The Carter Family's 1935 Record "Gospel Ship" (with information about White Americans' versions of that hymn)

 

The Carter Family - Gospel Ship (1935)

 The Carter Family Channel, Jan 12, 2022

27th Recording Session and the 162nd song The Carter Family recorded on 7th May 1935 At ARC Studios, 1776 Broadway, New York.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about examples of the Hymn/Gospel songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles.

This post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/lyrics-of-some-african-american.html for Part i of this pancocojams series. That post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known"The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns. Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post...

That pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer of and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century.

Click __ for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases several YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

Click ___ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases several other 21st century African American examples of "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship).   

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Carter Family for their musical legacy. Thsnks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube examples that are featured in this post. 

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LYRICS - GOSPEL SHIP
(traditional; arranged by The Carter Family)

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I have good news to bring and that is why I sing

All my joys with you I'll share

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

And go sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

 

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

 

I can scarcely wait, I know I won't be late

I'll spend my time in prayer

And when the ship comes in I'll leave this world of sin

And go sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

If you are ashamed of me you ought not to be

Yes, you'd better have a care

If too much fault you find you'll sure be left behind

While I'm sailing through the air

 

I'm going to take a trip in that old gospel ship

I'm going far beyond the sky

I'm gonna shout and sing till the heavens ring

When I bid this world good-bye

online source- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yn10rbB3Sg&list=PLO931CkouO9vhQeKSKviX1CYWxrHjwYWk "Carter Family-Gospel Ship"
published by ILOveOldies, Mar 9, 2011

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EXCERPT OF AN AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SONG "GOSPEL SHIP" WITH A FOCUS ON WHITE AMERICANS' VERSIONS OF THAT SONG

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSkIKUSsRM "The Old Gospel Ship" - Landmark Baptist,May 22, 2024

"actual author unknown, Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1856-1922), A.P. Carter (1891-1960), arranged during the 1930s by Alphus Laferve (1912-1988)"

 … it's called "The Old Gospel Ship" and it's kind of a sing along song. After you hear the chorus I hope you'll want to sing along. But uh I started recently searching it and it was presumed by title to have been written by uh Johnson Outman Jr. Now he wrote a lot of old songs and we've already spotlighted him. The old hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" - he wrote that song. But it appears that this gentleman Mr Oakman wrote a song called "The Old Gospel Ship" but it's not this version of the Old Gospel Ship. I got to reading through his lyrics kind of looking at the music. I thought "That's different".

So but as it turns out it's very likely that this old hymn had roots in Southwest Virginia believe it or not because even though he's not listed on the sheet music it appears that it's possible that Mr. AP Carter from over in Hilton's in Scott County discovered this song.

Now what Mr Hilton would do is he would go around as a traveling salesman he'd visit the Country Store that dotted the mountains and the hills and hollers of Virginia. West Virginia. Tennessee uh that he covered. And he would find old older people, usually, that would sing mountain songs for him. So it's very likely that he uh found this song .It's  not that likely he wrote it. A lot of AP Carter and the Carter family's music was songs that he discovered and then he got credit for arranging the song. So really the y'all like a good mystery you told me before it's really a mystery who wrote the words to this song.

But there are some things that we do know uh about this song. The arrangement that appears on the sheet music uh appears uh to have been uh uh arranged in the early 1930s by a man by the name of uh Alphus Laferves. Anybody heard of The Alphus Laferves Trio and then later The Laferves Quartet? So he arranged this song and it's a real bouncy type of rhythm that's in the song. Not sure you'll pick up on that with me and Dean a capella but nonetheless it's was really kind of probably an old trio or quartet song back in that day as well.

Also. [I] want you to pay attention to this song. This song is very indicative of songs that came out of the Great Depression.

[...]

In America ...people in in that era were were extremely depressed in their nature as the economy of the United States was greatly depressed. Now I said all that to say this since this song came about uh I believe 1934 was when it was arranged it appears and a lot of the old hymns from that era were songs about the Rapture of the church. A lot of them. And I've thought about that and thought about that and thought about that those people were probably so depressed in their existence that boy they were really looking forward to going home really looking forward to going home.

