Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

DESCRIPTION: "Michael, row the boat ashore, (h)allelujah" (x2). Remaining verses tend to be about the difficulty of crossing (Jordan) to heaven: "Jordan's river is chilly and cold, (h)allelujah; Chills the body but not the soul...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1867 (Allen, Ware, Garrison)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad travel river ship work worksong floatingverses shanty
FOUND IN: US(SE) West Indies(Tobago)
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Allen/Ware/Garrison-SlaveSongsUnitedStates, pp. 23-24, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Abrahams-DeepTheWaterShallowTheShore, pp. 34-35, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen-AmericanFolkSongsARegionalEncyclopedia1, p. 303, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (1 text)
Joyner-FolkSongInSouthCarolina, pp. 82-83, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Carawan/Carawan-AintYouGotARight, p. 15, "Row, Michael, Row" (1 text, 1 tune)
Seeger-AmericanFavoriteBallads, p. 75, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 97, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (1 text)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 458, 551, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (notes only)
BoyScoutSongbook1997, p. 95, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (1 short text, 1 tune)
DT, MICHAELR
Roud #11975
RECORDINGS:
Jane Hunter & Moving Star Hall singers, "Row, Michael, Row" (on BeenStorm1)
Pete Seeger, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (on PeteSeeger12) (on PeteSeeger15)
James Garfield Smalls, "Songs in the Prayer House" (on USSeaIsland03)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "I'm Crossing Jordan River" (floating lyrics)
cf. "All My Trials" (lyrics)
cf. "Is Your Lamps Gone Out?" (lyrics)
SAME TUNE:
Ling Po Drove the Truck Away (RECORDING, Chip Dockery, in "Panther Pack Medley" on InCountry)
NOTES [44 words]: Seeger dates this Georgia sea islands worksong from the mid-19th century. - PJS
The USSeaIsland03 recording includes a one verse parody of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore." The BeenStorm1 recording is call-response. Clapping at end as in the beginning of a "shout." - BS
Last updated in version 6.7
File: DTmichae

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