A Thematic Analysis Of The Song Oh, Freedom

“Oh, Freedom!” is a song written and sung by freed blacks in 1865. In a time when blacks were still offered very few rights, blacks wrote this song which describes the freedmen’s pride and joy in finally being freed from slavery. Without this source and others like it, the freedmen’s voice following slavery would have been smothered by sources like the black codes, which were written by whites. In this way, “Oh, Freedom!” proves its importance as a primary source from a freedman’s perspective. Because of the song’s description of the freemen’s pride and their defiance of slavery, their sense of religious faith, and their joy at being free, this song is an invaluable primary source.

The freedmen were openly defiant against slavery after its abolition. This is found in the lyrics, “And before I’d be a slave/ I’ll be buried in my

The phrases “no more weeping” and “oh, freedom” are repeated several times, pointing towards their enthusiasm at finally having control over their lives. This joy was despite the many setbacks they faced as blacks in the post-Civil War era. With only the black codes and similar oppressing texts to rely on, it would have been easy to believe that blacks felt oppressed, not enthused. This song helps to prove that the blacks were, in fact, optimistic about their new lives.

“Oh, Freedom!” reveals many important details that would not have been written by most whites of the time period. If only the whites’ records had remained, the entire voice of the freedmen would have been silenced and these details erased. “Oh, Freedom!” proves its value as a primary source by preserving this voice and these details. Due to the song’s display of the freemen’s pride, defiance of slavery, sense of religious faith, and joy at being free, this song is important as a primary