The Year of Jubilo
from Songs of Slavery and Emancipation by Mat Callahan / Various Artists
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital AlbumThe Songs Of Slavery and Emancipation project presents recently discovered songs composed by enslaved people and explicitly calling for resistance to slavery. Some originate as early as 1800 and others as late as the outbreak of the Civil War. The project also includes long-lost songs of the abolitionist movement, some of which were written by fugitive slaves as well as free black people, challenging common misconceptions of abolitionism.
Thirty one songs are presented in a beautiful hard cover bound double CD and digital download containing new performances in a traditional style by numerous contributing artists.
An accompanying 64 page liner notes booklet includes complete lyrics as well as reproductions of historic documents. The liner notes also include essays by the album’s producer Mat Callahan, scholar Robin D.G. Kelley and activist organizer Kali Akuno.
“These songs of slavery and emancipation, some written more than two hundred years ago, are not only important historically; they have a direct bearing on today’s movements for social and economic transformation. When you hear songs like “Nat Turner” or “Hymn of Freedom,” it’s almost as if they were written yesterday. They bring inspiration and revolutionary clarity to contemporary struggles.
Songs of Slavery and Emancipation brings a whole era of resistance forward into the twenty-first century. To forget the lessons of the revolt and rebellion of the enslaved or the organizing of the abolitionist networks and the Underground Railroad is to condemn people to the false belief that because one of us is Black and the other is white we can’t unite, we don’t have anything in common, and we can’t work together. And this goes for people of all ethnicities, places of origin, and genders.
We must not forget this history. These songs can make an important contribution. They provide a popular art form that can help people understand all Americans’ history and participate in our contemporary struggles. Songs of Slavery and Emancipation carries crucial history that enlivens our collective memory and helps keep the spirit of resistance strong and moving forward.”
- Kali Akuno
Executive Director of Cooperation Jackson
A companion full length book, published by the University Press of Mississippi, documents the sources of these newly released songs, as well as providing historical context:
www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/S/Songs-of-Slavery-and-Emancipation
Includes unlimited streaming of Songs of Slavery and Emancipation via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... moreships out within 3 days2 remainingPurchasable with gift card$30 USD or more
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Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Purchasable with gift card
$1 USD or more
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Buy the Full Digital Album
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The Songs of Slavery and Emancipation project encompasses a:
• Double CD
• Full length book published by the University Press of Mississippi
• Documentary film - The film is available to watch starting June 17th at www.arthistorypolitics.com.
Order the CD and (soft cover) book combination here and receive our special discounted price by combining both items.
The soft cover book is usually $30 and the double CD is $30. Get them both here together for $50.
The Songs of Slavery and Emancipation project presents recently discovered songs composed by enslaved people and explicitly calling for resistance to slavery. Some originate as early as 1800 and others as late as the outbreak of the Civil War. The project also includes long-lost songs of the abolitionist movement, some of which were written by fugitive slaves as well as free black people, challenging common misconceptions of abolitionism.
Thirty one songs are presented in a beautiful hard cover bound double CD containing new performances in a traditional style by numerous contributing artists.
An accompanying 64 page liner notes booklet includes complete lyrics as well as reproductions of historic documents. The liner notes also include essays by the album’s producer Mat Callahan, scholar Robin D.G. Kelley and activist organizer Kali Akuno.
The album will also be available via digital download and streaming services.
A companion full length book, published by the University Press of Mississippi, documents the sources of these newly released songs, as well as providing historic context.
Songs of Slavery and Emancipation
By Mat Callahan
Introduction by Robin D. G. Kelley
Afterword by Kali Akuno
University Press of Mississippi
www.upress.state.ms.us
MAT CALLAHAN is a musician and author originally from San Francisco. He is author of five books including The Explosion of Deferred Dreams: Musical Renaissance and Social Revolution in San Francisco, 1965–1975 and A Critical Guide to Intellectual Property. His recent projects include the republication of Songs of Freedom: The James Connolly Songbook by Irish revolutionary James Connolly; the recording and publication of Working-Class Heroes: A History of Struggle in Song: A Songbook; and the launch of the multimedia project Songs of Slavery and Emancipation, which includes this book, a CD of song recordings, and a film. ... moreships out within 5 daysPurchasable with gift card$50 USD or more
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lyrics
The Year of Jubalo (Kingdom Coming)
American Folksongs of Protest pg. 104
- Informant: Merton Knowles, WPA Project Worker: “Heard it from my mother, it was brought back by returning Union soldiers, and became a part of our folklore.” (Indiana) In Library of Congress Archive of American Folk song. (authenticated by E. Southern “Greenwood Encyclopedia Black Music” pg. 222)
Song so closely resembles "Kingdom Coming" (1862) by abolitionist Henry Clay Work that it is likely to have been brought by Union Soldiers to newly liberated slaves who, in turn, made it their own.