Now the theme of this song as you listen to the words comes from First 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and following. Listen what it says "But I would not have you be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep ...but ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also all which sleep in Jesus will God bring him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise."...

Comfort one another with these words. And this is a song about comfort. This is a song about Rapture this is a song about eternity."...
-snip-
This transcript continues with the speaker and another man singing the same lyrics to the song "The Gospel Ship" as given above for The Carter Family's 1935 record. 

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Lyrics Of Some African American Spirituals That Refer To Gospel Ships Sailing: These Are Probable Precursors Of Black American And White American Versions Of "The Old Gospel Ship"/"Take A Trip" Hymns & Gospel Songs

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part of a four part pancocojams series about examples of the Hymn/Gospel songs with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship", "Take A Trip" or similar titles.

This post presents some comments from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread about several 19th century African American Spirituals that refer to Gospel ships sailing. These songs may be part of more well known"The Old Ship Of Zion" family of Spirituals/Hymns.

I believe that these Spirituals are probable precursors of 20th century Black American and White American Gospels and Hymns with the titles "The Old Gospel Ship" or "Take A Trip". 

This pancocojams post also presents a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread about African American composer of and performer Sam Lucas who wrote a version of "The Gospel Ship" in the late 19th century.

Information about Sam Lucas is presented in the Addendum of this post...

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-carteer-familys-1935-record-gospel.html for Part iI of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 1935 sound file of The Carter Family singing their version of "The Old Gospel Ship".The lyrics for The Carter Family's version of "The Old Gospel Ship" is also included in that post. That post also includes an auto-generated transcript from a YouTube video about the history of "The Old Gospel Ship" hymn. 

Click __ for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases several YouTube examples of 21st century African American singers performing "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship). The lyrics to two versions of that Gospel song are included in this post.

Click ___ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases several other 21st century African American examples of "Take A Trip" (On That Good Old Gospel Ship).   

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and socio-cultural purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these Spirituals and thanks to all those who collected those songs. Thanks to Sam Lucas for his cultural legacy. Thanks also to Dicho (Frank Staplin) and the other members of the Mudcat folk music forum who are quoted in this pancocojams post.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only. 

from https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41005

 1. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 06:24 PM
THE OLD SHIP OF ZION I

[…]

...“Written down in 1850, this fragment from Cincinnati is one of the earliest recorded spirituals. In Dena Epstein, 1977, Spiritual Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War, Univ. Illinois Press.”

[…]

THE OLD SHIP OF ZION III

Cho.

Don't you see that ship a-sailin',

Gwine over to the Promised Land?

I asked my Lord, shall I ever be the one,

Shall I ever be the one, shall I ever be the one,

To go sailin', sailin', sailin', sailin',

Gwine over to the Promised Land?

 

2. She sails like she is heavy-loaded, etc.

3. King Jesus is the captain, etc.

4. The Holy Ghost is the pilot, etc.

 

The above, from North Carolina, is in Allen, 1867, Slave Songs of the United States.

@religion @spiritual

THE SHIP OF ZION V

 

Dis de good old ship o' Zion, (3 times)

An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.

 

She hab angels for de sailors (3 times)

An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.

 

An' how you know dey's angels? (3 times)

An' she's etc.

 

Good Lord, shall I be de one? (3 times)

An' she's etc.

 

Dat ship is out a-sailin', sailin', sailin',

An' she's etc.

She's a-sailin' mighty steady, steady, steady,

An' she's etc.

She'll neither reel nor totter, totter, totter,

An' she's etc.

She's a-sailin' away cold Jordan, Jordan, Jordan,

An' she's etc.

King Jesus is de captain, captain, captain,

An' she's making for de Promise Land.

 

From T. W. Higginson, 1867

 

THE SHIP OF ZION VI

 

De gospel ship is sailin', Hosann-sann.

O, Jesus is de captain, Hosann-sann.

