the “happy clappy” route for today the song I have chosen is a little different. It was included in the wonderful movie O Brother Where Art Thou, and although Alison Krauss’ version wasn’t in the movie it was the one that was on the soundtrack album. This is her singing it with a choral backing:

I love that shy little smile she gives at the end: she may be the star name but she knew she had been just one part of something special. Again from Wikipedia: Down in the River to Pray (also known as Down to the River to Pray) is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a Southern gospel song. The exact origin of the song is unknown: the earliest known version, titled The Good Old Way, was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. For its lyrics I’m giving you the Alison Krauss version, which the video has actually misnamed:

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way!

O brothers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
Come on brothers let’s go down
Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way!

O mothers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
Come on mothers let’s go down
Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way!

O fathers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
Come on fathers let’s go down
Down in the river to pray

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Traditional

As I have been relying on Wikipedia to write most of this piece for me, I may as well carry on. They tell us that the use of “in the river” instead of “to the river” is significant, for two reasons. The more obvious one is that the song has often been sung at outdoor baptisms (such as the full-immersion baptism depicted in  O Brother, Where Art Thou?), while another reason is that many songs sung by victims of slavery contained coded messages for escaping. When the enslaved people escaped, they would walk in the river because the water would cover their scent from the bounty-hunters’ dogs. Similarly, the “starry crown” could refer to navigating their escape by the stars. And “Good Lord, show me the way” could be a prayer for God’s guidance to find the escape route, commonly known as “the Underground Railroad.” There is quite a lot of history in just over two minutes of a song, isn’t there, and I find it very moving to understand all that is behind it, and what it must have meant to so many who have sung it over the years. I’ve learned a lot from this one, and am grateful to Jim for prompting me into this choice.

There seems only one fitting way for me to close today. Here is that scene from the movie:

See you again for Tuesday Tunes 😊