This conclusion is supported by finding the song with different lyrics in Vol.3 Series 2 (Texas) of The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography (in 41 Vol.) contributed by Lorenzo Ezell a former slave from Beaumont, Texas, District 3 (see Ezell's comment with lyrics below)
Here are all three versions of the song, Merton Knowles' version, Lorenzo Ezell's version followed by Henry Clay Work's version. Note the different spelling of the word Jubalo/Jubilo
Has anybody seen my massa
With the moustache on his face?
Go long the road some time this mornin’
Like he gwine to leab de place.
REFRAIN: De massa run, ha! ha¨
De darky stay, ho! ho!
It must be now dat de kingdom am a comin’
And de year of jubalo.
He seed a smoke way up de ribber
Where de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat and he left mighty sudden,
And I speck dat he runned away.
He six feet one way, two feet todder,
And he weigh three hundred pound;
His coat so big dat he can’t pay de tailor,
An’ it won’t go half-way around.
De oberseer he gib us trubble
An de dribe us round a spell,
Den we lock him up in the smoke house cellar,
Wid de key throwed in de well.
De whip am lost and de handcuff broken,
An’ mass’ll get him pay.
He old enough, big enough, out to know better,
Dan to take an’ runned away.
Year of Jubilo (Lorenzo Ezell's version)
Lorenzo Ezell stated:
“My ol’ marster run off and stay in de woods a whole week w’en Sherman men come t’rough. He didn’ need to worry ‘cause us tek care of eb’ryt‘ing. Dey was a funny song w’at us mek up ‘bout him runnin’ off in de woods. I know it was mek up ‘cause my uncle hab ahn’ in it. It went like dis:
W’ite folks hab you seed ol’ marster
Up de road wid he mustache on?
He pick up he hat and he lef’ real sudden
And I b’leeb he’s up and gone.
He seed a smoke way up de ribber
Where de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat and he left mighty sudden,
And I speck dat he runned away.
Chorus
De massa run, ha! ha¨
Us darkies stay, ho! ho!
It must be now dat de kingdom am a comin’
And de year of jubalo
He six foot one way, two foot tudder, and he weigh tree hundred pound
His coat so big, he couldn't pay the tailor, an' it won't go halfway round
He drill so much dey call him Cap'n, an' he got so drefful tanned
I spec' he try an' fool dem Yankees for to tink he's contraband
Chorus
Us black folks feel so lonesome libbing in de loghouse on de lawn
We move ar tings into massa's parlor for to keep it while he's gone
Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen, an' I guess now we’ll have some;
I s'pose dey'll all be cornfiscated when de Linkum sojers come
Chorus
De obserseer he make us trouble, an' he dribe us round a spell;
We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar, wid de key trown in de well
De whip is lost, de han'cuff broken, but de massa'll hab his pay;
He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better dan to went an' run away
Kingdom Coming -- Henry Clay Work (1862)
Say, darkies, hab you seen de massa, wid de muffstash on his face
Go long de road some time dis mornin', like he gwine to leab de place?
He seen a smoke way up de ribber, whar de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat, and lef' berry sudden, and I spec' he's run away!
CHORUS: De massa run, ha, ha! De darkey stay, ho, ho!
It mus' be now de kindom coming, an' de year ob Jubilo!
He six foot one way, two foot tudder, and he weigh tree hundred pound
His coat so big, he couldn't pay the tailor, an' it won't go halfway round
He drill so much dey call him Cap'n, an' he got so drefful tanned
I spec' he try an' fool dem Yankees for to tink he's contraband
CHORUS
De darkeys feel so lonesome libbing in de loghouse on de lawn
Dey move dar tings into massa's parlor for to keep it while he's gone
Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen, an' de darkeys dey'll have some;
I s'pose dey'll all be cornfiscated when de Linkum sojers come
CHORUS
De obserseer he make us trouble, an' he dribe us round a spell;
We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar, wid de key trown in de well
De whip is lost, de han'cuff broken, but de massa'll hab his pay;
He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better dan to went an' run away
CHORUS
American Folksongs of Protest pg. 104
- Informant: Merton Knowles, WPA Project Worker: “Heard it from my mother, it was brought back by returning Union soldiers, and became a part of our folklore.” (Indiana) In Library of Congress Archive of American Folk song. (authenticated by E. Southern “Greenwood Encyclopedia Black Music” pg. 222)
Song so closely resembles "Kingdom Coming" (1862) by abolitionist Henry Clay Work that it is likely to have been brought by Union Soldiers to newly liberated slaves who, in turn, made it their own.
