19th Century Sources For The Religious Songs "Tis The Old Ship Of Zion" And "Take A Trip (On That Good Ole Gospel Ship)"

Edited by Azizi Powell

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."
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"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."

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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."

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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!

 Words: Ma­ry J. Cart­wright, in The Gos­pel Pi­lot Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Da­ni­el Tow­ner & French E. Ol­iv­er (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Tow­ner & Ol­iv­er, 1889), num­ber 140.

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/o/l/d/s/oldshipz.htm

[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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Why "Zion" And "Mt. Zion" Are Frequently Used In Names Of Black (African American) Churches

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the word "Zion". That information suggests why "Zion" is frequently used in the names of historic and present day Black (African American) churches.*

The Addendum to this post also provides information about the African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination, a historically African American Christian denomination.

This is the second post in a pancocojams series about frequently used Black (African American) church names.

*The church names given in these posts are also given to churches that aren't historically African American or aren't presently predominately African American.

The church names featured in these pancocojams posts were selected from articles such as "10 Historic Black Southern Churches to Visit" https://blacksouthernbelle.com/10-historic-black-southern-churches-visit/ and "Historic African American Churches" https://www.blackpast.org/special-features/historic-african-american-churches/. In addition, the church names that I've selected for this series are based on my experience as an African American noticing the same church names in a number of cities I lived in or visited.

These pancocojams posts on frequent names used by African American churches don't include names whose association with religion are widely known (such as "Calvary" and "Emmanuel" or names whose meanings are generally understood such as "First [followed by a denomination]", "Second [followed by a denomination]", "Union [followed by a denomination]", or "a Saint's name [followed by a denomination]".
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/origins-meanings-and-examples-of.html for the related pancocojams post entitled "Origins & Meanings And Examples Of The Male/Female Name "Zion" ".

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The content of this post is published for education, religious, and cultural purposes.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click the "common Black church names" tag to find other posts in this series.

Also, click the closely related tag "American religious songs with Zion in their title".

A pancocojams post with the title "Reggae songs that have Zion in their title" will be published soon.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORD "ZION"
Excerpt #1
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-meaning-of-zion-in-the-bible.htmlhttps://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-meaning-of-zion-in-the-bible.html
"What Is the Meaning of Zion in the Bible? by Candice Lucey
The ancient Hebrew word Tsiyon (Zion) is “a Canaanite hill fortress in Jerusalem captured by David and called in the Bible ‘City of David.’" Zion can refer to one of three places: the hill where the most ancient areas of Jerusalem stood; the city of Jerusalem itself; or the dwelling place of God.

[...]

Zion in the Bible
Old Testament

The Bible’s first reference talks about “the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” (2 Samuel 5:7).

Plenty of Psalms mention Zion, the Lord’s “holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6), the place where the Lord is “enthroned” (Psalm 9:11), and from which David yearns for salvation to emerge (Psalm 9:14).

Isaiah is another prolific source: “Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy” (Isaiah 4:3); “gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 18:7)

Zion appears numerous times in other books of the Old Testament including Lamentations, Jeremiah, and Micah.

New Testament

New Testament writers Matthew, John, and Paul quote what has already been written in the Old Testament when they speak of Zion.

“In Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 9:33) 1 Peter 2:6 says this stone in Zion is Jesus, “a chosen and precious cornerstone.”

In his vision of end times, John saw “on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,0000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” (Revelation 14:1)

Commentators indicate that “Daughter of Zion” from Isaiah 1:8 means “the daughter of God’s people.” David Kowalski explains how this verse is “expressive of the tenderness with which the Lord had regarded the relation [...] he had established between Jerusalem (as representing His people) and Himself.” "...

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Excerpt #2
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zion
"Zion (Hebrew: צִיּוֹן‎ Ṣîyōn, LXX Σιών, also variously transliterated Sion,[2] Tzion, Tsion, Tsiyyon[3]) is a placename in the Hebrew Bible used as a synonym for Jerusalem[4][5] as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole (see Names of Jerusalem).

