Spirituals For Shut-Ins
Day 2 of my self imposed challenge. This time, I thought I’d do the first song that introduced me to the simple heart-felt spirituals of the rural south. These were the basis of all the church music that developed after the mass migrations out of the southern states and into the urban centres of the north.
I first heard this song on a Mississippi Fred McDowell album I bought as a teenager after hearing the Rolling Stones version of “You Got To Move” and finding out who originated the song.
It was a powerful experience: one man with a big voice and a slide guitar singing about the sovereignty of God in a simple, understandable way: It doesn’t matter who you are or your station in life, “when the Lord gets ready, you got to move”.
Conversely, if the Lord’s not ready for you, you’re indestructible! Consequently, this song teaches us to enjoy every day until that inevitable day arrives.