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I. Hold your light.
Hold your light, Brudder Robert,
Hold your light,
Hold your light on
Canaan's shore.
What make ole Satan for follow me so?
Satan ain't got notin‘ for do wid me.
Hold your light,
Hold your light,
Hold your light on
Canaan's shore.
This would be sung for half an hour at a time, perhaps each person present being named in turn.
It seemed the simplest primitive type of “spiritual.”
The next in popularity was almost as elementary, and, like this, named successively each one of the circle.
It was, however, much more resounding and convivial in its music.
II.
bound to go.
Jordan River, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, bound to go,--
Jordan River, I'm bound to go,
And bid 'em fare ye well.
My Brudder Robert, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, &c.
My Sister Lucy, I'm bound to go,
Bound to go, &c.
Sometimes it was “tink ‘em” (think them) “fare ye well.”
The
ye was so detached that I thought at first it was “very” or “vary well.”
Another picturesque song, which seemed immensely popular, was at first very bewildering to me. I could not make out the first words of the chorus, and called it the “Romandar,” being reminded of some Romaic
