Free Slave, The

DESCRIPTION: "I stand as a free man beside the northern banks Of old Erie, the freshwater sea, And it cheers my very soul to behold the billows roll And to think, like the waves, I am free." The slave recalls the abuse he suffered, but he is safe under British laws
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1931 (recording, E. R. Nance Singers)
KEYWORDS: slavery freedom
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1793 - Sale of slaves outlawed in Canada
1833 - Slavery abolished in the British Empire
FOUND IN: Canada
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Fowke/Mills/Blume-CanadasStoryInSong, pp. 96-98, "The Free Slave" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #4520
RECORDINGS:
E. R. Nance Singers [or Traphill Twins], "Sweet Freedom" (Brunswick 565/Supertone S-2813, 1931)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "O Freedom"
NOTES [34 words]: This may be a version of "O Freedom"; at least, Ed Trickett sings a version of "O Freedom" with many of the same words. But this text is highly detailed, whereas "O Freedom" is usually rather vague. - RBW
File: FMB096

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