This conclusion is supported by finding the song with different lyrics in Vol.3 Series 2 (Texas) of The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography (in 41 Vol.) contributed by Lorenzo Ezell a former slave from Beaumont, Texas, District 3 (see Ezell's comment with lyrics below)
Here are all three versions of the song, Merton Knowles' version, Lorenzo Ezell's version followed by Henry Clay Work's version. Note the different spelling of the word Jubalo/Jubilo
Has anybody seen my massa
With the moustache on his face?
Go long the road some time this mornin’
Like he gwine to leab de place.
REFRAIN: De massa run, ha! ha¨
De darky stay, ho! ho!
It must be now dat de kingdom am a comin’
And de year of jubalo.
He seed a smoke way up de ribber
Where de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat and he left mighty sudden,
And I speck dat he runned away.
He six feet one way, two feet todder,
And he weigh three hundred pound;
His coat so big dat he can’t pay de tailor,
An’ it won’t go half-way around.
De oberseer he gib us trubble
An de dribe us round a spell,
Den we lock him up in the smoke house cellar,
Wid de key throwed in de well.
De whip am lost and de handcuff broken,
An’ mass’ll get him pay.
He old enough, big enough, out to know better,
Dan to take an’ runned away.
Year of Jubilo (Lorenzo Ezell's version)
Lorenzo Ezell stated:
“My ol’ marster run off and stay in de woods a whole week w’en Sherman men come t’rough. He didn’ need to worry ‘cause us tek care of eb’ryt‘ing. Dey was a funny song w’at us mek up ‘bout him runnin’ off in de woods. I know it was mek up ‘cause my uncle hab ahn’ in it. It went like dis:
W’ite folks hab you seed ol’ marster
Up de road wid he mustache on?
He pick up he hat and he lef’ real sudden
And I b’leeb he’s up and gone.
He seed a smoke way up de ribber
Where de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat and he left mighty sudden,
And I speck dat he runned away.
Chorus
De massa run, ha! ha¨
Us darkies stay, ho! ho!
It must be now dat de kingdom am a comin’
And de year of jubalo
He six foot one way, two foot tudder, and he weigh tree hundred pound
His coat so big, he couldn't pay the tailor, an' it won't go halfway round
He drill so much dey call him Cap'n, an' he got so drefful tanned
I spec' he try an' fool dem Yankees for to tink he's contraband
Chorus
Us black folks feel so lonesome libbing in de loghouse on de lawn
We move ar tings into massa's parlor for to keep it while he's gone
Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen, an' I guess now we’ll have some;
I s'pose dey'll all be cornfiscated when de Linkum sojers come
Chorus
De obserseer he make us trouble, an' he dribe us round a spell;
We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar, wid de key trown in de well
De whip is lost, de han'cuff broken, but de massa'll hab his pay;
He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better dan to went an' run away
Kingdom Coming -- Henry Clay Work (1862)
Say, darkies, hab you seen de massa, wid de muffstash on his face
Go long de road some time dis mornin', like he gwine to leab de place?
He seen a smoke way up de ribber, whar de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat, and lef' berry sudden, and I spec' he's run away!
CHORUS: De massa run, ha, ha! De darkey stay, ho, ho!
It mus' be now de kindom coming, an' de year ob Jubilo!
He six foot one way, two foot tudder, and he weigh tree hundred pound
His coat so big, he couldn't pay the tailor, an' it won't go halfway round
He drill so much dey call him Cap'n, an' he got so drefful tanned
I spec' he try an' fool dem Yankees for to tink he's contraband
CHORUS
De darkeys feel so lonesome libbing in de loghouse on de lawn
Dey move dar tings into massa's parlor for to keep it while he's gone
Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen, an' de darkeys dey'll have some;
I s'pose dey'll all be cornfiscated when de Linkum sojers come
CHORUS
De obserseer he make us trouble, an' he dribe us round a spell;
We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar, wid de key trown in de well
De whip is lost, de han'cuff broken, but de massa'll hab his pay;
He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better dan to went an' run away
CHORUS
credits
from Songs of Slavery and Emancipation,
released June 17, 2022
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