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"Oh, Freedom" is a post-Civil WarAfrican-Americanfreedom song adapted from anAfrican-American spiritual.
The song had its roots in thespiritual "Before I'd Be a Slave," which had the central refrain:
O, what preachin'! O, what preachin'!
O, what preachin' over me, over me!
Before I'd be a slave, I'd be buried in my grave,
And go home to my Lord and be saved.
This was then repeated, with the first two lines changing with each repetition.[1] The adapted song begins instead with "Oh freedom / Oh freedom / Oh freedom over me."[2]
The song became affiliated withcivil rights activism when it was used at protests of1906 Atlanta race massacre.[3] The song was first recorded in 1931 by the E. R. Nance Family as "Sweet Freedom". Writer and radio producerRichard Durham used it as an opening in his 1948–1950 radio anthologyDestination Freedom.[4]
The adapted song is often associated with the laterCivil Rights Movement, withOdetta, who recorded it as part of the "Spiritual Trilogy", on herOdetta Sings Ballads and Blues album,[5] and withJoan Baez, who performed the song at the 1963March on Washington.[6] Baez has since performed the song live numerous times, both during her concerts and at other events.
Some versions have included a verse beginning with "No more tommin',"[citation needed] where the verbtom is a derogatory term denoting some black men's extreme submissiveness towards a white person or white people.[editorializing] The word seems to have been derived fromHarriet Beecher Stowe's fictitious characterUncle Tom in her 1852 novelUncle Tom's Cabin. These verses were not part of the original composition, but instead added to the tradition ofimprovisation inAfrican-American music. Some contemporary folk singers have changed the refrain to a more spirited perspective - "And before I'd be a slave, I'll bury you in your grave and send you home to the lord for free"
Similarly, during the1964 presidential campaign, civil rights activists opposing the candidacy ofBarry Goldwater changed the words to "And before I'd be a slave / I'll see Barry in his grave / And go fight for my rights and be free."[citation needed]
