Deep River

DESCRIPTION: "Deep River, "(My home is over Jordan), I want to cross over (to the campground)." The singer hopes to cross (the Jordan) to heaven , there to meet family, friends, etc.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1875 ("The Story of the Jubilee Singers")
KEYWORDS: religious death river
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Dett/Fenner/Rathbun/Cleveland-ReligiousFolkSongsOfTheNegro-HamptonInstitute, p. 167, "Deep River" (1 text) (1 tune)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 594-595, "Deep River" (1 text, 1 tune)
Warren-EveryTimeIFeelTheSpirit, p. 29-30, "Deep River" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 370, "Deep River" (1 text)
Fuld-BookOfWorldFamousMusic, p. 195, "Deep River"
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, pp. 64-65, "Deep River" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, DEEPRVR2

Roud #12332
RECORDINGS:
Marian Anderson, "Deep River" (Victor 19227, 1924) (Victor 22015, 1929; Victor 2032, 1940)
Carroll Clark w. Fletcher Henderson [Orch.?] "Deep River" (Columbia 128-D, 1924)
Commonwealth Quartet, "Deep River" (Conqueror 7079, 1928)
Hampton Institute Quartette, "Deep River" (RCA, unissued, 1941)
The King's Heralds, "Deep River" (Chapel CR 23, n.d.)
Lions Quartet, "Deep River" (Columbia 1167-D, 1927)
Oriole Male Quartette, "Deep River" (Oriole 893, 1927)
Randolph's Kentucky Jubilee Choir, "Deep River" (Brunswick 4063, 1928)
Paul Robeson, "Deep River" (Victor 20793, 1927)

NOTES [68 words]: Not to be confused with either of two songs called "Deep River Blues" (one traditional, with the opening "Let it rain, let it pour; Let it rain a whole lot more..."; the other coming from the W. C. Handy tradition and beginning "Deep river, deep river, Mississippi River, so deep and wide my heart is breaking").
Ironically, the Jordan in general is not very deep; there are many fords and crossing-points. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: LxA594

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