Class Year
2024
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This paper investigates the religious themes in spirituals, the religious songs sung by enslaved people in America, and the blues, a predominantly Black genre from the early Twentieth century. This work aims to answer if spirituals influenced the lyrics and musical structure of the blues or if the two genres developed independently. The paper covers the origins of spirituals and the blues, their appearance in the WPA Slave Narratives, and concludes with a close analysis of the religious influence on the work of famous Blues artists. Primary sources referenced in this project include the WPA Slave Narratives, famous Blues songs, Library of Congress recordings, lyrics from early spirituals, and several secondary sources. A thorough thematic investigation of these sources revealed a clear connection between the two genres, as both take a strong influence from Christianity. Additionally, spirituals and blues follow similar lyrical patterns. While spirituals emerged as a way to reckon with the horrors of slavery, the blues spoke to the reality of sharecropping and poverty. Religion remained a constant theme throughout this evolution, with prevalent references to God, Heaven, Hell, and the Devil in both genres. Both spirituals and blues speak to Southern Black Americans' resistance, achievements, and spirituality.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, Carly A.
(2024)
"What They Sang: The Religious Roots of Spirituals and Blues,"
The Gettysburg Historical Journal: Vol. 23, Article 6.
Available at:
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/ghj/vol23/iss1/6