De angels are de sailors, Hosann-sann

O, is your bundle ready? Hosann-sann.

O, have you got your ticket? Hosann-sann.

 

Versions 4-6 from T. W. Higginson, Negro Spirituals, Atlantic Monthly, 1867.

See Fenner, Dett and others for other early versions."

**
2. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (DON'T YE VIEW DAT SHIP)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 08:36 PM

"OLD SHIP OF ZION VIII

(DON'T YE VIEW DAT SHIP)

 

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? Hallelujah!

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? (3 times)

Don't ye view dat ship a come a sailin'? Hallelujah!

 

Dat ship is heavy loaded, Hallelujah!

Dat ship is havy loaded, (3 times)

Dat ship is heavy loaded, Hallelujah!

 

She neither reels nor totters, Hallelujah! etc.

 

She is loaded with bright angels, Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, how do you know dey are angels? Hallelujah! etc.

 

I know dem by-a de'r mournin', Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, yonder comes my Jesus, Hallelujah! etc.

 

Oh, how do you know it's Jesus? Hallelujah! etc.

 

I know him by-a His shinin', Hallelujah! etc.

 

Chorus: Indicated as 1st verse plus 1st line of second verse.

 

From Fifty Cabin and Plantation Songs, 1874, Thomas P. Fenner, Hampton Inst.

@religion @spiritual

**
3. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 11:29 PM

"I sing lead on this song with a black male gospel chorus. the words basically come from a recording by the Jackson Southernaires. Leadbelly also recorded a version of this, Susan, if you want to tie together blues and gospel..

 I was standing on the banks of the river

 Looking out over life's troubled seas

 When I saw the old ship that was sailing

 Is that the old Ship of Zion I see?

 

  Her hull was bent and battered

  From the storms of life I could see

  Waves were rough, but the old ship was steady

  Is that the old Ship of Zion I see?

 

  At the stern of the ship stood the Captain

  I could hear him when he called out my name

  Get on board the old Ship of Zion

  It will never pass this way again

 

  As I step on board, I'll be leaving  

  All my troubles and heartaches behind

  I'll be safe with Jesus, the Captain

  Sailing out on the old Ship of Zion

  Sailing out on the old Ship of Zion

 

The recording by the Jackson Southernaires is one of the most beautiful gospel recordings I have ever heard.

Jerry Rasmussen"

**
4. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:43 AM

"It's on The Jackson Southernaires: Live and Annointed (Malaco MCD 6012)[released 1992; I hope it's still in print]. Yes, Leadbelly's version is HERE. Other recordings were made by Roberta Martin Singers, Norsalus McKissick, Bessie Griffin, Brother Joe May, Pilgrim Jubilee Singers, Marion Williams, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Pilgrim Jubilees, Sallie Martin Singers, Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Quartet.

~Masato"

**
5. Subject: Lyr Add: DE OLE SHIP OB ZION
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:35 PM

"DE OLE SHIP OB ZION

 

De day did break an' de sun did rise,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

An' I seen dem angels up in de skies,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

O de ole ship ob Zion is a-gwine to sail,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

An' she's only waitin' for de Gospel gale,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

Yes, I'se done quit all my worldly ways,

Done quit all my worldly ways,

Yes, done quit all my worldly ways,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

 

De anchor's weighed an' de sails are set,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

An' soon we're a-gwine to sail, don' you fret,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb!

De Keptin an' crew dey am comin' on board,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb,

De chorus am a-singin' an' praisin' de Lord.

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

Let's stop a moment befo' we go,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Tro' out a plank, gib de sinners a show,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Gospel band am a-gwine to play,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

As soon as de ship am a-sailin' away,

I'se gwine to lib wid de Lamb.

Cho.

 

Composed by Sam Lucas (b. 1848) and published 1881?, in Ethiopian Jubilee and Minstrel Songs along with 19 others by various composers. From African-American Sheet Music Collection, 1850-1920, Brown University; American Memory, Library of Congress website. Whether the song was arranged for minstrelsy or for gospel use is not clear. Only the birth date of the composer is given.

