Revised Feb. 6, 2021
This pancocojams post provides commentary about and examples of the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome". Particular attention is given to the tradition of singing "We Shall Overcome" while linking arms (crossing arms) and holding hands with the person on either side, and swaying back and forth.
The Addendum to this post showcases a video that provides some historical information about the song "We Shall Overcome" and some relatively recent information about the effort to make that song part of the public domain.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, inspirational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who composed "We Shall Overcome" and thanks to those who popularized that song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in the videos that are included in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
I was inspired to revisit this topic because the icon for Google Search January 16, 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a drawing of a diverse group of people linking arms (crossing arms) and, presumably singing "We Shall Overcome". Thanks to Google Search for honoring this tradition.
For more lyrics and video examples of civil rights songs, visit my Civil Rights Song blog http://civilrightssongs.blogspot.com/
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EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE LINKED ARMS/HANDS HELD STANCE & THE CIVIL RIGHTS SONG "WE SHALL OVERCOME"
In 2013 I published a pancocojams post on the Gospel song "I'll Overcome Someday" and the Civil Rights song "We Shall Overcome" Click "http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-gospel-song-i-will-overcome-someday.html.
Unlike that previous pancocojams post on this Civil Rights song, most of the videos in this post feature examples of "We Shall Overcome" in which the singers either lock arms and sway from side to side while singing this song, or hold hands and stand still or sway from side to side while singing this song. This has become the signature way that "We Shall Overcome" is sung.
To my knowledge, no other protest song or civil rights song has this or any other signature movement style.
Here's some information about the song "We Shall
Overcome" from
https://christiansforsocialaction.org/resource/we-shall-overcome-the-story-behind-the-civil-rights-song/
"We Shall Overcome"—The Story Behind the Civil
Rights Song", 8 August 2017, By Victor M. Parachin"
..."Though untutored in music, [Rev. Charles] Tindley
had natural musical gifts that would play a prominent role in his life and
ministry. He often sang in church services, and would frequently pause during
one of his sermons to sing. As melodies and lyrics came to him, Tindley began
to put pen to paper, eventually writing more than 60 hymns. Several of his
hymns continue to appear in modern hymnals. One of his earliest songs was
written and published in 1900, titled “I’ll Overcome Some Day.” It became
widely used in congregational singing and, in 1945, underwent a transformation
when the words were changed to the plural “We Shall Overcome Some Day.” This
slight change was introduced by Zilphia Horton, an American union organizer,
civil rights activist and musician. Horton had the remarkable ability to take
popular songs from church hymnals, such as “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” “This
Little Light of Mine,” or “We Shall Not Be Moved,” and transform them into
protest songs. In October of 1945, Horton adapted Tindley’s hymn for union
workers on strike in Charleston, South Carolina. With them on the picket line,
Horton led them in linking arms and singing “We Shall Overcome.” A few years
later, in 1950, the song was recorded and increased its visibility and
popularity among various groups supporting civil rights.
-snip-
I added italics to highlight this sentence.
My guess is that the linked arm stance was used, in part, to convey solidarity and also to make it more difficult for police to separate and then arrest protestors.
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES OF THE LINKED ARMS/HAND HELD STANCE WHILE SINGING "WE SHALL OVERCOME"
Example #1: Obama at Ebenezer - We Shall Overcome
Stand with Obama Uploaded on Jan 20, 2008
This is the conclusion of Obama's speech at the church on Martin Luther King on King's Birthday in 2008, when the congregation sings "We Shall Overcome."
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Example #2: We Shall Overcome: A SONG THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
HMH Books Uploaded on Dec 11, 2009
"We Shall Overcome" isn't a complicated piece of music. The first verse has only twenty-two words, most of them repeated. The melody is straightforward. The chords are basic. Yet the song has had a profound effect on people throughout the United States--and the world.
In clear, accessible language Stuart Stotts explores the roots of the tune and the lyrics in traditional African music and Christian hymns. He demonstrates the key role "We Shall Overcome" played in the civil rights, labor, and anti-war movements in America. And he traces the song's transformation into an international anthem. With its dramatic stories and memorable quotes, this saga of a famous piece of music offers a unique way of looking at social history.
Author's note, bibliography, source notes, index.
