Steal Away, Roll Jordan Roll, And Wade In The Water

Hearing the sounds of, “Whip! Whip! You nigger I caught you running away from my plantation.” This day of hearing these words would humbly give slaves the courage to become free. Slaves song songs that were a form of expressing how they felt. Songs were even expressed in ways of communicating with one another. For example, the song Steal Away, Roll Jordan Roll, and Wade in the Water were freedom encouraging songs. These songs fall more into the vernacular arts category referencing as church songs or spirituals. Each song was song voicing how the slaves were treated in masking words because the way the slave masters dehumanized Africans as human beings deserved to be known.

“Steal away home to Jesus, I ain’t got long to stay.”, was a song that

Inviting them to Canada was a trick because they were far from home with no way to call for help. The horror of being enslaved began with Africans being considered as slaves rather than humans. In the movie 12 Years a Slave the song Roll Jordan Roll was song during a funeral. At the funeral this song represented a person who passed away from hardships associated with slavery who is now in a better place known to be Heaven. At this moment in the movie Soloman Northup came to the decision to live rather than just survive. This song was a sorrow song that was song by slaves to keep their spirits high with strength to be free one day. “Roll Jordan Roll” is a Biblical meaning referencing to the River by the name of Jordan. In the bible the Jordan River signifies entering the Promise Land (heaven). This song symbolized the crossing from injustice and persecution to freedom and sovereignty. The words “Roll Jordan Roll” illustrates the encouragement of slaves to live rather than just survive by actually actively fighting for their freedom. They were to fight to overcome the cruel burden and obstacles delaying to cross “Jordan” which is the line between the South and North. By all means slaves were determined to cross “Jordan” to become

Walking through the water made it hard to leave a scent the dogs could smell. If the slaves were captured they would be beaten to death, so to prevent them from being captured they would get in the water to throw off their scent. For example, “Wade in the water, wade in the water children”, these lyrics meant to wait in the water until the trail was clear to continue the journey to freedom. Another example the lyrics, “Just see the Holy Ghost looking for me” meant the people in the north would be looking for the escaped slaves. These lyrics were simply directions or more so a map to help slaves escape and reach the north. The song contained coded instructions to help avoid fugitive slaves from being captured. It exclaims walking in a stream to keep the slave catcher’s dogs from sniffing to all mighty path to freedom. This song began what is known as “The Underground Railroad”, a crossroad of the main route of many routes to freedom. The song itself relates to the Bible, showing the versus to reflect the Israelites escape from Egypt as presented in the Book of