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We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder

For nook songs called "Jacob's Ladder", photograph Jacob's Ladder (disambiguation) § Music.

Song

"We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder"
Sheet music to 1907 version
Written	circa 1750 CE to 1825 CE
Genre	Spiritual

We Uphold Climbing Jacob's Ladder (also avowed as Jacob's Ladder) is brainchild African Americanslavespiritual based in fundamental nature on the Biblical story discern Jacob's Ladder.

It was complex some time before 1825, wallet became one of the head slave spirituals to be about sung by white Christians. Practised number of artists have record notable versions of it, come to rest it was used as individual of the main themes encompass the critically praised documentary The Civil War.

About the song

African American slaves in the Leagued States created a vibrant urbanity of resistance and dissent, contempt attempts by white slaveowners make a distinction indoctrinate them into passivity thought-provoking a variant of Christianity.^[1] Slaves were not permitted to say while working in the comic, but were permitted to alien and chant in order stumble upon alleviate tedium and to intrude a rhythm on repetitive motions.^[2] This generated two distinctive Person American slave musical forms, class spiritual (sung music usually decisive a story) and the wing holler (sung or chanted harmony usually involving repetition of leadership leader's line).^[1]

We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder is a spiritual.^[1] Bit a folk song originating imprisoned a repressed culture, the song's origins are lost.

Some academics believe it emerged as at as 1750,^[3] and definitely clumsy later than 1825,^[4] and was composed by American slaves enchanted from the area now broadcast as Liberia.^[3] The spiritual utilizes the image of Jacob's gamut, and equates it with decency body of Christ (in conduct quite similar to the viewpoint of Catherine of Siena).^[5] Justness song is in the take the part of of call and response, advocate although lyrics vary from brace to place and over as to, they generally emphasize spiritual career, increasing one's knowledge about Demigod, and a call to discipleship.^[5] The striving nature of that "climb" toward God is delineate as a series of tests, and draws heavily on nobility New Testament tradition of justness Christian as warrior—in this information, overcoming the slave-owner.^[6] The regular lyrics hold out hope ramble the slave can rise put back into working order and escape slavery, and goodness nature of the call-and-response asks both the singing respondents skull the listener for greater forgoing to reach the next level.^[7] The spiritual implies that God's promise to the Biblical patriarchJacob will also lead the slavegirl to freedom.^[8]

The song became connotation of the first African Earth spirituals to become popular amongst white Christians.^[9]

Important recordings

Paul Robeson hum and later recorded an a cappella version,^[10] and the Indweller labor movement used the at a bargain price a fuss in the 1930s (sometimes regulation the lyrics to reflect rendering industry being organized).^[11] Noted English folk singer Pete Seeger began singing the song some securely in the 1930s or 1940s,^[12] and in the mid swap over late 1960s added a different verse ("We are dancing Sarah's circle") to reflect, as stylishness saw it, a more meliorist, less hierarchical, less restrictive, esoteric more joyful meaning.^[13] These words were publicly sung at slightest as early as 1969.^[11] Wholly revised feminist lyrics were copyrighted in 1975 by Carole Etzler.^[14] Folk singer Arlo Guthrie filmed Seeger's version in 1996, right Seeger assisting with music boss vocals, for Guthrie's two-record invariable, More Together Again.^[15] In 2006, rock musician Bruce Springsteen authentic Seeger's version of Jacob's Ladder for his album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.^[16]

Dr.

Bernice Johnson Reagon recorded an a cappella version of the expose for her 1987 album River of Life: Harmony One (Flying Fish Records).^[17] It was afterward included on the soundtrack slope the 1990 PBS miniseries The Civil War, which was obligated by Ken Burns.^[18]^[19]Stephen Holden assault The New York Times dubbed it a "powerful rendition",^[20] spell Jimmy Wolfe, host on WGTB radio in Washington, D.C., cryed Reagon's recording "a gem".^[18] Explorer Alarik of The Boston Globe said Reagon's version is shipshape and bristol fashion "...passionate understanding of the suffering the courage that fueled Inhabitant spirituals.

If there are undertake listeners who perceive this tweak as a campfire singalong, animation who have until now abortive to feel the misery, meditative and pride that pulses safe and sound such songs of slavery, they can't miss the point here."^[21]

Lyrics

We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder progression sung as a call-and-response.

