The New York herald., 1921-11-15
"John Browns Body"
Before John Browns Day the Tune
Stirred Camp Meetings.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD. With no
wish to be controversial ! submit few
facts and deductions regarding the air
currently known as John Browns
Body" 1t goes back to the camp meet
ing era. certainly as far as 1880, and
very likely to the days of the jerks.
Francis Asbury. possibly even the Wes-
leys. The air is so bold and lively
take It to have been originally tavern
catch adapted from an older folk song.
John Wesley-or was 1t Charles?-"did
mot believe in letting the devil have all
'the good tunes" so conveyed right and
left from the popular mouth
\ My mother. who died In 1868, knew
the air from her girlhood she said often
heslring II took her back more than
forty years. 1t was one Of the question
and. answer songs. valuable when hymn
books were not outside the preachers
saddle bags They did not even need
lining out from the pulpit: the dullest
could follow after one hearing. Witness
this initial stanza:
Say brothers, will you meet me,
Say. brothers. will you meet me.
Sa-ay, broAhers. will you me-ee-et me,
On Canam,'s happy shore?
BY the grace of God I'll meet you.
BY the grace of God Til meet you.
BY the-gra-ace-of God-rH me-ee-et you
On Canaan's happy shore!,
There wen shout and sing together.
There wen shout and sing together.
There well Shout and-sing-to-geth-e
Forever MORO!
1t was tremendously adaptable-ran
f14 l.D1A C1..-.
young converts. even sinners were thus
rhythmically entreated to meet the sing.
ers on Canaan's happy shore. Simple,
feeble as 1t may he, sung by myriad
lusty throats. catching hypnotically
time and tune, 1t was marvellously ef-
fective, especially If 1t rolled out from
a big brush arbor with log seats and
straw strewn floor and altar through
the brooding hush of high woods, moon
light. starlight or even dnsked with
clouds. Assuredly, night meeting was
the harvest time for souls. Darkness
and silence made thousand times more
vivid the picturings Of hell and heaven
the pulpits Of that era provided
The name Of these question songs was
legion. / could recall without difficulty
half dozen a little rasnsacking OF
memory would provide a scs,re. Before
adding one of them let me say that f.
the words of another of these chants
there is more than family likeness to
the refrain Of John Browns Body"
The old song runs:
My bodys bound for to moulder in the clay.
My bodys bound for to moulder In the clay.
NV hodys bound for to noulder I'm tile clay.
My soul goes marching on.
This certainly antedates John Br owns
raid; how much I cannot say ofsland.
but I think fifty years. Slaves sang 1t
in their moonlight prayer meetings in
front of their cabins. The air was a
weird droning ululation. with yet here
and there smothered barbaric chord.
recalling the jungle and the palm grove.
If only I could write music I would
record these things remembered from
my earliest childhood. Not otherwise
will future generations ever realize the
surprising melody Of negro voices. I'M
spoiled and unframed.
It seems to me men might we'll march.
fight and die to the air chanted thus:
Where now Is the good old Daniel.
Where now IL the good old Daniel.
Where now he-good-Old Daniel?
Safe over In the Promised Land!
He went UP from the den OF lions.
He went up from the den of lions.
He went-up-from-the den of-li-ons.
Safe into the Promised Land!
In the same measure the Hebrew
children. the weeping Mary. ever sd
many more Biblical characters were
sent to the Promised Land. That was
indeed a pious Land Of Cocaigne, sung
in a dozen slaves and as many keys.
Since they bred faith and the works
Of faith, who shall hold them to have
been sung in vain?
MARTHA McCULLocH WILLIAMS.
New YORK. November IA.