Follow The Drinking Gourd
This is a traditional song, also released on Sessions and Live At The Elsinore
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Version 1 is a live recording, performed as a duet with his sister Nancy and acoustic guitar and percussion backing, during a concert in Beaverton, Portland, on October 18, 2003
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Version 2 is the same recording as version 1, but with the spoken introduction removed
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lyrics version 1
So I'd like to sing a song about this, this is a song we used to sing together. We were in a group called the Back Country 7. There was eight of us. I always was ornery. And 'em this was during the, what they used to call the Hootenanny years, and you couldn't sing at the school unless you sang folk music. So being rather seditious I would eh sing songs that were uncomfortable to hear about, or sing songs in a folk style making fun of rock and roll, because it was really rock and roll songs making fun of folk music. And um, you gotta start somewhere. If you're gonna try and change the world you know, you have to, you have to start bugging people when you're young [Spoken, on end of preceding track]
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
This song means something. It's kind of a code. Black people didn't openly discuss their plans for escape around their white masters. When they talked about the river Jordan they were actually talking about the ocean. Getting back to the promised land was talking about getting back to Africa. And the drinking gourd was the big dipper in the sky, because the handle of the big dipper just happened to point north. And if you did make an escape at night you could follow the stars to the north. So that's what this song is about [Spoken]
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
When the sun comes up and the first quail call
Follow the drinking gourd
The river bank makes a mighty fine road
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Well I thought I heard the angel say
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the stars and they will show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
There’s a blood stained path and a shiny blade
Follow the drinking gourd
If someone comes you better duck for shade
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
This song means something. It's kind of a code. Black people didn't openly discuss their plans for escape around their white masters. When they talked about the river Jordan they were actually talking about the ocean. Getting back to the promised land was talking about getting back to Africa. And the drinking gourd was the big dipper in the sky, because the handle of the big dipper just happened to point north. And if you did make an escape at night you could follow the stars to the north. So that's what this song is about [Spoken]
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
When the sun comes up and the first quail call
Follow the drinking gourd
The river bank makes a mighty fine road
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Well I thought I heard the angel say
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the stars and they will show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
There’s a blood stained path and a shiny blade
Follow the drinking gourd
If someone comes you better duck for shade
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
lyrics version 2
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
This song means something. It's kind of a code. Black people didn't openly discuss their plans for escape around their white masters. When they talked about the river Jordan they were actually talking about the ocean. Getting back to the promised land was talking about getting back to Africa. And the drinking gourd was the big dipper in the sky, because the handle of the big dipper just happened to point north. And if you did make an escape at night you could follow the stars to the north. So that's what this song is about [Spoken]
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
When the sun comes up and the first quail call
Follow the drinking gourd
The river bank makes a mighty fine road
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Well I thought I heard the angel say
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the stars and they will show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
There’s a blood stained path and a shiny blade
Follow the drinking gourd
If someone comes you better duck for shade
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
This song means something. It's kind of a code. Black people didn't openly discuss their plans for escape around their white masters. When they talked about the river Jordan they were actually talking about the ocean. Getting back to the promised land was talking about getting back to Africa. And the drinking gourd was the big dipper in the sky, because the handle of the big dipper just happened to point north. And if you did make an escape at night you could follow the stars to the north. So that's what this song is about [Spoken]
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
When the sun comes up and the first quail call
Follow the drinking gourd
The river bank makes a mighty fine road
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Well I thought I heard the angel say
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the stars and they will show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
There’s a blood stained path and a shiny blade
Follow the drinking gourd
If someone comes you better duck for shade
Follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
You gotta follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
lyrics version 3 - not yet transcribed
"Follow The Drinking Gourd" is something I only heard once, back in 1962. I was drawn to the subject matter but could not find the lyrics anywhere, could not find a record that contained the song, and could not find anyone at my school who had ever heard the song, so I had to cobble together a logical set of lyrics which told the story of the American Negroes, trying to escape from the South and go into the North for sanctuary and blend these lyrics in with the words I could remember having heard.
I was fifteen when I heard the song. Jon Bealer sang second harmony and Nancy Tiffany sang higher parts and some of the verses. Then Bruce Rutherford got out of Juvey and joined the group. He was six foot four, had a terrible reputation for being a hood who had been away several times to correctional facilities, and sang in a high soprano voice that was higher than any of the girls I'd ever heard sing. Later we expanded the group from four people to eight. One of the new members was Gene Mason who ended up starting his professional career with me upon graduating high school and flunking out of college. (Me, not him).
I was fifteen when I heard the song. Jon Bealer sang second harmony and Nancy Tiffany sang higher parts and some of the verses. Then Bruce Rutherford got out of Juvey and joined the group. He was six foot four, had a terrible reputation for being a hood who had been away several times to correctional facilities, and sang in a high soprano voice that was higher than any of the girls I'd ever heard sing. Later we expanded the group from four people to eight. One of the new members was Gene Mason who ended up starting his professional career with me upon graduating high school and flunking out of college. (Me, not him).