I Shall Not Be Moved
"I Shall Not Be Moved", also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is an African-American slave spiritual, hymn, and protest song dating to the early 19th century American south.[1] It was likely originally sung at revivalist camp-meetings as a slave jubilee. The song describes being "like a tree planted by the waters" who "shall not be moved" because of faith in God. Secularly, as "We Shall Not Be Moved" it gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil Rights Movement.[2]
The text is based on biblical scripture:
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In 1908 Alfred H. and B. D. Ackley copyrighted a hymn by the name "I Shall Not Be Moved".[3]
Civil rights movement[edit]
As "We Shall Not Be Moved" the song gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil rights movement.[2]
The song became popular in the Swedish anti-nuclear and peace movements in the late 1970s, in a Swedish translation by Roland von Malmborg, "Aldrig ger vi upp" ('Never shall we give up').[4]
Recorded versions[edit]
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Among others, the following artists recorded "I (We) Shall Not Be Moved":
- Blind Roosevelt Graves (1929)[5] – reissued on The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (2006)
- Charley Patton (1929)[6]
- The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger on The Original Talking Union and Other Union Songs (1955)[7]
- The Harmonizing Four (single; Gotham 1954)[8]
- Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Donegan Showcase (1956)[9]
- The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) (1956)[10]
- The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington (1963)[11] in a medley with other songs
- Mississippi John Hurt on The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt (recorded 1965, published 1970)[12]
- Ella Fitzgerald on Brighten the Corner (1967)[13]
- Oktoberklub on Der Oktober-Klub singt (1967)[14]
- The Seekers, on several albums including The Best of The Seekers (1968)[15]
- Son House on The Real Delta Blues – 14 songs from the man who taught Robert Johnson (recorded 1960, published 1974)[16]
- Joan Baez ("No Nos Moverán") on her Spanish-language album Gracias a la Vida (1974)[17]
- Henry Qualls on Blues from Elmo, Texas (1994)[18]
- Underground Ministries featuring Kenny Bobien (Vinyl, 12", Single, Promo) (1999)[19]
- Sweet Honey in the Rock on Still the Same Me (2000)[20]
- This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb on Front Seat Solidarity (2002)[21]
- Peter, Paul and Mary on In These Times (2003)[22]
- Johnny Cash on My Mother's Hymn Book (2004)[23]
- Mavis Staples on We'll Never Turn Back (2007)[24]
- Public Enemy on Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp (2012)[25]
- Owen McDonagh & The Bogside Men on Songs of Irish Civil Rights (1970)[26]
- Rhiannon Giddens on They're Calling Me Home (2021)[27]
- Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder on GET ON BOARD[28]
The Housemartins on the 12 inch version of their 1985 UK number 1 single "Caravan of Love"
In popular culture[edit]
| This section contains a list of miscellaneous information. (June 2021) |
The Spinners set the musical tone of the 1975 Thames Television comedy about a Liverpool working-class family, The Wackers. The closing credits medley featured them singing "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".[29]
In Great Britain in the 1980s the song was used by the popular British wrestler Big Daddy as his walk-on music, which would be greeted by cheers from the fans.[30]
David Spener has written a book documenting the history of this song title, including how it was translated into Spanish, changing the first singular to third person plural, "No Nos Moverán"[31] (meaning "They will not move us"). That version was part of the soundtrack of the well-known popular tv series Verano azul, which popularized the song among the Spanish youth.[32]
JB Burnett covered the song for the first episode of the third season of Supernatural ("The Magnificent Seven").[citation needed]
Playwright Isaiah Reaves used the name for his show describing his grandmother's experiences as a Freedom Rider.[33]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ David Spener (2016). We Shall Not Be Moved: Biography of a Song of Struggle. Temple University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-439-91299-7.
- ^ a b Robert V. Wells (2009). Life flows on in endless song: folk songs and American history. University of Illinois Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-252-07650-3.
- ^ Henry Date; Chas H Gabriel; George C. Stebbins; William J. Kirkpatrick (1911). Pentecostal hymns, nos. 5 & 6 combined : a winnowed collection for young people's societies, church prayer meetings, evangelistic services and Sunday schools. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Music Library. Chicago : Hope Pub. Co. p. 10.
- ^ Louise Pettersson (2010). "På jakt efter miljörörelsens sångtradition" [In search of the Swedish environmental movement's song tradition]. Hgo.diva-Portal.org (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ Thom Owens (1994-06-02). "Complete Recorded Works (1929-1936) - Blind Roosevelt Graves | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ^ "Charley Patton Vol 2 1929 - Document Records Vintage Blues and Jazz". Document-records.com. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ^ "The original talking union and other union songs sound recording / with the Almanac Singers ; with Pete Seeger and chorus". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
- ^ "The Harmonizing Four – I Shall Not Be Moved / I'll Go, Lord, Send Me! (1954, Shellac)". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ "Lonnie Donegan Showcase - Lonnie Donegan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ Fricke, David (1988-02-25). "Million Dollar Quartet: Complete Million Dollar Session : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ Mohdin, Aamna (2020-09-10). "'They couldn't arrest us all': civil rights veteran Rutha Mae Harris on MLK, protest and prison". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "The Best of Mississippi John Hurt sound recording". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
- ^ "Brighten the Corner - Ella Fitzgerald". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "Oktoberklub". Deutsche Mugge. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ Bruce Eder. "The Best of the Seekers - The Seekers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ^ "An unofficial Blue Goose Records Homepage". Wirz. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Gracias a la Vida - Joan Baez". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "Blues from Elmo, Texas - Henry Qualls | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 1995-11-22. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ^ "I Shall Not Be Moved - Underground Ministries". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Still the Same Me - Sweet Honey in the Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Front Seat Solidarity - This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "The music - In these times". "Peter, Paul and Mary" official website. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "My Mother's Hymn Book - Johnny Cash". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (2007-04-20). "CD: Mavis Staples, We'll Never Turn Back". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp - Public Enemy". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
- ^ McDonagh, Owen; Bogside Men (1970). "Songs of Irish civil rights". Library of Congress. Belfast: Outlet. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "They're Calling Me Home - Rhiannon Giddens". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ^ "Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
- ^ "The Wackers, 1975". British Classic Comedy. 2021-03-03. (the song can be heard at the end of the clips embedded in the article). Retrieved 2021-05-30.
- ^ "Big Daddy". Wilde Life: Official Kim Wilde Fansite. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ David Spener. 2016. We Shall Not Be Moved / No Nos Moverán: Biography of a Song of Struggle. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
- ^ "¡No nos moverán!". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
- ^ "Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents a Double Bill of I SHALL NOT BE MOVED and YOUR NEGRO TOUR GUIDE". 29 March 2022.