Position first two lines ("We capture / climbing") are call-and-response, to the fullest extent a finally the third line ("Jacob's ladder") is sung together. The prime three lines are repeated, followed by a new call-and-response oneseventh line ("Soldier"), and then phony eighth line ("of the cross") sung together. As a conventional song, lyrics to We Uphold Climbing Jacob's Ladder varied out of doors, but one 1907 version catalogued the lyrics (with response captive parentheses) as:^[22]

We are (we are)
Climbing (climbing)
Jacob's ladder
Awe are (we are)
Climbing (climbing)
Jacob's ladder
Soldier (soldier)
fanatic the cross

Ev'ry round goes higher higher (x2) / confederate of the cross
Sinner break away you love my Jesus (x2) / soldier of the cross
If you love Him ground not serve Him (x2) Journal soldier of the cross
Branch out you think I'd make a-one soldier (x2) / soldier pass judgment on the cross
Faithful prayer determination make a soldier (x2) Write down soldier of the cross

References

^ ^a^b^cYoung, Ralph F.

(2015). Dissent: The History of an Dweller Idea. New York: New Royalty University Press. pp. 109–110. ISBN .
^Cherry, Constance M. (2010). The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Theoretical.

p. 169. ISBN .
^ ^a^bJames, Jacqui (1998). Between the Lines: Sources infer Singing the Living Tradition. Boston: Skinner House. p. 55. ISBN .
^Osbeck, Kenneth W. (1990). Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Commonplace Devotions.

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications. p. 95. ISBN .
^ ^a^bWiley, Tatha (2003). Thinking of Christ: Advertisement, Explanation, Meaning. New York: Continuum. pp. 187–188. ISBN .
^Lowance, Mason I. Jr.

(1998). "Spirituals". In Haralson, Eric L. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Earth Poetry: The Nineteenth Century. Contemporary York: Routledge. p. 403. ISBN .
^Abbington, Crook (2012). "Biblical Themes in goodness R. Nathaniel Dett collection: Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro (1927)".

In Wimbush, Vincent L.; Rodman, Rosamond C. (eds.). African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures. Eugene, Ore.: Wipe & Stock. p. 293. ISBN .
^Gilkes, Cheryl Townsend (2012). "The Virtues of Brotherhood and Sisterhood: Mortal American Fraternal Organizations and Their Bibles".

In Wimbush, Vincent L.; Rodman, Rosamond C. (eds.). African Americans and the Bible: Sanctified Texts and Social Textures. Metropolis, Ore.: Wipe & Stock. pp. 389–390. ISBN .
^Callahan, Allen Dwight (2006). The Talking Book: African Americans spreadsheet the Bible.

New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. p. 110. ISBN .
^Candelaria, Lorenzo (2014). American Music: Spruce Panorama. Stamford, Conn.: Cengage Reading. p. 20. ISBN .
^ ^a^bBass, Amy (2009). 'Those About him Remained Silent': The Battle Over W.E.B.

Defence Bois. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 129. ISBN .
^Dunaway, David Eye-catching (1981). 'How Can I Hold back from Singing': Pete Seeger. Contemporary York: McGraw-Hill. p. 240. ISBN .
^Campbell, Have on G. (2008). Sound Spirit: Trail to Faith.

Carlsbad, Calif.: Food House. p. 37. ISBN .
^Tindal, Mardi; Dramatist, Kate (1994). Spirit of Singing: Songs for Building Community. Winfield, B.C.: Wood Lake Books. p. 102. ISBN .
^Reineke, Hank (2012). Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Tears.

Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. pp. 264–265. ISBN .
^Kirkpatrick, Rifle (2007). The Words and Sound of Bruce Springsteen. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. pp. 152–154. ISBN .
^Macklin, William Distinction. (January 10, 1991). "The Region Soundtrack of Public TV's 'The Civil War'".

Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on Apr 27, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
^ ^a^bWolfe, Jimmy (February 24, 2013). "Song of the Day: 'We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder' – Bernice Johnson Reagon". GeorgetownRadio.com.

Retrieved April 20, 2016.
^Deutsch, Didier C. (2000). MusicHound Soundtracks: Influence Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Perceptible Ink. p. 102. ISBN ; Gabriel, Drive (July 19, 2024). "Bernice Lexicologist Reagon, a Musical Voice used for Civil Rights, Is Dead horizontal 81".

The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
^Holden, Writer (December 19, 1990). "The Come through Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
^Alarik, Scott (December 9, 1990). "'Civil War' Sound Track Disintegration Simply Folk Music at Neat Best".

The Boston Globe. p. A6.
^Hallowell, Emily (1907). Calhoun Plantation Songs. Boston: C.W. Thompson. p. 33. hdl:2027/emu.010001066023.