Week 5: Mary Don't You Weep

As I discussed in last week's blog post, many of these spiritual songs were a kind of therapy for slaves and most, if not all, implore their listener to keep their dignity and hope. These songs were developed as a way of coping. At its core, 'Mary Don't You Weep' is a song about how faith in in Jesus and in God would be rewarded with salvation. In the Book of John, Mary's weeping over the death of her brother Lazarus moved Jesus to the point of weeping as well. Jesus then brought her to Lazarus's grave and raised him from the dead. The song implores Mary (the listener) not to weep for Jesus will bring salvation to all those who believed in him. The song also implores Martha/Marthie not to moan or complain and to have faith in Jesus. I believe that Mary and Martha represented fellow slaves and even the singers themselves and that the song provided comfort to them that there would be a future and a better life after death despite (or maybe due to) all their suffering. Again, the reference to the Pharaoh's army drowning was an example of God helping protect the slaves from the Egyptians. Faith in God would mean protection from evil. Christianity was first adopted by the slaves mainly because it brought them in closer proximity to whiteness. It was one of the few thing that slaves were allowed to have in common with their masters. "Christianity was attractive simply because it was something the white man did that the black man could do also" (Blues People 33). The adoption of Christianity was the first movement of the black slave away from their African roots. However as time passed and more slaves were being converted to Christianity by the Methodists and Baptists, many slaves embraced Christianity's dogma. "One of the very reasons Christianity proved so popular was that it was the religion...of an oppressed people" (Blues People 39). One of the few times a slave could fully express themselves emotionally was during prayer. This latent emotion may be the reason spiritual music is so powerful. Sadly, Christianity was also a way for slave owners to make their slaves more docile and appeased. If a slave could think of their pain as a prerequisite for salvation then it would make them stronger to suffering. The reward for such dedication was always presented as being given after death. 

The composition of the song and the lyrics affect me less emotionally than the selections from last week (perhaps due to my distance from scripture), but the history behind it leaves me in awe. My favorite version is the one sung by Inez Andrews and the Andrewettes. The expression of pain mixed with pride and dignity on her face as she sings is so powerful. I love how the Andrewettes sway to the music while Inez stands steadfast and strong, like a pillar. I tried to represent her expression and all the emotions with it in my piece this week. 

Week 4: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

What astonishes me is the presence of a glimmer of hope in all these songs. Despite their deep sadness and mourning tone, the songs never veer into despair. These songs are an emotional and historical recording from African-Americans that tell their resilience and the suffering they had to endure as slaves torn from their home. One line from the reading this week caught my eye as I listened to 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child' by Robeson, “These [slave] children also had to learn about slavery, but there were no centuries of culture to unlearn, or old long-held habits to suppress. The only way of life these children knew was the accursed thing they had been born into”(128). That line affected me the most and made me think about what it was like to be born into a culture you were immediately rejected from. If there is a sorrow that comes with not knowing your future or purpose then there must be an even deeper sorrow that comes with being denied your origin. First generation African-Americans were not allowed to connect with their ancestry yet also not allowed to partake in the culture of their masters. It was incredibly interesting and saddening reading about the forced erosion of African culture in black Americans. Their use of music as a way to stay connected to their heritage and to their fellow people explains the undertones found in a lot of the spirituals. While the songs are beautiful, they come from a place of confusion and desperation. Both music and religion were used by American born African slaves as a method of coping and keeping a sense of their humanity and history in the face of slave masters who considered them animals and property. 

Both Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson have voices that reach into my chest and squeeze my heart. The recording quality of these songs also adds a nostalgic tone to them. I decided to do my piece this week inspired by ‘Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen’ because I feel it summarizes everything I've discussed so far. I tried my best to represent the dignity and hope slaves kept in the face of pain and oppression. Without being too hamfisted, I also wanted to show a piece of the reality behind the origins of these songs. 

Week 3: You are my Sunshine

"You are my Sunshine" was one of the few songs on the syllabus that I had actually recognized and heard prior to starting this class. I had only been exposed to the chorus though, and had no idea of the other lyrics framing the song. When I first heard the chorus, it was sung by a woman in a somber and slow pace and it had very little instrumentation. A vision came to mind of a mother scared of losing her child due to war or sickness. However, after listening to the lyrics of the full version it was very hard for me to continue applying my old vision.

Jimmie Davis was born in north Louisiana to a pair of incredibly poor sharecroppers. He eventually grew up to become a successful country/gospel musician and 2 term governor of Louisiana. He recorded "You are my Sunshine" in 1939 and it became a national sensation. Despite the fact that he is most associated with the song, he has never actually claimed to have written it. Sources say that 2 versions of "You are my Sunshine" existed before Jimmie Davis, however Davis's incredibly successful career has eclipsed those renditions entirely. Davis was considered a singer of country music as well as gospel music. I find this very interesting due to the fact that "You are my Sunshine" has obvious gospel roots in its intonation and phrasing. Davis seems to have bridged a kind of gap between audiences of country music and gospel music. Perhaps his position as a charismatic white man made his delivery of gospel music easier to digest. I believe he incorporated music into his campaign as a way of relating and connecting with people of different backgrounds.

Ollie Gilbert's version of the song is much more raw and less commercially friendly that the Davis version. I personally prefer versions of the song that are more stripped down and less happy sounding. There's a mismatch in my head when listening to cheerful instrumentation of the song coupled with the depressing lyrics. I personally believe a somber or subdued version of the song makes it much more impactful. With regard to my project, I tried to envision outside the box of what the song lyrics immediately bring to mind. At first listen to the lyrics, it's obvious that the song is about a romantic relationship where one partner fears the other partner leaving and gradually deals with the reality that their fears came true. However, when I tried thinking about the kind of devotion and unconditional love that would fear the betrayal of a partner, I thought of the love a pet has for its master instead. I thought of all the dogs that are adopted and abandoned each year because they grew up and were either no longer cute or too much of a hassle to properly take care of. The image touched me, so I decided to depict a scene of abandonment and betrayal using a screenshot of an anti-animal abuse ad that I thought fit the song very well.

Week 2: Down in the Valley

Listening to 'Down in the Valley' made me feel nostalgic for memories I didn't have. The song brings to mind an image of longing and pain. I interpreted the lyrics to be about a lost lover who has moved on while the singer of the song is stuck in the fantasy of the old love. The reference to Birmingham Jail could be interpreted literally or metaphorically, as the singer's love could be keeping them imprisoned and immobilized. Similarly, the reference to a 40 foot high castle could be another metaphor for the loneliness and isolation the singer feels. My favorite version of the song is the one sang on the Andy Griffith show in a lovely tone. It reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite movies that I decided to replicate with my painting.

First Song

The song I chose to base my piece off of is Silent Night

Lyrics:

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

When I was very young (~4-7 years old) my family was very poor. My mom divorced my dad before I was born and she was raising my brother and I with the help of our grandparents. My mom started taking us to the local church because they served free dinner after weekend service. one of my first distinct memories is being at the church around Christmas time and participating in singing hymns with everyone else there, including my family. Silent Night was the one song that stuck out the most to me, so I practiced it daily with the prerecorded version on our electric keyboard. I also learned that it told the story of the birth of Jesus, which at the time I was taught to believe occurred on December 25th. I was also born on December 25th which made me feel a deeper connection to the song. I always thought the imagery of Silent Night was so beautiful; a family huddled close together on a cold night with their love keeping them warm. I tried to convey that image in my art piece-a small watercolor of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. Perhaps I loved that image, in a way, because it was something I desired deep down.