Difference between revisions of "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize (1950s)"

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== Possible Lyricist ==
 
== Possible Lyricist ==
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The lyrics to the modern Civil Rights version of the song, "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" are often attributed to Alice Wine from Johns Island, South Carolina. Mrs. Wine was a member of the Moving Star Hall and The Progressive Club on Johns Island. The book Ain't You Got the Right to the Tree of Life by Guy and Candie Carawan documents songs of the Moving Star Hall and the lives of African Americans on Johns Island in the early sixties.<ref>
  
 
== Biblical Reference ==
 
== Biblical Reference ==

Revision as of 07:55, 3 February 2021

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Keep Your Eyes on the Prize is a folk song that became influential during the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. It is based on the traditional song, "Gospel Plow," also known as "Hold On," "Keep Your Hand on the Plow," and various permutations thereof.

An early reference to the older song, "Gospel Plow," is in Alan Lomax's 1949 book "Our Singing Country."[1] The book references a 1937 recording by Elihu Trusty of Paintsville, Kentucky, which is in the Library of Congress (Ref No .1397 A1). Lomax's references for Gospel Plow cite two earlier works. The first is from English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians published in 1917, indicating that Gospel Plow dates from at least the early twentieth century. The second reference is to a 1928 book, American Negro Folk-Songs, which shows an African-American heritage for the original song.[2][3]

Key Lyrics

The only thing that we did wrong, Stayed in the wilderness a day too long.

But the one thing we did right, Was the day we started to fight.

We’re gonna board that big Greyhound, Carrin’ love from town to town.

We’re gonna ride for civil rights, We’re gonna ride for both black and white.

We’ve met jail and violence too, But God’s love has seen us through.

Possible Lyricist

The lyrics to the modern Civil Rights version of the song, "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" are often attributed to Alice Wine from Johns Island, South Carolina. Mrs. Wine was a member of the Moving Star Hall and The Progressive Club on Johns Island. The book Ain't You Got the Right to the Tree of Life by Guy and Candie Carawan documents songs of the Moving Star Hall and the lives of African Americans on Johns Island in the early sixties.<ref>

Biblical Reference

Reference

  1. John Lomax and Alan Lomax. Our Singing Country, A Second Volume of American Ballads and Folk Songs. 1949. The Macmillan Companyp 44 - 45. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  2. Cecil J. Sharp and 0. Campbell. "English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians". 1917. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. Vol. 2 p. 292. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  3. N. L. White. "American Negro Folk-Songs". 1928. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. p. 115. Retrieved February 3, 2021.