I Shall Not Be Moved

DESCRIPTION: "I shall not, I shall not be moved/Just like a tree that's planted by the water/I shall not be moved". Other verses substitute "I'm sanctified and holy, I shall not be moved..." "I'm on my way to heaven..." etc..
AUTHOR: Alfred H. Ackley (1887-1960)? (see NOTES)
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (Ackley, "Hymns for His Praise No. 2")
KEYWORDS: virtue floatingverses nonballad religious
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 596, "I Shall Not Be Blue" (2 texts)
Jones-MinstrelOfTheAppalachians-Bascom-Lamar-Lunsford, pp 221-222, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (1 text, 1 tune)
Jackson-WakeUpDeadMan, pp. 288-289, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Killion/Waller-ATreasuryOfGeorgiaFolklore, p. 240, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (1 text)
OneTuneMore, p. 58, "We Shall Not Be Moved" (1 short text, 1 tune, possibly a text of "I Shall Not Be Moved" with pronouns derived from "We Shall Not Be Moved"; since it is so short, it's hard to tell which it is derived from)
Roud #9134
RECORDINGS:
A. P. Carter Family, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Acme DF-103, n.d. but prob. early 1950s)
Rev. Edward Clayborn, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Vocalion 1243, 1929; rec. 1928)
Davis & Nelson, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Paramount 3186/Broadway 8189/QRS 9023, 1930)
Jimmie Dickens, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Columbia 21068, 1953; rec. 1952)
Dixie Reelers, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Montgomery Ward M-7100, 1937; Bluebird B-7958, 1938; rec. 1936)
Folkmasters, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (on Fmst01)
Roosevelt Graves, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Paramount 12974, 1930; rec. 1929; on StuffDreams1)
George Herod, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (on MuSouth07)
Harmonizing Four, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Gotham G772, rec. early 1950s)
Harvesters, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Columbia 41074, 1957)
I. C. Glee Club, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (OKeh 8872, 1931; rec. 1930)
Kentucky Holiness Singers, "I Will Not Be Removed" (Vocalion 5439; rec. 1930)
Frank & James McCravy, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Brunswick 196, 1928; Brunswick 3784, 1928; Oriole 8103, c. 1932; rec. 1927) (Banner 32308, 1931)
Charley Patton, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Paramount 12986, 1930; rec. 1929)
Rev. D. C. Rice & congregation "I Shall Not Be Removed" (Vocalion 1675, 1932; rec. 1929)
Joe & Emma Taggart, "I Will Not Be Removed" (Vocalion 1062, 1926)
Taskiana Four, "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Victor 20183, 1926)
Utica Jubilee Singers, "I Shall Not Be Moved" Victor 24113, 1932)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "We Shall Not Be Moved"
NOTES [173 words]: I include this hymn, common in African-American tradition, primarily because it formed the basis for the labor/civil rights anthem, "We Shall Not Be Moved." For the story of that song, see its entry. - PJS
As Paul says, it does have a place in tradition -- e.g. it is nearly the only pure hymn in Jackson-WakeUpDeadMan.
I no longer know what source attributes this to Alfred H. Ackley. It is not so attributed by hymnary.org, which calls it a spiritual -- but this might be by confusion with "We Shall Not Be Moved." On the other hand, if published in 1906, that would mean Ackley was just nineteen when it came out; he would not be ordained for eight more years. It doesn't seem much like his later style. I wonder if he arranged it and someone took him for the author.
W. K. McNeil, editor, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, 2005, p. 3, says that Alfred Ackley was a Presbyterian minister who was also a 'cellist who had trained at London's Royal Academy of Music. His most famous hymn is said to have been "He Lives."- RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: RcISNBM

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