Roll, Jordan, Roll
Below are two versions of the spiritual Roll, Jordan, Roll. The first comes from the 1867 book Slave Songs of the United States. The second was published a year earlier in Four Years of Fighting (1866).
My brudder sittin' on de tree of life,
An' he yearde when Jordan roll;
Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, roll!
O march de angel march,
O march de angel march;
O my soul arise in heaven, Lord,
For to yearde when Jordan roll.
Little chil'ren, learn to fear de Lord,
And let your days be long;
Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, roll!
O march de angel march,
O march de angel march;
O my soul arise in heaven, Lord,
For to yearde when Jordan roll.
O, let no false nor spiteful word
Be foul upon your tongue;
Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, roll!
O march de angel march,
O march de angel march;
O my soul arise in heaven, Lord,
For to yearde when Jordan roll.
Little children sitting on the tree of life,
To hear the Jordan roll;
O roll, Jordan roll, Jordan roll, Jordan roll.
We march the angel march,
O march the angel march,
O my soul is rising heavenward
To hear the Jordan roll.
Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel
De tallest tree in Paradise,
De Christian call de tree of life,
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem .
Blow your trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow louder, louder;
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem.
Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Sing God's praise both night and day;
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem .
Blow your trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow louder, louder;
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem.
[Below variation recorded in Virginia]
Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Christians pray both night and day,
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To my new Jerusalem.
So blow de trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow de trumpet louder,
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To my new Jerusalem.
The Good Old Way
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 the valley to pray.
*sister, brother, etc.
