Latest revision- March 16, 2023
This pancocojams post presents lyrics for some examples of 19th century African American Spirituals with the words "Tis The Old Ship Of Zion"*. These 19th century songs may have also been the source for B. Chase Williams' 1996 Gospel song "Take A Trip" (On That Good Ole Gospel Ship)
The content of this post is presented for historical, religious and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
*These 19th century African American religious songs shouldn't be confused with the Christian hymn "Old Ship Of Zion" that was composed around 1889 by Mary J. Cartwright. I don't know whether M. J. Cartwright, the composer of the hymn "Old Ship Of Zion" knew the "Tis The Old Ship Of Zion" Spiritual, but it's certainly possible.
The lyrics for Mary J. Cartwright's hymn "Old Ship Of Zion" are given in the Addendum to this post.
-snip-
Some of these African American songs that are featured in this pancocojams post may be early African American Gospel songs and not Spirituals. (It appears to me that most musicologist don't categorize African American religious songs as "Spirituals" if they were composed after 1865 - the end of the Civil War.
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EXCERPT FROM A MUDCAT DISCUSSION FORUM THREAD ON THE SPIRITUAL "TIS THE OLD SHIP OF ZION"
I've added numbers to selected comments from this discussion thread for referencing purposes only. Those numbers aren't given in that forum and aren't the same as how those comments are shown in that forum as these are only selected examples of those comments.
1. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual) https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41005
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 06:24 PM
"OLD SHIP OF ZION I
What ship is this that's landed at the shore?
Oh, Glory Hallelujah!
It's the old ship of Zion, hallelujah!
It's the old ship of Zion, hallelujah!
Is the mast all sure, and the timber all sound?
Oh, Glory, hallelujah!
She's built of gospel timber, hallelujah!
She's built, etc.
What kind of men does she have on board?
Oh, Glory Hallelujah!
They're all true-hearted soldiers, hallelujah!
They're all etc.
What kind of captain does she have on board?
Oh, Glory Hallelujah!
King Jesus is the captain, Hallelujah!
King Jesus etc.
Oh, do you think she will be able to land us on the shore?
Oh, Glory Hallelujah!
I think she will be able, Hallelujah!
I think etc.
She has landed over thousands, and can land as many more,
Oh, Glory Hallelujah! etc.
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.
@religion @spiritual
THE OLD SHIP OF ZION II
What ship is that you're enlisted upon?
Oh, Glory hallelujah!
'Tis the old ship of Zion, hallelujah!
'Tis the old ship of Zion, hallelujah!
And who is the captain of the ship that you're on?
My Saviour is the captain, hallelujah! etc.
The above fragment from Maryland, printed 1860, was reproduced in Allen, 1867, Slave Songs of the United States.
@religion @spiritual
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 IV
Come along, come along, and let us go home,
O, glory hallelujah!
Dis de old ship of Zion, Halleloo! Halleloo!
Dis de old ship of Zion, Hallelujah!
She has landed many a tousand,
She can land as many more.
O, glory Hallelujah! etc.
Do you tink she will be able,
For to take us all home?
O glory, hallelujah! etc.
You can tell 'em I'm a-coming, Halleloo! Halleloo!
You can tell 'em I'm a-coming, Hallelujah!
Come along, come along, etc.
From T. W. Higginson, 1867
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.
OLD SHIP OF ZION VII
Cho.
It is that old ship of Zion, (3 times)
Get on board! get on board!
It has landed many a thousand, (3 times)
Get on board! Get on board!
Cho.
It has landed my old mother, etc.
It has landed my old father, etc.
Ain't no danger on this vessel, etc.
(Ain't no danger in this water, etc. variant)
She is moving very slowly, etc.
I'm so glad I got my ticket, etc.
My old mother is waiting for me, etc.
It has landed many a thousand, etc.
(Repeat 1st verse at end)
Sung by Gentry Young Bennet, Merryville, LA. In other versions, Zion "stretched," Zi-o-en. Usually sung slowly. "Git on board little children" chorus sometimes added. John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States recording Trip.
@religion @spiritual.
Putting Old Ship of Zion into DT and Forum Search will yield gospel versions."
-snip-
"DT" = Digital Tradition, a listing of titles and lyrics of songs that are shared by members of Mudcat folk music forum.
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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"
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3. Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION IX
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Nov 01 - 10:58 PM
"OLD SHIP OF ZION IX
What ship is this that will take us all home?
Oh, glory, hallelujah!
And safely land us on Canaan's bright shore?
Oh, glory hallelujah!
Cho.
'Tis the old ship of Zion, hallelujah!
The winds may blow and the billows may foam,
Oh, glory, hallelujah!
But she is able to land us all home.
Oh, glory, hallelujah!
Cho.
She landed all who have gone before,
Oh, glory hallelujah!
And yet she is able to land still more,
Oh, glory hallelujah!
Cho.
If I arrive there before you do,
Oh, glory hallelujah!
I'll tell them that you are coming up, too.
Oh, glory, hallelujah!
Cho.
Sacred Harp version, tune Thomas W. Carter, 1844. From http://fasola.org/index/L/079.html
@religion @gospel"
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3. 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"
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4. 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."
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5. 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."
****
6. 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."
****
7. Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD SHIP OF ZION
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 10:40 PM
"Lyr. Add: THE OLD SHIP OF ZION (XIII)
Oh! eb'rything's ready,-
De wind is steady,
An' de folks keep a-crowdin' to the gospel ship;
'Tis the best time to ride
On de Jordan tide-
Dar's no use o' waitin' for de 'scursion trip!
Dey's a-loosenin' de line,
An' soon she'll be gwine,
For yonder come de deck-hands to push her off de bank;
She's a-puffin'! she's a-puffin'!
An' she nebber waits for nuffin'-
Better git abode, sinners, 'fo' dey pull in de plank!
Another of the many versions of this old song. From The Century Magazine, March 1882, vol. 23 no. 5, p. 797.
No information published with the poem.
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/gifcache/moa/cent/cent0023/00815.TIF6.gif"
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ADDENDUM - THE LYRICS FOR M. J. CARTWRIGHTS' 1899 HYMN "OLD SHIP OF ZION"
I was drifting away on life’s pitiless sea,
And the angry waves threatened my ruin to be,
When away at my side, there I dimly descried,
A stately old vessel, and loudly I cried:Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!
And loudly I cried: Ship ahoy!
’Twas the old ship of Zion,
thus sailing along,
All aboard her seemed joyous,
I heard their sweet song;
And the captain’s kind ear, ever ready to hear,
Caught my wail of distress, as I cried out in fear:Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!
As I cried out in fear: Ship ahoy!
The good captain commanded a boat to be low’red,
And with tender compassion He took me on board;
And I’m happy today, all my sins washed away
In the blood of my Savior, and now I can say:Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord!
From my soul I can say: Bless the Lord!
O soul, sinking down ’neath sin’s merciless wave,
The strong arm of our captain is mighty to save;
Then trust Him today, no longer delay,
Board the old ship of Zion, and shout on your way:Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout and sing on your way: Jesus saves!
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/o/l/d/s/oldshipz.htm
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
[A midi for this song is included in that post and its tune isn't the same as the "Old Ship Of Zion" hymn that is well known in the United States now [in 2022.]
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