jim bakay, Feb 22, 2011
Inspirational music from an inspirational group
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube sound file with photographs of the a Capella musical group Sweet Honey In The Rock singing the civil rights song "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize" (also known as "Hold On").
This post also provides lyrics and a video of the civil rights
song "Hold On (Keep Your Eyes On The Prize)". In addition, this post includes information about the Spiritual "Hold On" which was slightly adapted
and sung during the American civil rights movement of the 1960s.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the original composer of this song and thanks to all other composers of this song. Thanks also to the Sweet Honey In The Rock vocal group who are showcased in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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This post is a partial reprint of the post that I published in 2014 on one of my other blogs "Civil Rights Songs". https://civilrightssongs.blogspot.com/2014/11/hold-on-keep-your-eyes-on-prize-civil.html
That 2014 post showcases two other YouTube videos of the civil rights song "Hold On" and includes a visitor's comment that I didn't reprint in this post.
I was motivated to publish a reprint of that post in remembrance of difficult times in the past and as inspirational and strength giving words for people (and myself) in these difficult times that we are living in now in the United States and elsewhere throughout the world.
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LYRICS: HOLD ON [Civil Rights versions)
Verse:
Paul and Silas bound in jail
with no money to forgo their bail
Keep your eye on the prize
and hold on, hold on
Chorus:
Hold on
Hold on
Keep your eye on the prize
And hold on, hold on.
Verse:
If religion was a thing that money could buy
The rich would live and the poor would die
Keep your eye on the prize
And hold on, hold on.
Chorus
Verse:
One and one that makes two
Tell you what I'm-ma gonna do
Keep my eye on the prize
And hold on, hold on.
Chorus
Verse
Know the one thing we did wrong
Stayed in the wilderness far too long
Know the first thing we did right
Was the day we started to fight
Keep your eye on the prize hold on, hold on
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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
The African American civil rights song "Hold On"
is a slight adaptation of the African American Spiritual "Keep Your Hand
On The Plow"), also known as "Hold On". Instead of "Keep
your eye on the prize", the Spiritual's lyrics are "Keep your hand on
the plow". "Keep your hand on the plow" and "keep your eye
on the prize" both mean to remain steadfast in your determination. The
words of that Spiritual referred to those who were determined to live a
Christian life. When almost the same words were sung in the civil rights
protest movement, they referred to being resolved to continue that protest
inspite of the possibility or the probability of very serious consequences.
As is true of other civil rights songs, all the words to this song aren't fixed.
Thanks to Mama Kemba for sending in the third verse to this song to my (non-inactive) cocojams.com website on 2/26/2008. Thanks, also, to bill allen for sending a message on 4/24/2009 to that website which noted that "Keep Your Eye On The Prize" is an urban version of the rural (farm or plantation) song "Hold On". bill allen also included these verses in his message:
1. When you plow, don't lose your track, Can't plow straight
and keep a-lookin' back.
Keep your hand on that plow, hold on (Keep your eyes on the
prize, hold on.)
2. Wanna getta heav'n?, I'll tell you how, Keep your hand
right on that plow. (Keep your eyes...)
3. When I thought I was lost, Dungeon shook and the chains
fell off. (Keep your eyes...)
4. Got my hands on the gospel plow, Wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now. (Keep your eyes...)
5. The only chain we can stand, Is the chain of hand in hand
(Keep your eyes...)
-snip-
Visit this Mudcat Discussion Forum thread about the song
"Keep your eyes on the prize":
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=4136
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitors comments are welcome.
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