‘Wade In The Water,’ traditional, performed by Hannah Robinson
‘Wade In The Water’ is a traditional spiritual folk song of unknown origin but was performed by the African American jubilee during the mid-to-late 19th century. While the timing and origin of the song is unknown, the lyrics for it were published in 1901 in a book called New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The book was published by Frederick J. Work and his brother John Wesley Work Jr., a musicologist at the historically black college, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee.
The Fisk Jubilee singers were established in 1871 at Fisk University. At first, they toured and performed to raise funds for the university, but soon began incorporating traditional slave songs into their repertoire. It is believed the group became associated with the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes and safe houses to help slaves escape captivity, but this has never been proven.
Typically sold for $12.95, the sheet music for ‘Wade In The Water’ as performed by Hannah Robinson is FREE for the month of January 2024. This version is arranged for solo piano and vocals. It is based on this performance and is a cover of the Eve Cassidy version. Download your copy today!
Here Are Some Fun Facts About ‘Wade In The Water’:
- It is believed that Harriett Tubman sung this song to African American slaves escaping captivity, instructing them off the trail and into the water to avoid their pursuers.[1]
- The first commercial recording of the song was performed by the Sunset Four Jubilee Singers and published by Paramount Records in 1925.
- The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Bob Dylan, Eve Cassidy, The Staple Singers, and more. It is also a standard among the current-day Fisk Jubilee Singers formation.
- Since the original publication of the lyrics in 1901, which included just a few lines, subsequent publications have added variations to the lyrics, with new lines such as “Wade in de water, children” and “I’m er wading, I’m er wading in the water, chillun.”
This version of ‘Wade In The Water’ was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Michael F.
[1] http://www.harriet-tubman.org/songs-of-the-underground-railroad/