-: I'd like to tell you a little about these songs
we're gonna sing, before we go any further.
Most of the songs that we see come out
of the jails of the Delta South: Alabama,
Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi.
Well not only the South, but some parts of the North.
In fact we still have some coming from every state
in the North, but we just haven't gotten that far yet.
Some of the songs are taken from Negro spirituals,
some are from the labor movement,
some are rock and roll even, some from the blues.
From every phase of music, I think we have
what we today call Freedom songs.
These songs are not, not the type of songs
that you can take a day or two out and write down on paper.
Thinking up you know some poetic
something just to write a song.
These songs don't come about like that.
The songs are more of a spontaneous
inner expression of an individual.
This is why most most of them are made up
in the jails of the South because
when you in jail down there you don't have
anything to do but lay on a nasty bunk,
day in and day out and think about how dirty the system is.
Or think about how you can better
the conditions down there.
This is what these songs about.
The conditions down there, the people down there,
and what they're trying to do.
Some of the songs, you'll notice, mention
well this song in fact said you
ain't going to let Chief Pritchett turn me around.
Well, Chief Pritchett is the police chief
of Albany, Georgia.
And the way this song came about was that
these court handed down the injunction,
court order saying that the people
could not have any more demonstrations, you see.
But within ten days the order was withdrawn.
But before they withdrew the order, this song came about.
They had mass meetings.
Somebody just stood up at a mass meeting,
started singing, "ain't gonna let nobody turn me around."
Then somebody else would have a verse, you see.
They would stand up and just sing,
they got Pritchett and segregation and injunction
and you can go on for days.
Sometimes down there you can imagine let's say 500 people
sitting at a church, singing one song
and everybody perhaps has a different verse.
This is the way it goes sometimes.
Sometimes a song goes on for hours, people just singing.
Mass meeting would be started at eight o'clock
the church would start filling at four,
five o'clock in the afternoon.
It would be full, I'd say by five o'clock it would be full.
By eight o'clock there's no room for anybody,
they just stand on the outside.
And they're singing all this time, nothing but singing.
So this is, I can go to the (inaudible) at this point.
The songs and all.
The songs I think pretty much make up a heck
of a lot of the movement.
So, what we're trying to do here is to relate
to you in some way what the movement
is about in the South and in some way make you part of it.
So, we're going to ask you all to join in with us.
So, don't sit there with your arms folded and everything,
because we'd like to be a part of you
and we'd like for you to be a part of us.
-: This song comes from a national movement.
It's taken from a rhythm and blues
number entitled Moving On.
♪ When you're just moving on down the track ♪
♪ And the finest pleasure is walking back ♪
♪ He's movin' on ♪
♪ He's movin' on, movin' on, movin' on, ooh ♪
♪ Never been to heaven, but I know I'm right ♪
♪ There's folk up there, both black and white ♪
♪ We're movin' on ♪
♪ We're movin' on, movin' on, movin' on ♪
♪ The only thing that I really want ♪
♪ Is standing in the window there's (inaudible) ♪
♪ We're movin' on ♪
♪ We're movin' on, movin' on, movin' on ♪
♪ Well the only thing that I could really find ♪
♪ (Inaudible) black and white ♪
♪ We're movin' on ♪
♪ We're movin' on, movin' on, movin' on ♪
♪ Well I've never been to heaven, but since I know ♪
♪ That folk up there don't have to grow ♪
♪ We're movin' on ♪
♪ We're movin' on, movin' on, movin' on ♪
(clapping)
-: This next song is called "We'll Never Turn Back"
and it originally was a memorial for a man
named Herbert Lee, who lived in Mississippi
down around Liberty, in Amite County, near McComb.
Magnolia, (inaudible) those towns right around there.
Herbert Lee was a 58 year old farmer.
The only way he got paid, he'd grow cotton,
and this is the only way he got his money
and when we went into McComb to work on voter registration
he got involved and he became a registered voter luckily.
He went on to try and get other people registered,
but he had a neighbor who lived across the highway
who happens to be white and who didn't particularly
like what he was doing.
Who one morning followed him to the cotton gin
to the cotton gin, he was taking his cotton to the gin
and his neighbor followed him to the cotton gin
and there he shot and killed him in cold blood
and right there at the cotton gin they cleared the man
of the charge.
They called it self defense
And we had a man who was going to testify
who witnessed the shooting and everything,
who was going to testify that here he's killed a man
in cold blood, but he wanted protection
and he asked the federal government who would protect him
The federal government said "you can't send anybody
"down there just to protect one man."
So this is why we're not getting any protection
protecting too either from the federal government
or any help period.
It's nothing like what it should be.
But this song is called "We'll Never Turn Back."
