Edited by Azizi Powell
UPDATE: February 7, 2017
On Feb 7, 2017 I added the new title and tag "songs for the resistance" and added the comments about people helping revise the suggested last line of the "March Together People protest song that I came up with.
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In the 1960s the tunes and words of some African American Spirituals* or early Gospel song were adapted to create civil rights songs (also referred to as "freedom songs"). For example, the early Gospel song "I'll Overcome" was used to create the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome." http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-gospel-song-i-will-overcome-someday.html
Another example of an African American early Gospel song that was changed into a civil rights song is "I Woke Up This Morning (with my mind stayed on Jesus". The civil rights title for that song is "I Woke Up This Morning (with my mind stayed on Jesus). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsziXdKfOsE as sung by the Freedom Singers.
*I use the term "African American Spirituals" instead of what I consider the outdated term "Negro Spirituals".
That same process can be used to create songs for current protest marches and rallies.
This pancocojams post features the lyrics that I thought of for a contemporary protest song that I've titled "March Together People".
The first part of "March Together People" uses the beginning words from the chorus from the "Walk Together Children" Spiritual.
The last line of "Walk Together People" [at present] has an adapted last line for that chorus. That suggested last line "This is what democracy [or "America"] looks like" is lifted from the second line of a widely used protest chant.
Help compose this protest song!
I'm not totally satisfied with the last line that I came up with for "March Together People".
What last line do you think might better fit this song's last line rhythm & spirit/theme? The last line for "Walk Together Children" is "There's a great camp meeting in the promised land". (Listen to the examples of that song in the embedded videos' below.)
Please add your suggestion in the comment section below and/or comment on which last line you think best fits the song's pattern and the spirit/theme of this protest song. Thanks!
****
Like the song "Walk Together Children" and some other African American Spirituals, "March Together People" is a "zipper song". In this context, "zipper song" means that the verses of this song are changed by "zipping" out one verb and "zipping" in another verb.
Also like many African American Spirituals and Early Gospel songs, the lyrics for "March Together People" aren't fixed, meaning other verbs can be used for the beginning of different verses. In addition, like many African American Spirituals and Early Gospel songs, the order of the verses aren't fixed and the song is open-ended- which means that (except for the first verse) the verses can be sung in any order and the song can go on as long as you wish.
****-
Hat tip to this commenter for inspiring me to come up with this song:
norabb Feb 06 [2017]· 09:47:06 AM, comment in http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/02/06/1630472/-I-got-within-25-yards-of-Mar-a-Lago-s-gates-on-Saturday-night By Pakalolo, 2017/02/06
"....One thing I find at these marches, including the Women’s March in DC that I went to, that there is a lack of good solid chants, and no songs! I wish we had some songs for our side."...
-snip-
Thanks for the inspiration, norabb!
****
LYRICS: MARCH TOGETHER PEOPLE
(Azizi Powell, based on "Walk Together Children")
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
.This is what democracy is like".**
Stand together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
This is what democracy looks like.*
****
*This line could be changed to "This is what America looks like."
Help compose this protest song!
I'm not totally satisfied with the last line that I came up with for "March Together People".
What last line do you think might better fit this song's last line rhythm & spirit/theme? The last line for "Walk Together Children" is "There's a great camp meeting in the promised land". (Listen to the examples of that song in the embedded videos' below.)
Please add your suggestion in the comment section below and/or comment on which last line you think best fits the song's pattern and the spirit/theme of this protest song. Thanks!
****
Continue this same pattern for other verses. Each verse could be sung two times consecutively if you desire, and verses an be repeated any time you want.
Other suggested verbs:
Sing
Shout
Pray
Work
****
VIDEOS OF "WALK TOGETHER CHILDREN"
These videos are featured to show how the contemporary protest song "March Together People" sounds. Notice that these examples don't use the same tempo.
Example #1: Walk Together Children
MetroSingers, Uploaded on Jun 15, 2009
MetroSingers, Hyattsville, MD
http://www.metrosingers.com
****
Example #2: Walk Together Children- Ashley Renée Watkins
muppet157, Uploaded on Apr 28, 2011
Ashley Renée Watkins sings Walk Together Children arranged by Moses G. Hogan-2011
****
Example #3: Walk Together Children
Jeffery Hogan, Published on Jan 15, 2016
The Moses Hogan Singers "Walk together Children"
-snip-
Music notations for "Walk Together Children" are found on this website [for sale] : http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0135372 Walk together children
arranged by Moses Hogan
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/walk-together-children-lyrics-examples.html Walk Together Children (lyrics, examples, comments) for a pancocojams post about the African American Spiritual "Walk Together Children".