@religion @gospel? @minstrel"

**
6. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:47 PM

"Sam Lucas was Afro-American. He formed a minstrel troupe that toured widely in the 1860s and 1870s. He was the first Afro-American to play Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin and toured with the play Out of Bondage."

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 08:53 PM

"Sam Lucas played Uncle Tom in the 1914 silent film, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The video is available from Grapevinevideo.com"

**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 12:17 AM

"Newman L. White, in American Negro Folk Songs, 1928 (rep. 1965) says the earliest mention of the song that he found is in: Sarah Josepha Hale, 1853, "Liberia, or Mr. Peyton's Experiment," "where it is sung by both white people and Negroes as a familiar camp-meeting song." In white songbooks, it appears in the Zion Songster, 2ed., 1827."

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ADDENDUM- INFORMATION ABOUT SAM LUCAS
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Lucas
"Sam Lucas (August 7, 1840 – January 10, 1916)[1][2] was an American actor, comedian, singer and songwriter. His birth year has also been reported as 1839, 1841, 1848 and 1850.[2][3][4]

Lucas' career began in blackface minstrelsy, but he later became one of the first African Americans to branch out into more serious drama, with roles in seminal works such as The Creole Show and A Trip to Coontown. He was the first black man to portray the role of Uncle Tom on both stage and screen. James Weldon Johnson described him as the "Grand Old Man of the Negro Stage".[5] He was vocal about liberating himself from the minstrel profession and was the only composer of spirituals in his time to present them consistently within the context of jubilee concerts.[6]

Early career

Lucas was born Samuel Mildmay Lucas (or Samuel Lucas Milady)[7] in Washington Court House, Ohio to free black parents. He showed a talent for guitar and singing as a teenager. While working as a barber, his local performances gained him a positive reputation.

In 1858 he began his career as a performer with the traveling African-American minstrel companies. Over the next five years, he sang and acted on stage and riverboats, and composed music for his shows. Meanwhile, he found ways to integrate his African-American roots into the mostly white form; for instance, his tune "Carve Dat Possum" borrowed its melody from a black religious song, although Henry Hart (musician) may have been the source. As black minstrelsy grew popular with the general public, Lucas became one of its first celebrities, particularly known for his portrayals of pitiable, comic characters.[8]

His fame allowed him to choose his engagements and he performed with some of the best black minstrel troupes, never as leader, including Lew Johnson's Plantation Minstrels (1871–73), Callender's Georgia Minstrels (1873–74, 1875–76) and Sprague's Georgia Minstrels (1878–79) in Havana, Cuba.[3] After his time as a minstrel performer, he began to work vaudeville.

As a writer and performer of jubilee songs, Lucas was unique in branding himself a "jubilee singer" and in forming a jubilee group in 1881 to highlight the popular songs of black composers, as well as his own character songs. His jubilee troupe never performed jubilee songs in the original sense of arranged traditional spirituals. Instead, he mixed commercial spirituals, cultivated songs, instrumental selections and comedy, forging a new kind of concert that was part variety, part band concert and part art music. Besides his own ensemble, "Mr. Sam Lucas and quartet", he was involved with numerous other jubilee ensembles such as the Norfolk Jubilee Singers, the Harper's Ferry Jubilee Singers, the Original Nashville Singers, the Southern Jubilee Singers and the Hyers Sisters, among others.[9]”…
-snip-
Here's some information about "jubilee songs" from AI Overview (results of my March 25, 2026 query)

"Jubilee songs are traditional African American spirituals, popularized by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers in the 1870s, which express faith, sorrow, and hope for freedom. These songs originated from slave songs and became a cornerstone of African American heritage, often featuring choral arrangements of spirituals that served as both religious music and protest.

Key facts about Jubilee songs:

Origin: The term "Jubilee" comes from the Biblical Year of Jubilee, a time when enslaved people were to be set free.

