Deep River (song)
Encyclopedia
"Deep River" is an anonymous spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...

 of African American origin. It has been sung in several films, including the 1929 film version of Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...

, although it was not used in the original show. The melody was also adapted into the popular song "Dear Old Southland", in 1921.

Deep River is sung as the closing spiritual in Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...

's oratorio, A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time is an oratorio written by Michael Tippett between 1939 and 1941."After more than ten years of thoughtful planning, Michael Tippett summed up his musical, political, spiritual and philosophical beliefs in his first oratorio, A Child of Our Time...

.

Recordings

  • Deep River Boys
    Deep River Boys
    The Deep River Boys were an American gospel music group active from the mid 1930s and into the 1980s. The group performed spirituals, gospel, and R&B.-Members:...

     Featuring Harry Douglas with Pete Brown's Orchestra (Recorded in Oslo
    Oslo
    Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

     on August 23, 1956 and released on the 78 rpm record HMV AL 6039)

Lyrics

Deep River,

My home is over Jordan.

Deep River Lord.

I want to cross over into campground.

Deep River.

My home is over Jordan.

Deep River, Lord,

I want to cross over into campground

Oh, don't you want to go,

To the gospel feast.

That promised land,

Where all, is peace.

Oh, deep River, Lord,

I want to cross over into campground.

External links

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