Oh, Freedom
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"Oh, Freedom" is a post-
Lyrics
The song had its roots in the
O, what preachin'! O, what preachin'!
O, what preachin' over me, over me!
Before I'd be a slave, I'd be buried in my grave,
And go home to my Lord and be saved.
This was then repeated, with the first two lines changing with each repetition.[4] Modern recordings of this song use these same lyrics, with minor variations in phrasing and structure; the "Oh, Freedom" variant begins with "Oh freedom / Oh freedom / Oh freedom over me."[5]
Some versions have included a verse beginning with "No more tommin',"[
Similarly, during the 1964 presidential campaign, civil rights activists opposing the candidacy of Barry Goldwater changed the words to "And before I'd be a slave / I'll see Barry in his grave / And go fight for my rights and be free."[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Hawn, C. Michael. "History of Hymns: 'O Freedom' and 'Freedom is Coming'". Discipleship Ministries: The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (August 14, 2011). "Music of the Movement: 'Oh Freedom'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ Ashleigh Lawrence-Sanders, March 16, 2018, History, Memory, and the Power of Black Radio AAIHS.org
- ^ Barton, William Eleazar (1899). Old Plantation Hymns: A Collection of Hitherto Unpublished Melodies of the Slave and the Freedman, with Historical and Descriptive Notes. Lamson, Wolffe. p. 25.
- ISBN 978-0815653271.