Fisk University Jubilee Singers: Formed in 1871 to raise funds for their school, this group introduced these songs to the world, performing in Carnegie Hall and internationally.

Characteristics: These songs, originally performed in a cappella style, often featured strong harmony and a mix of traditional spirituals with Western, religious, and sometimes patriotic melodies.

Examples: Popular songs in their repertoire include "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Steal Away," "Go Down Moses," "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"... 

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

YouTube Clip of The Sinners Movie "I Lied To You" Performance & An Article Excerpt & Selected Comments About Why The Sinners Movie Has That Title

Sinners | I Lied To You Song | Movie Clip | Warner Bros. Entertainment

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Jun 24, 2025  #sinnersmovie #michaelbjordan #oscars

Oscar Winning Best Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, and Best Actor winner Michael B. Jordan. Sinners song "I Lied To You,” performed live by Miles Caton as Sammie. The Sinners Movie Clip shows the raw, emotional blues track that channels the character’s longing, defiance, and dream of escape. Look for the horror adventure movie on digital.

Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, two award-winning multi-hyphenates, “I Lied To You” was filmed and recorded over several days on set, capturing the energy of a live juke joint crowd. It marks Sammie’s breakout as an artist and reflects on the film’s deep connection to the cultural roots and legacy of the blues.

From Ryan Coogler—director of “Black Panther” and “Creed”—and starring Michael B. Jordan comes a new vision of fear: “Sinners.” Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. “You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojsms post showcases a YouTube video of the clip of "I Lied To You" performance from the 2025 Sinners movies . That post also presents information about why this movie has the title "Sinners".

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and entertainment only.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Ryan Coogler, Director of Sinners. Thanks also to Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, the writers of "I Lied To You" and all those who are associated with that award winning movie. Thanks also to Haniyah P. for her 2025 grio.com article about why that movie is named "Sinners".and thanks to commenters from a reddit.com discussion thread on that title of that movie. 

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ARTICLE EXCERPT: "Ryan Coogler talks the Delta Blues, spirituality and why his latest film is titled ‘Sinners’: ‘It’s a term of judgment, but it’s welcoming as well"

From https:// /2025/04/17/ryan-coogler-talks-the-delta-blues-spirituality-and-why-his-latest-film-is-titled-sinners-its-a-term-of-judgment-but-its-welcoming-as-well/ by Haniyah P, Apr 17, 2025

"Beyond the vampires and sex appeal of Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” spotlights spirituality, music and Black folklore.

“This Good Friday, everyone is talking about the highly anticipated release of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s latest film, “Sinners.” Now, before you grab your Bible and start clutching your pearls at the thought of a horror movie with the title “Sinners,” hear me out.

The horror film, which chronicles what happens when vampires take over Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932, is filled with nuanced conversations about culture, religion, spirituality, and music. During a phone interview with Ryan Coogler, theGrio got a glimpse into the “Sinners” creator’s mind and how he managed to showcase the dissonant harmony of these themes.

“We ended up with ‘Sinners’ and in hindsight I think it’s the only title we ever could have,” Coogler told TheGrio, revealing that the film existed under the code name “Grilled Cheese” before getting its official title. “It has to do with that relationship that Delta Blues has with its kinda like twin sibling, gospel music.”

“Blues music was the first American music to be referenced as the devil’s music,” he continued. “That judgment of the practitioners of the music and folks who engage in the culture around it is at the heart of this movie. That conversation and acknowledgement that we all are [sinners] and if you point the finger at somebody calling them a sinner, you also have to point the finger back to yourself.”

For Coogler, who was raised in the Baptist church, attended a predominantly Black Catholic school growing up, and studied various religions throughout college, exploring the supernatural quality of Delta Blues music and the juxtaposition between spirituality and carnality through a diverse spiritual lens was important.

“[Religion] has always been something that has surrounded me in my life and a fascination of mine…people’s relationship with spirituality and it as a practice in which people choose to deal with the world,” he explained. “And it tends to be in my movies, too.”

