We enjoy audio books and this one did not disappoint. Victor johnsons driving setting of the traditional africanamerican spiritual conveys a sense of urgency that builds from beginning to end, including a dramatic optional descant in the final chorus. Each year when the quails migrated south, the slaves were told to begin their journey northward, which entailed crossing the unnavigable ohio river. Denzel washington reads this largerthanlife tale about the africanamerican hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. That map is a song called follow the drinking gourd. Reading rainbow follow the drinking gourd tv episode. The performance and backing tracks were created for sing up by sharon durant. Follow the drinking gourd this song is the story of how peg leg joe would lead slaves to freedom by following the underground. Based on the traditional american folksong, this compelling tale recounts the daring adventures of one familys escape from slavery via the underground railroad. This is the 1963 mono lp of this classic american folk, pop group which is rarely heard today on any audio format. Levar reflects on a time when africans were brought to america as slaves. Morgan freeman, taj mahal, chris campbell, mark sottnick, bernardine connelly, john mccally. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates. Morgan freeman reads this story, accompanied by music by taj mahal.
Other verses go into greater detail about following the river banks and which way to go as they head north. The river bed makes a mighty fine road, dead trees to show you the way and its left foot, peg foot, traveling on follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinkin gourd, we gonna follow the drinking gourd is from the woodum original. Follow the drinking gourd childrens books read aloud duration. Follow the drinking gourd smithsonian folkways recordings. Folklore has it that slaves in the united states used it as a point of reference so they would not get lost. Chorus follow the drinking gourd, follow the drinking gourd for the old man is awaitin to carry you to freedom follow the drinking gourd. Jeanette winters follow the drinking gourd picture book appears, followed by audio and video versions, and a reading rainbow television show hosted by levar burton. When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, follow the drinking gourd.
Follow the drinking gourd is an african american folk song first published in 1928. Valerie showers crescenz brilee music publishing this lazy swing setting in 128 time is a history lesson in song for twopart choirs. For the old man is awaiting to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd. He talks about how africanamericans risked their lives for freedom, and discusses how the music from slavery times effected the african culture. This sampler includes representative versions that demonstrate the different ways the song has been performed for over 50 years. When the sun comes back and the first quail calls follow the drinking gourd, for the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd the riverbank makes a very good road. Once in canada, slaves gained their freedom and were no longer an object owned by a master. Follow the drinking gourd was supposedly used by engineers in the underground railroad to direct slaves to freedom. A story of the underground railroad, told by morgan freeman with music by taj mahal. In code, the drinking gourd stood for the big dipper, the wellknown constellation which it resembles. An exceptional arrangement of the traditional africanamerican folk song pertaining to the big dipper the drinking gourd and how it points north t freedom.
The lyrics themselves act as instructions for runaway slaves, with the drinking gourd serving as a. Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, follow the drinking gourd. When the tombigbee ended, slaves should go north over the hills until they came to another river, the tennessee river. The river bank makes a mighty good road, dead trees will show you the way, and the left foot, peg foot, traveling on, just you follow the drinking gourd. Mar 14, 2017 follow the drinking gourd paperback by jeanette winter a great story of following directions if you look at its simplest form. The underground railroad meant freedom for many in the years before emancipation, and it had a map. The drinking gourd, otherwise known as the big dipper, helped to lead slaves to canada. When the sun comes back 2 and the first quail 3 calls follow the drinking gourd for the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd. I watch it after reading the short chapter book the drinking gourd.
Follow the drinking gourd the underground railroad. For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom, theres another river on the other side, if you follow the drinking gourd. Winters story begins with a pegleg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the underground railroad. Watch the video for follow the drinking gourd by richie havens for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. The river ends between two hills, follow the drinking gourd. What is the hidden meaning in follow the drinking gourd. They follow it, for it always points to the north star, which can guide them north as they travel at night, the safest time. Follow the drinking gourd audiobook by rabbit ears. I was able to use the storyline to share some of the personal challenges families faced being torn apart from slavery and having to flee for freedom. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd arr. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man 1 is awaiting for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd. There are questions about its authenticity, but if accurate, drinking. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man is a waiting for to carry you to freedom follow the drinking gourd the riverbank will make a mighty good road the dead trees show you the way left foot, peg foot traveling on following the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man is a. Join our email list for the latest news from smithsonian folkways recordings.
Roger mcguinn follow the drinking gourd lyrics genius. Search follow the drinking gourd sheet music at jw pepper. Gary douglas changes girls singing voice in 5 minutes duration. Follow the drinking gourd, told by morgan freeman with music. Dec 03, 2008 images from the graue mill one of the stops along the underground railroad, gettysburg, and civil war era photos set to richie havens the drinking gourd from the song of the civil war ken. The drinking gourd alludes to the hollowed out gourd used by slaves and other rural americans as a water dipper. Follow the drinking gourd when the sun comes back and the first quail calls, the river ends between two hills, follow the drinking gourd. These directions then enabled fleeing slaves to make their way north from mobile, alabama to the ohio river and freedom. The text of the song contained hidden messages about how the slaves could find their freedom. Excerpt of the song follow the drinking gourd from the compilation album, songs of the civil war 1991. Features solid choral writing with a haunting piano accompaniment.
