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I Shall Not Be Moved
Song From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"I Shall Not Be Moved" (Roud 9134), also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is an African-American spiritual, hymn, and protest song dating to the early 19th century American south.[1][2] 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 labor union song and a protest song of the Civil Rights Movement.[3]
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".[4]
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Civil rights movement
As "We Shall Not Be Moved" the song gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil rights movement.[3]
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').[5]
Recorded versions
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Among others, the following artists recorded "I (We) Shall Not Be Moved":
- Blind Roosevelt Graves (1929)[6] – reissued on The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (2006)
- Charley Patton (1929)[7]
- The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger on The Original Talking Union and Other Union Songs (1955)[8]
- The Harmonizing Four (single; Gotham 1954)[9]
- Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Donegan Showcase (1956)[10]
- The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) (1956)[11]
- The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington (1963)[12] in a medley with other songs
- Mississippi John Hurt on The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt (recorded 1965, published 1970)[13]
- Ella Fitzgerald on Brighten the Corner (1967)[14]
- Oktoberklub on Der Oktober-Klub singt (1967)[15]
- Xesco Boix on No Serem moguts! (We shall not be moved!) (1967) a Catalan version of the protest song quite popular on that time by Viasona.[16]
- The Seekers, on several albums including The Best of The Seekers (1968)[17]
- Son House on The Real Delta Blues – 14 songs from the man who taught Robert Johnson (recorded 1960, published 1974)[18]
- Joan Baez ("No Nos Moverán") on her Spanish-language album Gracias a la Vida (1974)[19]
- Henry Qualls on Blues from Elmo, Texas (1994)[20]
- Underground Ministries featuring Kenny Bobien (Vinyl, 12", Single, Promo) (1999)[21]
- Sweet Honey in the Rock on Still the Same Me (2000)[22]
- This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb on Front Seat Solidarity (2002)[23]
- Peter, Paul and Mary on In These Times (2003)[24]
- Johnny Cash on My Mother's Hymn Book (2004)[25]
- Mavis Staples on We'll Never Turn Back (2007)[26]
- Public Enemy on Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp (2012)[27]
- Owen McDonagh & The Bogside Men on Songs of Irish Civil Rights (1970)[28]
- Rhiannon Giddens on They're Calling Me Home (2021)[29]
- Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder on GET ON BOARD[30]
The Housemartins on the 12 inch version of their 1985 UK number 1 single "Caravan of Love"
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In popular culture
| 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". Liverpool F.C. fans still sing a rendition of the song today.[31]
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.[32]
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"[33] (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.[34]
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.[35]
See also
References
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