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| ⚫ | '''Down in the River to Pray''' (also known as '''''Down to the River to Pray''''', "'''The Good Old Way''''', and "'''Come, Let Us All Go Down'''") is a traditional song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an ], an ], and a ]. It gained popularity in 2000 after ] performed it for the soundtrack of the Coen Brothers film, '']''.<ref name="speroforum">, Martin Barillas, SperoNews, April 13 2011</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The exact origin of the song is unknown. Research suggests that it was composed by an African-American slave; however, there are some who believe the melody was taken from a Native American prayer song and adapted for Christian use. As a song with a long oral tradition it may have been revised many times by people of different backgrounds. | ||
| ⚫ | '''Down in the River to Pray''' (also known as |
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| ⚫ | The exact origin of the song is unknown. Research |
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| ==Lyrics== | |||
| The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in '']'' in 1867.<ref>'''' at Internet Archive</ref> The song (#104) is credited to "Mr. G. H. Allan" of Nashville, Tennessee, who was likely the transcriber rather than the author. The lyrics appear in the book as follows: | The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in '']'' in 1867.<ref>'''' at Internet Archive</ref> The song (#104) is credited to "Mr. G. H. Allan" of Nashville, Tennessee, who was likely the transcriber rather than the author. The lyrics appear in the book as follows: | ||
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| let's go down, let's go down, | let's go down, let's go down, | ||
| O mourner, let's go down, | O mourner, let's go down, | ||
| Down in de valley to pray. | Down in de valley to pray.'' | ||
| <nowiki>*</nowiki> Sister, etc. | <nowiki>*</nowiki> Sister, etc. | ||
| </poem> | </poem> | ||
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| Let nothing cause you to delay, | Let nothing cause you to delay, | ||
| But hasten on the good old way | But hasten on the good old way | ||
| </poem> | </poem> | ||
| Visitors to the ] in Washington D. C. have reported hearing a Hupa song played there which has the same melody as "Down in the River to Pray". It has also been suggested that certain features of the melody and phrasing are more typical of Native American music than gospel music or spirituals.<ref>, Musical Perceptions, July 8 2004. (Note: A Google search on "who wrote Down in the River to Pray" turns up repeated references to a possible Native American origin, but no supporting documentation. I will research as time permits, and if anyone can help, please do.)</ref> | Visitors to the ] in Washington D. C. have reported hearing a Hupa song played there which has the same melody as "Down in the River to Pray". It has also been suggested that certain features of the melody and phrasing are more typical of Native American music than gospel music or spirituals.<ref>, Musical Perceptions, July 8 2004. <nowiki>(Note: A Google search on "who wrote Down in the River to Pray" turns up repeated references to a possible Native American origin, but no supporting documentation. I will research as time permits, and if anyone can help, please do.)</nowiki></ref> | ||
| Another version, titled "Come, Let Us All Go Down," was published in 1880 in ''The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs''.<ref> in ''The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs'', NIU Libraries Digitization Projects</ref> That version also refers to a valley rather than a river. | Another version, titled "Come, Let Us All Go Down," was published in 1880 in ''The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs''.<ref> in ''The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs'', NIU Libraries Digitization Projects</ref> That version also refers to a valley rather than a river. | ||
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| == References == | == References == | ||
| <!--- See ] on how to create references using<ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> | <!--- See ] on how to create references using<ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
Revision as of 15:41, 29 September 2013
Down in the River to Pray (also known as Down to the River to Pray, "The Good Old Way, and "Come, Let Us All Go Down") is a traditional song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a gospel song. It gained popularity in 2000 after Alison Krauss performed it for the soundtrack of the Coen Brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
The exact origin of the song is unknown. Research suggests that it was composed by an African-American slave; however, there are some who believe the melody was taken from a Native American prayer song and adapted for Christian use. As a song with a long oral tradition it may have been revised many times by people of different backgrounds.
Lyrics
The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. The song (#104) is credited to "Mr. G. H. Allan" of Nashville, Tennessee, who was likely the transcriber rather than the author. The lyrics appear in the book as follows:
As I went down in de valley to pray,
Studying about dat good old way,
When you shall wear de starry crown,
Good Lord, show me de way.
O mourner*, let's go down,
let's go down, let's go down,
O mourner, let's go down,
Down in de valley to pray.
* Sister, etc.
According to some sources, the song was published in The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion in 1835, decades before the effort to gather and publish African-American spirituals gained momentum in the Reconstruction Era. There is in fact a song called "The Good Old Way" in the Southern Harmony Hymnal. That song, however, is a Manx hymn with a completely different melody and lyrics. The lyrics begin as follows:
Lift up your heads, Immanuel's friends,
And taste the pleasure Jesus sends,
Let nothing cause you to delay,
But hasten on the good old way
Visitors to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D. C. have reported hearing a Hupa song played there which has the same melody as "Down in the River to Pray". It has also been suggested that certain features of the melody and phrasing are more typical of Native American music than gospel music or spirituals.
Another version, titled "Come, Let Us All Go Down," was published in 1880 in The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs. That version also refers to a valley rather than a river.
In some versions, "in the river" is replaced by "to the river." The phrase "in the river" is significant, since the song has traditionally been sung at baptisms (such as the full-immersion baptism depicted in O Brother, Where Art Thou?).
References
- ^ "Let's Go Down in the River to Pray", Martin Barillas, SperoNews, April 13 2011
- Slave Songs of the United States at Internet Archive
- "Down to the River to Pray history?" at ChoralNet
- "The Good Old Way", Southern Harmony Online
- "The Good Old Way / Sweet Hope of Glory", Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music
- "Down to the River to Pray", Musical Perceptions, July 8 2004. (Note: A Google search on "who wrote Down in the River to Pray" turns up repeated references to a possible Native American origin, but no supporting documentation. I will research as time permits, and if anyone can help, please do.)
- "Come, Let Us All Go Down" in The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs, NIU Libraries Digitization Projects