♪ We've been 'buked ♪
♪ We've been scorned ♪
♪ We've been talked about ♪
♪ Sure as you born ♪
♪ But we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ No we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ Until we've all ♪
♪ Been freed ♪
♪ And we have ♪
♪ Equality ♪
♪ We have walked ♪
♪ Through the shadows of death ♪
♪ We had to walk ♪
♪ All by ourselves ♪
♪ But we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ No we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ Until we've all ♪
♪ Been freed ♪
♪ And we have ♪
♪ Equality ♪
♪ We have hung our ♪
♪ Heads and cried ♪
♪ For those like ♪
♪ Lee who died ♪
♪ Died for you ♪
♪ And died for me ♪
♪ Died for the cause ♪
♪ Of equality ♪
♪ But we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ No we'll never ♪
♪ Turn back ♪
♪ Until we have all ♪
♪ Been freed ♪
♪ And we have ♪
♪ Equality ♪
♪ And we have ♪
♪ Equality ♪
(clapping)
The next song came out (inaudible) Jackson, Mississippi
during the Freedom Rides.
When they put us in jail in Jackson
or when they put us in jail then
in Mississippi they separate the Negros from the whites.
They put the white on one side
and they put the Negro on one side
in case you don't know how it is when they put you in jail
down south, they separate you.
So, the only thing we had to do
when we were in jail was to sing.
We sang sometimes all night long.
We got kind of bored because the white guys
were way over there and we were way over here and
we could hear each other this is all.
So we would sing together and so we thought
we would do something to make it interesting,
so we had talent contests.
(laughs)
The white side would sing a song
and then the Negro side would.
(laughing)
So we always teased the white guys about
not being able to sing.
(laughs)
So early one morning one of the fellas hollered
over to our side and he said "hey Charlie,
"I woke up with it this morning."
Nobody knew what he was talking about
until he started singing this song.
"Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Set On Freedom"
♪ Woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Well I woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Halleluh, halleluh, halleluh ♪
♪ Halleluh ♪
♪ Hallelujah ♪
(clapping)
♪ Woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Well I woke up this morning with my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Halleluh, halleluh, halleluh ♪
♪ Halleluh ♪
♪ Hallelujah ♪
♪ Come on and walk walk ♪
♪ Walk ♪
♪ Walk walk ♪
♪ You've got to talk talk ♪
♪ Talk ♪
♪ Talk talk ♪
♪ Oh well it ain't real hard to keep my mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ No it ain't real hard to keep your mind, Lord ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Well it ain't real hard to keep your mind ♪
♪ Set on freedom ♪
♪ Halleluh, halleluh, halleluh, ♪
♪ Halleluh, ♪
♪ Hallelujah ♪
(clapping)
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To make ♪
♪ The wounded ♪
♪ Whole ♪
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To heal ♪
♪ The sin-sick soul ♪
♪ Sometimes ♪
♪ I feel discouraged ♪
♪ And think ♪
♪ My work's ♪
♪ In vain ♪
♪ But then ♪
♪ The Holy Spirit ♪
♪ Revives ♪
♪ My soul ♪
♪ Again ♪
-: You can sing it
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To make ♪
♪ The wounded ♪
♪ Whole ♪
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To heal ♪
♪ The sin-sick ♪
♪ Soul ♪
♪ If you cannot ♪
♪ Sing ♪
♪ Like angels ♪
♪ If you cannot ♪
♪ Preach ♪
♪ Like Paul ♪
♪ You can pledge ♪
♪ To love ♪
♪ Our Jesus ♪
♪ And say ♪
♪ He died ♪
♪ For all ♪
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To make ♪
♪ The wounded ♪
♪ Whole ♪
♪ There is a balm ♪
♪ In Gilead ♪
♪ To heal ♪
♪ The sin-sick ♪
♪ Soul ♪
(clapping)
-: You know,
when I introduce this song
I generally say
living in the South
you can find a method there
in most of the time
for sitting in at lunch counters
and things to this effect.
But I understand that
you all are gonna have a sit-in here at the barbershop
(laughs)
So you still look good everywhere if you flip.
But we do find it necessary a lot of times
to sit-in in various places.
And when we sit-in the first thing we see
is the police coming
and the first thing that they say is "move on."
Some of you are familiar with it, I'm sure
some of you have participated in sit-ins and things
And they are honestly expecting you to move, you know?
Walk right out like you,
you were never there.
But there's a song that we sing,
which I think answers them very nicely.
The song will be, "We Shall Not Be Moved."
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ Just like a tree ♪
♪ That's standing ♪
♪ By the water ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ Be moved ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ We are not slaves to bigotry ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ We are not slaves to bigotry ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ Just like a tree ♪
♪ That's standing ♪
♪ By the water ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ Be moved ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ Oh we pray to Jesus king of peace ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ When we gave to him ♪
♪ Cause he loves me ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ Just like a tree ♪
♪ That's standing ♪
♪ By the water ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not be ♪
♪ Moved ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
♪ Just like a tree ♪
♪ That's standing ♪
♪ By the water ♪
♪ We ♪
♪ Shall not ♪
♪ Be moved ♪
♪ We shall not be moved ♪
(clapping)
-: You know I was just thinking
we've been to a lot of colleges
and most of the colleges that we've been to
we see students walking around campus you know,
and tired and
(laughs)
sometimes when we're singing
we sing like what we've got here today
it became a little closec to home.
