ot have any
trouble with them being superstitious but each time the tenants were
changed the same superstitions had to be met with and their fears had to
be quieted.

Negro Folk Songs: (Contributed by William Warfield, Col.)

These songs more commonly called plantation melodies, originated with
the negroes of the South during the days of slavery. They habe been
somewhat collected and written about.

These songs have for the Negro the same value that the folk songs of any
people have for that people. In the days of slavery they furnished an
outlet for aching hearts and anguished souls. Today they help to foster
race pride and to remind the race of the "rock from which it was hewn".
Some of these folk songs represented the lighter side of the slave's
life, as for example,

"Heave away! Heave away!
I'd rudder co't a yallar gal
Dan work foh Henry Clay
Heave away, yaller gal, I want to go."

or:

"Ole Massa take dat new brown coat,
And hang it on de wall;
Dat darkey take dat same old coat,
And wear it to de ball,
Oh, don't you hear my tru lub sing?"

It was in their religious song, however that they poured out their
souls. Three things are especially emphasized in these song. First this
life is full of sorrow or trouble:

"Nobody knows da truble I sees,
Nobody but Jesus."

Second, religion is the best thing in the world. It enables you, though
a slave, to have joy of the soul, to endure the trials. Future life is
happy and eternal:

"We'll walk dem golden streets,
We'll walk dem golden streets,
We'll walk dem golden streets,
Wear pleasure nebber dies."

or:

"Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Wen I git in de kingdom."

Annie Morgan:

Story of Annie Morgan: (age 65, 207 W. 2nd St., Hopkinsville, Ky.) Annie
was born of slave parents. Her mother and father were slaves of the
Payne family.

Ques: Annie can you give me or rather tell me of some of your earlier
life with your parents, or what your mother and father has told you of
things before and after the Civil War.

Ans: Wal, wal, I do declare it has ben so long I'se jes don't remember.
I'se seem to remember de big days we uster hav on Proclamation Day wen
we used ter go to Grandmums who lived in Trigg County. Foh days befur
weuns would git redy ter go in a wagon and as dar was a heap of chilluns
it tuk quite a time an weuns would start by