Wade in the Water

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This article is about the song. For the album by Ramsey Lewis, see Wade in the Water (album). For the album by Johnny Griffin, see Wade in the Water (Johnny Griffin album).
"Wade in the Water"
"New Jubilee Songs" (1901)
Written by Traditional
Language English
Form Negro spiritual

"Wade in the Water" (Roud 5439) is the name of a Negro spiritual first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers (1901) by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work (see Fisk Jubilee Singers).

The main chorus is:

Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Contents

Meaning[edit]

The song relates to both the Old and New Testaments. The verses reflect the Israelites' escape out of Egypt as found in Exodus:14.[1] The chorus refers to healing: see John 5:4, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."

Many internet sources and popular books claim that songs such as "Wade in the Water" contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom.[2] This particular song allegedly recommends leaving dry land and taking to the water as a strategy to throw pursuing bloodhounds off one's trail.

"Wade in the Water" was a popular instrumental hit in 1966 for the Ramsey Lewis Trio, which prompted further instrumental recordings by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and Billy Preston (both 1967). The melody was used for the 1988 Tony! Toni! Toné! hit "Little Walter". The version by Golden Gate Quartet also appears on the album Nick Cave - Roots & Collaborations (2009), establishing the song as one of the musical sources that have inspired the Australian artist.

"Wade in the Water, Children" is a 2008 American Documentary directed and produced by Elizabeth Wood and Gabriel Nussbaum. It was filmed by a group of 8th grade students at the first school to reopen in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The film offers a shockingly intimate look into life as a child in the ruined city. The film was praised as "Scalding Stuff" by Newsday, and won the audience award at the New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival. The film is now available from IndiePix Films.

Selective list of recordings[edit]

In popular culture[edit]

See also: Songs of the Underground Railroad

'Wade in the Water' is featured in a number of episodes from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, some of which include, but are not limited to;

  • The song is twice heard in the fourth episode of the first season (Not with My Pig, You Don't).
  • The seventeenth episode of the first season (The Ethnic Trip) - explains the meaning and the history of the song, and (as above) tells that it secretly contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom by recommending the ex-slave to leave dry land and to take to the water as a strategy to throw pursuing bloodhounds off their trail.
  • The song is featured in the film "The Little Colonel" (1935)
  • It is also featured in Grey's Anatomy, in the first episode of season six: "Good Mourning part 1", and the second episode of the US remake of Skins, "Tea".
  • Additionally, it is featured in "Reunion", Episode 206 of Touched by an Angel. It is sung by Della Reese, Natalie Cole, and Maya Angelou, with Roma Downey eventually attempting to join in.
  • The Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Boston uses 'Wade in the Water' as an important symbol and part of the course for its baptismal training to parishes throughout the USA, as part of its distance learning programs through EDSConnect.
  • The song is also heard in Deliver Us From Eva
  • Recorded by Big Mama Thornton with the following lyrics:

Wade in the water – Big Mama Thornton version

See that cat on the mountain top He’s gonna rock and he just won’t stop

I said wade in the water Wade out in the water You wade in the water Everybody wade in the water

See that girl dressed in white She like to wade all night

I said wade in the water You Wade out in that water Wade in the water The hound dog’s wading in the water Beju’s wading in the water -solo- See that guy dressed in green He’s the cool[est] damn cat that I ever did see

I say, wade in the water Wade out in the water Wade in the water Everybody wade in the water

See that jack dressed in blue You know his waiting sure is through

I said wade now, in the water children Wade now in the water children Wade in the water The hound dogs wading in the water And big mama wading in the water Now how the whole band wading in the water I said wade – oh oh oh yes sir, yes sir - In the water


References[edit]

  1. ^ "Wade in De Water". Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2008. 
  2. ^ Coded Slave Songs

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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