In his fifth feature film, this fascination shows up through music–– a key part of the “Sinners” plot and creation. Inspired by his late Uncle James, who loved Delta Blues music, Coogler shared that he was inspired to make this film after studying the genre his uncle loved so much.   

“Where gospel music is made for the soul, Delta Blues music is made for the soul and the body–it acknowledges the flesh and all of the beauty and ugliness that comes with it.”

“The artists were known for embracing their flaws, their nightmares, their mortality, and their carnal desires,” he continued. “Some of these songs talk about being haunted by crimes committed, by a lifestyle, by demons, the devil, or visions of an untimely death.”

Listening to artists like Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, and a playlist full of Delta Blues music, Coogler noticed how these themes evolved into modern-day genres like in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “The Crossroads.” 

“[I] realized that they’re not the first people to make a song called ‘Crossroads,’” he said, referring to his favorite ’90s rap songs. “That’s one of the most popular songs sung in the Delta Blues tradition, as a concept and [reference] to the entryway from the natural to the supernatural, life and death and crossing over.”

“All these things: the supernatural and my love of horror fiction made me think it would make sense to implement these elements into how these characters from [1932 Mississippi] encounter the supernatural,” he added”….

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A REDDIT.COM DISCUSSION THREAD ABOUT THE SINNERS MOVIE

[Numbers are added for referencing purposes only and may not correspond to the numbers in that reddit discussion thread. All of these comments were published in January and February 2026.]

https://www.reddit.com/r/SinnersbyRyanCoogler/comments/1qvx251/why_is_it_called_sinners/

1. JazzlikeHat9469
"Why is it called Sinners?

I had a thought while watching this movie for the third time. Why is it called Sinners?

I love when title cards are used to tell the story, and I think I know. The film starts with Annie’s VO talking about how “there are legends of those who can play music so pure…etc. in Ireland they were called Filí, firekeepers in Choctaw, griots in west Africa. Their music can heal their communities, but also attracts evil.” Then the title card - Sinners. Which made me think “ah, so in ancient Ireland, Choctaw land, and west Africa, they were called these various things, and then in 1930s Mississippi, they are called sinners.”

I’m also thinking about the ending, and tracking vampire genealogy. Stack and Mary are vampires, and were turned by Remmick. Remmick was alive in ancient Ireland, and was presumably turned at a similar party where a Filí was playing. That vampire was probably from west Africa or something, and was at a party where a griot was playing. Evoking Africa makes this relationship between vampires and music, community, etc. feel older and older - they’ve been with us for a looonng time… probably going back to biblical Eden. and the ORIGINAL SIN of eve eating the fruit, tempted by the devil, presented in the bible as a serpent (remember that snake in the truck, everyone?).

Stay with me for this, what if the serpent “bit” eve, making the first vampire, and she turned adam, beginning this chain of vampires that continues to this day in stack and Mary. All stemming from what we now call “sin.” Presumably they will follow Remmicks example, they’re going to stick around until they find another musician of Sammie’s caliber so that Stack can see Smoke again, since he can’t die naturally and see him like how smoke saw Annie and his daughter again.

I’m not religious, but I love thinking about the movie with this religious imagery in mind. This movie is so f--king* good."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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2. WertherEffekt
"Ryan Coogler talks the Delta Blues, spirituality and why his latest film is titled ‘Sinners’: ‘It’s a term of judgment, but it’s welcoming as well’ -thegrio.com

https:// /2025/04/17/ryan-coogler-talks-the-delta-blues-spirituality-and-why-his-latest-film-is-titled-sinners-its-a-term-of-judgment-but-its-welcoming-as-well/ By Haniyah P, Apr 17, 2025...

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3. Ykindasus
"Smoke and Stack are career criminals who worked for both the Irish and Italian mobs in Chicago.

Sammie's father is a preacher who puts down Sammie's love of the Blues as sinful.

And Remmick.... I don't think I have to spell it out lol."

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4. ImpactNext1283
"They’re all Sinners. Blues, generally speaking, is a musical form for and about Sinners. Drinking, gambling, screwing, all sins. Only Sammie’s dad isn’t, and he’s the least likable character in the movie."

