Let’s take a look at the lyrics, and briefly the history, of the evocative American-African spiritual ‘Wade in the Water‘.
This rousing tune draws on themes from the Old Testament, and is one of a number of songs associated with the Underground Railroad. This was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the 19th century, and used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states (i.e. those that did not allow slavery) and from there to Canada.
‘Wade in the water’ lyrics
Refrain:
Wade in the water; wade in the water, children; wade in the water
God’s gonna trouble the water
God’s gonna trouble the water
Wade, wade, wade, wade, wade, wade,
in the water.
See that host all dressed in white, God’s gonna trouble the water. The leader looks like the Israelite. God’s gonna trouble the water.
[Refrain]
See that band all dressed in red,
Looks like the band that Moses led.
If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed,
Just follow me down to Jordan’s stream.
What do the lyrics to ‘Wade in the Water’ mean?
The song’s earliest performers were the Fisk Jubilee Singers, based at Fisk University, a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
The University was founded by the American Missionary Association, and many of the songs performed by the original Fisk Jubilee Singers took their themes from the Bible – both the New and Old Testaments. The lyrics to ‘Wade in the Water’ evoke the Israelites’ escape out of Egypt, as narrated in the Old Testament’s second book, Exodus.
More famous hymn lyrics
- ‘Lord, I Want to Be a Christian’ lyrics
- ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ lyrics
- ‘Fairest Lord Jesus’ lyrics
- ‘Have thine own way, Lord!’ lyrics
- ‘O happy day’ lyrics
Who wrote ‘Wade in the Water’?
It is unknown who wrote and composed the song, but it was first co-published in 1901 by Frederick J. Work and his brother, John Wesley Work Jr.
‘Wade in the Water is one of the songs of the Underground Railroad. This was a network of secret routes and safe houses in America that slaves used for escaping. In this way, the parallels with the flight out of Egypt alluded to in the lyrics to ‘Wade in the Water’ is evident.
Main image © Getty Images