Aunt harriets underground railroad in the sky by faith ringgold is the story of cassie, who, with harriet. Follow the drinking gourd for the old man 1 for to carry you to freedom. Follow the drinking gourd theres another river on the other side follow the drinking gourd chorus i thought i heard the angels say follow the drinking gourd the stars in the heavens gonna show. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man 1 for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd paperback by jeanette winter a great story of following directions if you look at its simplest form. This great african american spiritual is now a part of our h. Feb 02, 2016 follow the drinking gourd childrens books read aloud duration.
In a story based on the traditional american folksong, morgan freeman recounts the compelling adventures of one familys escape from slavery via the underground railroad. Follow the drinking gourd em when the sun goes back and the c first quail calls em follow the d drinking em gourd em the old man is awaitin for to c carry you to freedom. For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd this song is the story of how peg leg joe would lead slaves to freedom by following the underground railroad directions hidden in the song. Taj mahal follow the drinking gourd lyrics genius lyrics.
The riverbank makes a very good road the dead trees will show you the way left foot, peg foot traveling on follow the drinking gourd the river ends. Follow the drinking gourd childrens books read aloud. Perfect for use in a unit on the underground railroad, this much requested code song is one that also has a number of classroom resources to support the learning experience. Follow the drinking gourd by jeanette winter scholastic. This lazy swing setting in 128 time is a history lesson in s.
Traditional african song follow the drinking gourd lyrics. The title of this inspiring story is the title of an important folk song from a troubled part of our nations history. Follow the drinking gourd, told by morgan freeman with music by taj mahal 36. The drinking gourd is another name for the big dipper asterism. A free community for sharing instructional videos and content for teachers and students. From the television series, gods greatest hits, airing in canada on visiontv on friday nights at 10. When the sun comes up and the first quail calls follow the drinking gourd for the old man is a waitin for to carry you to freedom follow the drinking gourd chorus. An underground railroad story by cari meister adapter, robert squier illustrator follow the drinking gourd is an american folk song from the 1920s. Jan 25, 2011 a free community for sharing instructional videos and content for teachers and students.
The drinking gourd song was supposedly used by an underground railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map. Follow the drinking gourd in the marketplace, home of music teaching ideas and music teaching resources for kindergarten through grade 8 school music teachers and home schoolers. Follow the drinking gourd has been recorded almost 200 times. Follow the drinking gourd by jeanette winter tells the story of captain peg leg joe, who aids slaves on their escape on the underground railroad you can visit to learn more about follow the drinking gourd. Like many old songs, there are various stories to this song. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man is a waitin for to carry you to freedom follow the drinking gourd verse. Then we do a discussion about the differences between the book and movie main character of the book is a boy, etc. This engagingly illustrated picture book tells the story of peg leg joe. Follow the drinking gourd, told by morgan freeman with music by taj mahal. See more ideas about underground railroad, five in a row and gourds. We are an education focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners to access educational for the classroom. Used here it is a code name for the big dipper star formation, which points to polaris, the pole star, and north. While working for plantation owners, peg leg joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd the big dipper.
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom. Join john henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. When the great big river meets the little river, follow the drinking gourd. During the civil war era, the song follow the drinking gourd was shared among slaves as a means to facilitate their escape to the north. But he didnt stand a chance of survival unless, of course, he acquired spots himself. The true story of follow the drinking gourd casandersdotnet. Editions of follow the drinking gourd by jeanette winter. Richie havens follow the drinking gourd lyrics genius. Follow the drinking gourd for the old man 1 for to carry you to freedom if you follow the drinking gourd.
The american folksong follow the drinking gourd was first published in 1928. Follow the drinking gourd 1595940 colla voce music llc. The weavers listen first commercially released recording of the song. Four centuries, four families, one delicious treat. When all the animals moved away, the hungry leopard had to follow them to the striped, splotchy, spotted forest. Looking through the lenses of history this book has a lot of appeal, it brings to the for front the movement of the underground rail road and makes it into a story of a single family. Exploring follow the drinking gourd musical explorers. Images from the graue mill one of the stops along the underground railroad, gettysburg, and civil war era photos set to richie havens the drinking gourd from the song of the civil war ken. According to american folklore, this song was a musical map which led fugitive slaves north to freedom. The drinkin gourd by new christy minstrels on 1963.
Keith david reads the featured story, which explains that the africanamerican folk song. Follow the drinking gourd follow the drinking gourd for the old man is a waitin for to carry you to freedom follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd was originally published as an american folk song in 1928. A traditional spiritual arranged as a journey through several music genres. It was too swift and wide to cross, except in winter, when it was frozen and slaves could walk to the other shore on the ice. When the sun goes back and the first quail calls follow the drinking gourd the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom follow the dri. A hardy piano accompaniment propels the arrangement and supports the syncopated. The drinkin gourd by new christy minstrels on 1963 columbia lp.