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5. momstheuniverse
"Because of the music.

At one point, Ray Charles was accused of making "devil's music" what does Sammy's father do?

There's also, in my opinion, strong references to The Color Purple where Shug is ostracized by her father who's a pastor, for choosing to be a singer.

As an adult she reunites with her father and while hugging him says, "See, Daddy? Even sinners have a soul too."

**
6.mrwrrrmwrmrmrmrw
"The twins made their fortunes working as pimps for Al Capone."

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7. [deleted]
"Well…. Stealing from Al Capone"

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8. TheDesertedRose
"smoking gambling drinking adultery prostitution (mentioned by the twins) thievery secular music and wanton violence. if someone wanted to also include Hoodoo as well from a religious view, then you could also include Annie. But also again from a religious view these are all sins, making each character in some way a sinner"

**
9. Dweller201
"It the beginning, some older character said that playing blues music is attractive to evil, or something like that. So, the young guy better watch out with playing that music.

The whole movie is basically about how attractive blues music is. The club is trying to keep it contained but they can't because the vampires want to get in on it.

Maybe that?!"

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Afroman - "Lemon Pound Cake" (Music Videos, Information, & Lyrics)

 

Afroman - Lemon Pound Cake (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

ogafroman,  Dec 30, 2022  #14 top music video

Total # of views as of March 24, 2026 as of 11:04 AM DST =6,701,776 -snip- Afroman's Rap recording "Lemon Pound Cake" uses the tune of The Drifters' now classic 1964 R&B song "Under The Boardwalk".

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcase two YouTube examples of Afroman's 2022 Rap recording "Lemon Pound Cake".

This post also presents information about Afroman and includes the lyrics to his "Lemon Pound Cake" record.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Afroman for his socio-cultural legacy. Thanks to Afroman & Merkules for writing this song and thanks to sancarlos97 for sharing the lyrics for this song on azlyrics. Thanks also to the producers of these showcase videos on YouTube. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT AFROMAN (with information about the police raid that is the subject of Afroman's 2022 "Lemon Pound Cake" song and some other songs)
From https://genius.com/artists/Afroman
"Joseph Edgar Foreman (born July 28, 1974), known professionally as Afroman, began writing songs and handing them out to his friends on cassette while in the eighth grade. At 25 years old, he released his first album, 1999’s Sell Your Dope. Soon after, he moved from LA to Mississippi with the mission to ‘get away from competition and sell to actual people’, releasing his sophomore album Because I Got High in 2000 on T-Bones Records. Its title track, written hastily after a friend showed up and interrupted him on an ambitious day and insisted they instead get high, was the last song he had recorded for it. Soon after releasing one more album later that year, Afroman left the music business.

At the same time, the file-sharing software Napster – heavily used at the time to share and distribute music for free – was at its peak of popularity, and the album’s title track became popular with its users. Universal Records caught wind and signed Afroman to a six album deal and released it as a single on July 6, 2001.

“Because I Got High” immediately became one of the most-requested songs across the nation, growing even larger after syndicated morning radio show host Howard Stern began airing it regularly, helping to make it ‘the most requested song on the radio in the country’. Further boosting its popularity was its inclusion in the film (and soundtrack to) Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back and MTV’s eventual agreement to air a modified, less-controversial music video for the song. It peaked at #13 in the US, and topped the charts in ten countries overseas. Its album The Good Times reached #10 in the US.

Afroman performed across the US with Cypress Hill, Busta Rhymes, Method Man and Redman in September and October on the appropriately-titled Smoke Out Tour. The album’s second single “Crazy Rap” reached the top 40 in five countries in early 2002, but failed to make an impact in the US.

[…]

In 2022, while he was away from home, a drug raid by Ohio police made the news after officers broke down the door with guns drawn and rummaged through his belongings:

'They didn’t have to run up my driveway with AR-15’s and all kinds of assault weapons. I would have gladly just given (the trace amounts of weed, a vape pen and a jar of CBD they found) to them.'