****
The content of this post is presented for cultural, motivational, and political purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are peacefully protesting to make the world a better place for all. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the videos that are embedded in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
UPDATE: February 7, 2017
On Feb 7, 2017 I added the new title and tag "songs for the resistance" and added the comments about people helping revise the suggested last line of the "March Together People protest song that I came up with.
****
In the 1960s the tunes and words of some African American Spirituals* or early Gospel song were adapted to create civil rights songs (also referred to as "freedom songs"). For example, the early Gospel song "I'll Overcome" was used to create the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome." http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-gospel-song-i-will-overcome-someday.html
Another example of an African American early Gospel song that was changed into a civil rights song is "I Woke Up This Morning (with my mind stayed on Jesus". The civil rights title for that song is "I Woke Up This Morning (with my mind stayed on Jesus). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsziXdKfOsE as sung by the Freedom Singers.
*I use the term "African American Spirituals" instead of what I consider the outdated term "Negro Spirituals".
That same process can be used to create songs for current protest marches and rallies.
This pancocojams post features the lyrics that I thought of for a contemporary protest song that I've titled "March Together People".
The first part of "March Together People" uses the beginning words from the chorus from the "Walk Together Children" Spiritual.
The last line of "Walk Together People" [at present] has an adapted last line for that chorus. That suggested last line "This is what democracy [or "America"] looks like" is lifted from the second line of a widely used protest chant.
Help compose this protest song!
I'm not totally satisfied with the last line that I came up with for "March Together People".
What last line do you think might better fit this song's last line rhythm & spirit/theme? The last line for "Walk Together Children" is "There's a great camp meeting in the promised land". (Listen to the examples of that song in the embedded videos' below.)
Please add your suggestion in the comment section below and/or comment on which last line you think best fits the song's pattern and the spirit/theme of this protest song. Thanks!
****
Like the song "Walk Together Children" and some other African American Spirituals, "March Together People" is a "zipper song". In this context, "zipper song" means that the verses of this song are changed by "zipping" out one verb and "zipping" in another verb.
Also like many African American Spirituals and Early Gospel songs, the lyrics for "March Together People" aren't fixed, meaning other verbs can be used for the beginning of different verses. In addition, like many African American Spirituals and Early Gospel songs, the order of the verses aren't fixed and the song is open-ended- which means that (except for the first verse) the verses can be sung in any order and the song can go on as long as you wish.
****-
Hat tip to this commenter for inspiring me to come up with this song:
norabb Feb 06 [2017]· 09:47:06 AM, comment in http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/02/06/1630472/-I-got-within-25-yards-of-Mar-a-Lago-s-gates-on-Saturday-night By Pakalolo, 2017/02/06
"....One thing I find at these marches, including the Women’s March in DC that I went to, that there is a lack of good solid chants, and no songs! I wish we had some songs for our side."...
-snip-
Thanks for the inspiration, norabb!
****
LYRICS: MARCH TOGETHER PEOPLE
(Azizi Powell, based on "Walk Together Children")
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
.This is what democracy is like".**
Stand together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
March together people
Don't you get weary
This is what democracy looks like.*
****
*This line could be changed to "This is what America looks like."
Help compose this protest song!
I'm not totally satisfied with the last line that I came up with for "March Together People".
What last line do you think might better fit this song's last line rhythm & spirit/theme? The last line for "Walk Together Children" is "There's a great camp meeting in the promised land". (Listen to the examples of that song in the embedded videos' below.)
Please add your suggestion in the comment section below and/or comment on which last line you think best fits the song's pattern and the spirit/theme of this protest song. Thanks!
****
Continue this same pattern for other verses. Each verse could be sung two times consecutively if you desire, and verses an be repeated any time you want.
Other suggested verbs:
Sing
Shout
Pray
Work
****
VIDEOS OF "WALK TOGETHER CHILDREN"
These videos are featured to show how the contemporary protest song "March Together People" sounds. Notice that these examples don't use the same tempo.
Example #1: Walk Together Children
MetroSingers, Uploaded on Jun 15, 2009
MetroSingers, Hyattsville, MD
http://www.metrosingers.com
****
Example #2: Walk Together Children- Ashley Renée Watkins
muppet157, Uploaded on Apr 28, 2011
Ashley Renée Watkins sings Walk Together Children arranged by Moses G. Hogan-2011
****
Example #3: Walk Together Children
Jeffery Hogan, Published on Jan 15, 2016
The Moses Hogan Singers "Walk together Children"
-snip-
Music notations for "Walk Together Children" are found on this website [for sale] : http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0135372 Walk together children
arranged by Moses Hogan
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/walk-together-children-lyrics-examples.html Walk Together Children (lyrics, examples, comments) for a pancocojams post about the African American Spiritual "Walk Together Children".
****
The content of this post is presented for cultural, motivational, and political purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are peacefully protesting to make the world a better place for all. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the videos that are embedded in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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