(laughs)
So we said
we thought we weren't going to be here today either.
(laughs)
(clapping)
I'm very serious about this you know.
It makes me kind of homesick when you're singing.
(laughing)
It's all so familiar
and a lot of times we, we've talked a lot
especially some of the New England colleges,
you run into these people, you know, who ask you
"is it really that bad down there?"
(laughing)
And feel like this you say
"I think we feel,
"well at least I know I'm at home."
(laughing)
This song
this next song comes out of Mississippi also
we got it started down there.
During the Freedom Rides
You probably know it as Day-Oh, or the Banana Boat Song
We call it Live So Free.
If you like what you're enjoying then you can sing it
with me.
Basic chords part is "freedom's coming
"and it won't be long."
And I see some of you back there,
with your arms still folded.
(laughs)
And we're still one big happy family.
So let's everybody
join in.
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Give us freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Give us freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Well I took a trip on a Greyhound bus ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ To fight segregation and this we must ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Well I took a trip down the Alabama way ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Met with much violence on Mother's Day ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Well over the Mississippi with speed we go ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ The blue shirt policemen, we meet at the door ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Oh come Mr. Kennedy, take me out of misery ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ This evil segregation, see what it has done to me ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Freedom's coming and it won't be long ♪
(clapping)
-: This next song calls for audience participation.
(laughing)
It was first a Baptist hymn called Old Ship of Zion
During the labor movement in was changed to
That Union Train, it is now called Freedom Train.
All you have to remember are three words.
Coming, freedom, and thousand.
There are three verses.
So for each verse you sing one word.
And
We're going to do the first verse so that you
will get a good idea how it is.
♪ Is that a ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that a ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ A-coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that a ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ A-coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
-: Alright.
-: Yeah, yeah.
(clapping)
-: Now we going to lower it a little bit
♪ Is that the ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ A-coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that the ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that a ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
-: Alright, now everybody say "freedom" now
and I can't hear you at all.
(laughs)
You can clap your
hands along with it.
♪ Give me that ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ Freedom, freedom, freedom ♪
♪ Down in the valley ♪
♪ Of freedom ♪
♪ Freedom, freedom, freedom ♪
♪ That ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train ♪
♪ Of freedom ♪
♪ Freedom, freedom, freedom ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
-: Everybody sing down a little now!
(clapping)
♪ Is that there ♪
♪ The freedom train ♪
♪ That's coming ♪
♪ The freedom train ♪
♪ The train ♪
♪ Of freedom ♪
♪ Coming ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Is that the ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train that's ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that the ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train that's ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Is that the ♪
♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Train that's ♪
♪ Coming, coming, coming ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
♪ Get on ♪
♪ Board ♪
(clapping)
(microphone adjusting)
(coughing)
-: This next song,
I think we sing a little bit more than any other song
when we in jail.
It's called Hold On.
We changed it, it used to be
"keep your hands on the plow holder."
We've changed it around a little bit.
It's "keep your eyes on the prize."
Hold On.
(coughing)
♪ Paul and Silas ♪
♪ Bound in jail ♪
♪ We had no money ♪
♪ For to go their bail ♪
♪ But keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ Keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ But you can talk about me ♪
♪ Just as much as you please ♪
♪ The more you talk ♪
♪ I'm going to bring my needs ♪
♪ Keep your eyes on the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ Keep your eyes on the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ I've never been to heaven ♪
♪ But I think I am right ♪
♪ The people in the heavens ♪
♪ Are black and white ♪
♪ Keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ Keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on hold on ♪
♪ We will not go now go to heaven ♪
♪ Because our (choir singing over lead singer) ♪
♪ I want to go to heaven ♪
♪ Because I'll sleep alright ♪
♪ Keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on why don't you hold on ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ Keep your eyes ♪
♪ On the prize ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
(clapping)
-: We'll take about a
10 minute break.
(laughing)
-: Now we get right down to it.
Yeah.
(laughing)
You know,
Amen
yeah.
The Freedom Singers
all work for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
SNCC has no fancy
foundation to support it.
No nothing.
All we have is The Freedom Singers.
All proceeds go to SNCC.
The Freedom Singers are treated just like anybody else
in SNCC they get a $10 subsistence a week.
Out of this has to come everything.
Food, gas,
all sorts of incidentals.
I don't know if you've ever been hungry,
but,
when that $10 is gone,
it's gone
and there's nothing there.
Now I don't see anybody going around, passing around a hat.
Where are they?
(audience mumbling)
-: Okay.
(microphone static)