Afroman would then speak about the experience, criticizing the officers for the raid and for damaging his property. In response to the raid, Afroman recorded songs such as “Will You Help Me Repair My Door,” “Lemon Pound Cake,” and “Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera,” all of which would earn their own music videos involving footage of the raid. He would even go as far as to releasing the album Lemon Pound Cake on January 9, 2023. This would result in a lawsuit from several Adams County officers in March 2023. After three years, on March 18, 2026, a jury returned a full verdict in favor of Afroman, clearing him from any civil damages against the officers."
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYsTmIzjkw  for Afroman's hit song  "Because I Got High (Clean Version)" published by ogafroman, Oct 8, 2009 [total # of views as of March 24, 2026 , 10:45 AM DST=317,127,892]

Also, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91h8kC_vFY&t=194s for the epiode entitled "Afroman Wins in Court. Cops Raid His Home, Find Nothing, Then Lose Big"
Mar 20, 2026  #RolandMartinUnfiltered

"They raided his home, found nothing, then tried to flip it on him. It blew up in their face."

Pancocojams Editor's summary of that episode:
This episode of  Roland Martin Unfiltered focuses on Afroman's successful case against the police officers who raided his house with a warrant accusing him of drg trafficking and kidnapping, but dropped all of those charges. Those same police officers later sued Afroman for defamation when he recorded songs and videos about that raid.

Also, click https://genius.com/albums/Afroman/Lemon-pound-cake for a track list of Afroman's 2023 album entitled "Lemon Pound Cake" that includes that song and other songs related to that police raid.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 -Afroman - Lemon Pound Cake (Official Lyric Video)

ogafroman, Feb 28, 2025

Lemon Pound Cake (Official Lyric Video) by Afroman

Copyright (C) 2025 Music Access Inc./Hungry Hustler Records.

Total # of views as of March 24, 2026 at 11:16 AM DST= 449,382

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LYRICS- LEMON POUND CAKE
(writer-Afroman)

The Adams County Sheriff kicked on my door

Then I heard the glass break

They found no kidnapping victims

Just some Lemon Pound Cake

 

Mamma's Lemon Pound Cake

It tastes so nice

It made the Sheriff wanna put down his gun

And cut him a slice

 

(Of what? Of what?)

 

Lemon Pound Cake

He wanna put down his glock

Lemon Pound Cake

Trending on TikTok

Lemon Pound Cake

He's a family guy

Lemon Pound Cake

Got the munchies because he got high

Lemon Pound Cake, Pound Cake

 

He's a Adams County Sheriff

He's hungry and he's big as hell (hmmm)

He was sniffing for weed

Then he smelled another smell (what was that?)

 

Mamma's Lemon Pound Cake

It tastes so nice

It made the Sheriff wanna put down his gun

And cut him a slice

 

(Of what? Of what?)

 

Lemon Pound Cake

He wanna put down his glock

Lemon Pound Cake

Trending on TikTok

Lemon Pound Cake

He's a family guy

Lemon Pound Cake

Got the munchies because he got high

Lemon Pound Cake, Pound Cake

 

He''s sees my cake and my porno mag called 'Boom, Boom'

Something happened to his camera on the way to the evidence room

 

Mamma's Lemon Pound Cake

It tastes so nice

Make the Sheriff wanna put down his gun

And cut him a slice

 

(Of what? Of what?)

 

Lemon Pound Cake

He wanna put down his glock

Lemon Pound Cake

Trending on TikTok

Lemon Pound Cake

He's a family guy

Lemon Pound Cake

Got the munchies because he got high

Lemon Pound Cake, Pound Cake

 

Lemon Pound Cake

He wanna put down his glock

Lemon Pound Cake

Trending on TikTok

Lemon Pound Cake

He's a family guy

Lemon Pound Cake

Got the munchies because he got high

Lemon Pound Cake, Pound Cake

-snip-
Thanks to sancarlos97 for adding these lyrics on https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/afroman/lemonpoundcake.html

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