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Children Wade in the Water/Wade in the Water/God's Gonna Trouble the Waters
Traditional Spiritual
ARTIST: "Children Wade in the Water" from the Famous Blue Jay Singers 1932
SHEET MUSIC:
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; (1902) Frederick Work, New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
(1907) Work, Folk Songs of the American Negro
(1926) Fisher, Seventy Negro Spirituals
(1926) James Johnson, The Second Book of American Negro Spirituals ["God's a-Gwineter Trouble de Water"]
(1942) Parrish, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands
RECORDING INFO: Wade in the Water
Rt - Take Your Shoes Off
Carawan, Guy & Candie / Sing for Freedom, Sing Out, sof (1990), p132
Winds of the People, Sing Out, Sof (1982), p115
Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p470/#242
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 63
Lift Every Voice. The Second People's Song Book, Sing Out, Fol (1953), p59
Faithful Folk. Faithful Folk, Faithful Folk, CD (2002), trk# 7
Folksmiths. We've Got Some Singing to Do, Folkways FA 2407, LP (1958), trk# B.05
Hornbostel, Lois. Hornbostel, Lois / The Anthology for the Fretted Dulcimer, Mel Bay, Fol (1982), p 48
Lester, Julius. Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, Folk Era FE 1419, CD (1994), trk# 1.15 [1994]
Morehouse, Dave. Acoustic News, In The Chips, CD (1994), trk# 9
Smith, Arvid. Smith, Arvid B.: & Barbara M. Koehler / Mel Bay's Contemporary Slid, Mel Bay, Sof (1976), p72
Rt - God's Gonna Trouble the Waters
Penix, Ron. Reflections on the Carter Family, Take II T2P 002, LP (1981), trk# 7
OTHER NAMES: "Wade in the Water;" "God's Gonna Trouble the Waters;" "Wade Out In the Water;"
RELATED TO: Take Your Shoes Off
SOURCES: WFMU: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/23470
Mudcat; Ballad Index; Folk Index
NOTES: "Children Wade in the Water" or typically "Wade in the Water" is a popular spiritual collected from the Famous Blue Jay Singers, which is one of the earliest recordings of the song on Paramount in 1932. Several years ago Gracenote listed 404 CDs containing "Wade in the Water" (duplications and other songs included).
"Wade In The Water" is a call & reponse, open-ended song-which means that it was led by a soloist, with the rest of the folks responding to his or her lines. And its verses could go on and on depending on the creativity of the soloist {caller/soloist} and the willingness of the rest of the group {responders} to continue singing it. Therefore like other African American spirtuals and like secular folk songs that originated in slavery, "Wade in the Water" is not supposed to have any fixed verses or fixed order of verses.
The song reportedly (and without documentation) was sung by slaves when Harriet Tubman and others were planning to take them to north to Canada in the mid-1800s. Here are the verses of "Wade In The Water" that are often given to support the Underground railroad/coded message for fleeing slavery meme:
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Jordon's water is chilly and cold.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God's gonna trouble the water.
If you get there before I do.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Tell all of my friends I'm coming too.
God's gonna trouble the water.
The first related version that mentions "trouble the water" is the 1867 "Let God's Saint's Come in":
LET GOD'S SAINTS COME IN- (excerpt) William Francis Allen, Slave Songs of the United States, 1867, p. 76 No. 99.
Chorus: Come down, angel, and trouble the water, (3 times)
And let God's saints come in.
Canaan land is the land for me,
And let God's saints come in.
Canaan land is the land for me,
And let God's saints come in.
Actual documented versions were published in the early 1900's:
(1902) Frederick Work, New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
(1907) Work, Folk Songs of the American Negro
(1926) Fisher, Seventy Negro Spirituals
(1926) James Johnson, The Second Book of American Negro Spirituals ["God's a-Gwineter Trouble de Water"]
(1942) Parrish, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands
CHILDREN WADE IN THE WATER- Famous Blue Jay Singers
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/23470
CHORUS: Oh Wade in the water, (children)
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water,
God's gonna trouble the water.
REPEAT CHORUS
[Lead] God told Noah about a rainbow sign
[All] God's gonna trouble the water.
[Lead] No more water but the fire this time
[All] God's gonna trouble the water.
REPEAT CHORUS
Moses lady had his son
God's gonna trouble the water.
Deliverance day said he'd come
God's gonna trouble the water.
REPEAT CHORUS
I do believe I've been redeemed
God's gonna trouble the water.
Just walk me down to Jordan's stream
God's gonna trouble the water.
REPEAT CHORUS
Now Jordans' water chilly and cold
God's gonna trouble the water.
They'll cure you body but not your soul
God's gonna trouble the water.
REPEAT CHORUS
God's gonna trouble the water,
God's gonna trouble the water,
God's gonna trouble the water,
God's gonna trouble the *wat- hmmmm.
*The last syllable is hummed
WADE IN THE WATER from "Folk Songs of North America," by Alan Lomax,
Chorus:
Wade in the water, wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God's gonna trouble the water!
'Member one thing an' it's certainly sho'
Wade in the water
Judgment's comin' and I don' know,
Wade in the water.
(Chorus)
Up on the mountain, Jehovah, he spoke, wade…
Out of his mouth came fire and smoke, wade…
I heard a rumblin' up in the sky…
Must a-been Jesus passin' by…
Down in the valley, down on my knees…
Askin' my Lawd to save me, please…
You can hinder me here, you can hinder me there…
But the Lawd in Heaven will hear my prayer…
The enemy's great, but my Captain's strong…
I'm marching to the city and the road ain't long…
I tell you once and I tell you twice…
My soul's been anchored in Jesus Christ…
You may baptize Peter and baptize Paul…
But the Lord-God-er-mighty gonna baptize um all…
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and john…
Tell me where my Saviour gone?…
My Lawd spoke in a 'ponstrous voice…
Shook the world to its very jois'…
Rung through Heaven and down in Hell…
My dungeon shook and my chains, they fell….
There was a wicked man,
He kept them children in Egypt land.
etc.
God did say to Moses one day,
Say, Moses, go to Egypt land,
And tell him to let my people go,
And pharoah would not let 'em go.
God did go to Moses house,
And God did tell him who he was,
God and Moses walked and talked,
And God did show him who he was.
Ballad Index: Wade in the Water
DESCRIPTION: "Wade in the water, Wade in the water, children, Wade in the water, God's gonna trouble the water." The singer warns of the coming signs of the end. The victory of Heaven over Hell is considered assured. The singer looks forward to future freedom
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1925 (recording, Sunset Four Jubilee Singers)
KEYWORDS: religious freedom nonballad
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Lomax-FSNA 242, "Wade in the Water" (1 text, 1 tune)
Arnett, p. 63, "Wade in the Water" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 356, "Wade in the Water" (1 text)
DT, WADEWATR*
Roud #5439
RECORDINGS:
Birmingham Jubilee Quartet, "Wade in the Water" (Vocalion 1563, 1930)
Empire Jubilee Quartet, "Wade in de Water" (Victor 23340, 1932; rec. 1929)
Famous Blue Jay Singers of Birmingham, "Children Wade in de Water" (Paramount 13128, 1932; Broadway 1246, n.d.; Champion 50026, 1935; on VocalQ2)
Lincoln Four Quartette, "Wade in the Water" (Paramount 12621, 1928)
Sunset Four Jubilee Singers, "Wade in the Water" (Paramount 12273, 1925)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Bear the News, Mary" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Heaven and Hell" (floating lyrics)
cf. "If You Get There Before I Do" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Is Your Lamps Gone Out" (floating lyrics)
File: LoF242
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