We Shall Overcome
A SONG THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Stuart Stotts; Terrance Cummings...
Publication Date: 01/18/2010...
Age Range: 8-12 years
-snip-
At .57 in this video there is a photograph of diverse group of protestors with the crossed arm stance
The narrator says "“In 1960 “We Shall Overcome” spread like a tidal wave throughout the United States as the anthem for the civil rights movement.”
**
At 1:22 in this video there is a photograph of President Obama, Congressmen John Lewis, and others having their arms linked and holding hands while singing ["We Shall Overcome" ?]
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Example #3: Congressional Leaders Sing 'We Shall Overcome'
yazakchattiest Published on Jun 25, 2014
Media Research Center
http://www.mrc.org/
CNS News
http://www.cnsnew
-snip-
According to another video, this event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
Fast forward two more years, on June 22, 2016 members of the United States Democratic Congressional delegation held a sit in on the House floor and sung "We Shall Overcome". The video isn't clear and I can't tell if they linked arms while singing that song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujER5HQ1s9o
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Example #4: 'We Shall Overcome' rings out at Charleston vigil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Y1dFzI0no
embedding not permitted
AFP news agency ,Published on Jun 20, 2015
The solemn verses of "We Shall Overcome" rings out in a college basketball arena at a vigil for the nine victims of a massacre at a historic African-American church.
-snip-
This is an integrated group of people. Everyone locks arms with the people next to them and sways from side to side while singing "We Shall Overcome".
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ADDENDUM:
I added this video for the history that it shares.
'We Shall Overcome' At The Center Of A Public Domain Dispute – Newsy
Newsy Published on Apr 14, 2016
The Library of Congress calls "We Shall Overcome" "the most powerful song of the 20th century," and now one group is claiming that the song should be owned by everyone.
Transcript:
"Deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday," Joan Baez sings.
The Library of Congress calls "We Shall Overcome" "the most powerful song of the 20th century," and now one group is claiming that the song should be owned by everyone.
The We Shall Overcome Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging the copyright of the song that's in the title of the organization, saying the song is "dedicated to public use and in the public domain."
Ludlow Music Inc., an imprint of The Richmond Organization, claims to have registered that copyright in 1960. But the lawsuit asserts it was never really Ludlow Music's to begin with.
"We Shall Overcome" contains lyrics similar to an African-American spiritual. One of the first printed versions of the song appeared in the United Mine Workers Journal in 1909.
That was later corroborated by folk singer Pete Seeger.
"It said we started every meeting with a prayer and singing that good ol' song, 'We Will Overcome,'" Seeger said in an interview with Pacifica Radio.
Seeger had also published the song in a newsletter intended to "create, promote and distribute songs of labor and the American people."
Some are comparing this lawsuit to another one centered on another popular song. Interestingly enough, the lawyers who worked to get "Happy Birthday" in the public domain are doing the same with "We Shall Overcome."
Along with the song being placed in the public domain, the "We Shall Overcome" lawsuit asks for Ludlow Music to return licensing fees it has collected from the song — which could be in the millions."..
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Visitor comments are welcome.
ohhh this is cynical that those people are singing this song... I just came here cause i was watching "the power of song" a documentary about Pete Seeger, and all the state repression, harassment and balcklisting he received from the USamerican state for...well...singing songs about peace and justice. and thise world leaders today are the same that he and the other music activist made those songs against. or against their policies. so it feels like a fist to the face, that those people in power who are responsible for so much unjustice in the world today are singing this song.
ReplyDeletethanks for the research though.
i´d love to know how this specific linking of hands startet.
what just came to my mind about it is, that holding hands like this leads to a thighter "selfhug" of sorts, which is nowadays used, and taught in somatic body work , because at affects our nervous systems positively and calms us down. so that would make sense to have that effect combined with singnig in a large group (although i doubt they knew that or chose that pasture conciously for this effect back then...but who knows.
Thanks for your comment unknown.
DeleteI assume you are talking about that Addendum that I published about the organization wanting "We shall overcome" to be part of the public domain.
I didn't look it up, but I suppose that organization lost its lawsuit.
As to why the custom started for people to sing "We Shall Overcome" with their arms linked that way, I admit that I don't fully understand your points about the nervous system. But I think it's more a group hug than a self-hug.