Cover art for African-American Timeline: Music by DeiArecia S. Washington

African-American Timeline: Music

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African-American Timeline: Music Lyrics

Timeline #1: Slavery- 1910’s: Music
1619- Slavery was introduced in the America
Excerpt of “My good lord’s done been here” (date unknown)
“You may be a white man
White man as the drifting snow
If your soul ain't be converted
To hell you're sure to go”

1850-60- Underground Railroad
Exceprt of: “The Gospel Train” (date unknown)
“The fare is cheap and all can go
The rich and poor are there
No second class aboard this train
No difference in the fare”
1865- The End of the American Civil War and ratification of the Emancipation Proclamation
Excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
“Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.”
1867- The first collection of African American slave songs are published by William Francis Allen, Charles Pickard Ware, Lucy McKim Garrison
Exceprt of “Swing low sweet chariot”
“If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm coming to
Coming for to carry me home”

1871- The Jubilee Singers departs from Nashville, Tennessee to begin their first tour of the United States
From the PBS timeline of the Jubilee Singers:
“George White had planned a route in keeping with the Underground Railroad, a network of churches and private homes throughout the Midwest and Northeast that had once provided shelter to escaped slaves on their way to free states or Canada.”
1890- Holiness and Sanctified churches begin to surface
Excerpt from “To God be the glory”
“Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.”
1899- James Weldon Johnson writes “Lift every voice and sing”
Excerpt from “Lift every voice and sing”
“Shadowed beneath thy hand
May we forever stand”

1916- Charles D. Tindley composes “Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There”
Exceprt from “Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There”
“Leave it there, leave it there
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

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