The name is found in 2 Samuel (5:7), one of the books of the Hebrew Bible dated to before or close to the mid-6th century BCE. It originally referred to a specific hill in Jerusalem (Mount Zion), located to the south of Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount). According to the narrative of 2 Samuel 5, Mount Zion held the Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was re-named the City of David. That specific hill ("mount") is one of the many squat hills that form Jerusalem, which also includes Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount), the Mount of Olives, etc. Over many centuries, until as recently as the Ottoman era, the city walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt many times in new locations, so that the particular hill known as Mount Zion is no longer inside the city wall, but its location is now just outside the portion of the Old City wall forming the southern boundary of the Jewish Quarter of the current Old City. Most of the original City of David itself is thus also outside the current city wall.

The term Tzion came to designate the area of Davidic Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and was used as well as synecdoche for the entire city of Jerusalem; and later, when Solomon's Temple was built on the adjacent Mount Moriah (which, as a result, came to be known as the Temple Mount) the meanings of the term Tzion were further extended by synecdoche to the additional meanings of the Temple itself, the hill upon which the Temple stood, the entire city of Jerusalem, the entire biblical Land of Israel, and "the World to Come", the Jewish understanding of the afterlife.”...

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ADDENDUM- INFORMATION ABOUT THE "AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION" DENOMINATION
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church
"The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church or AMEZ, is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of years before then.

History
The origins of this church can be traced to the John Street Methodist Church of New York City. Following acts of overt discrimination in New York (such as black parishioners being forced to leave worship), many black Christians left to form their own churches. The first church founded by the AME Zion Church was built in 1800 and was named Zion; one of the founders was William Hamilton, a prominent orator and abolitionist. These early black churches still belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church denomination, although the congregations were independent. During the Great Awakening, the Methodists and Baptists had welcomed free blacks and slaves to their congregations and as preachers.

The fledgling Zion church grew, and soon multiple churches developed from the original congregation. These churches were attended by black congregants, but ministered to by white ordained Methodist ministers. In 1820, six of the churches met to ordain James Varick as an elder, and in 1821 he was made the first General Superintendent of the AME Zion Church. A debate raged in the white-dominated Methodist church over accepting black ministers. This debate ended on July 30, 1822, when James Varick was ordained as the first bishop of the AME Zion church, a newly independent denomination. The total membership in 1866 was about 42,000.[1] Two years later, it claimed 164,000 members, as it sent missionaries to the South after the American Civil War to plant new churches with the newly emancipated freedmen.[2] The A.M.E. Zion Church had been part of the Abolitionist movement and became known as the Freedom Church, because it was associated with the period after emancipation of the slaves.

Black churches were integral in helping build communities and develop leadership among the freedmen in the South. Later they played an increasingly powerful role in the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century. AMEZ remained smaller than the AME (African Methodist Episcopal Church, a denomination started in Philadelphia in the early 19th century) because some of its ministers lacked the authority to perform marriages, and many of its ministers avoided political roles. Its finances were weak, and in general its leadership was not as strong as that of the AME. However it was the leader among all Protestant denominations in ordaining women and giving them powerful roles in the church.[3]

An influential leader bishop was James Walker Hood (1831–1918) of North Carolina. He not only created and fostered his network of AMEZ churches in North Carolina, but he also was the grand master for the entire South of the Prince Hall Freemasonry, a secular black fraternal organization that strengthened the political and economic forces inside the black community.[4] Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina is named in this bishop's honor.[5]

In 1924 Cameron Chesterfield Alleyne became the church's first resident bishop in Africa.[6]

Notes
The AME Zion Church is not to be confused with the similarly named African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was officially formed in 1816 by Richard Allen and Daniel Coker in Philadelphia. The denomination was made up of AME churches in the Philadelphia region, including Delaware and New Jersey."...

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