Oh Freedom

“Oh Freedom” is a popular song that was often played during civil rights marches. This particular YouTube video pairs the song with a slide show of various images from the marches.

Author Unknown, Performed by the Golden Gospel Singers

Grade Level: 6-8

Text Type: multimedia

Topic: Civil Rights Movement, Race and Ethnicity, Slavery

Subject: Civics, History, Social Studies

Social Justice Domain: Action, Justice

This text is part of the Teaching the Movement Text Library and aligns with Summary Objective 12.B.

Click this link to access this video on YouTube.

Lyrics:
Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom,
Oh freedom over me.
And before I’d be a slave
I’d be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.

No more weepin,(don’t you know), no more weepin,
no more weepin over me.
And before I’d be a slave
I’d be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.

Oh freedom,
Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom,
Oh freedom over me.
And before I’d be a slave
I’d be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.

And before I’d be a slave
I’d be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.

Text Dependent Questions

Before listening to the song, predict what the song might be about based on the title “Oh Freedom.”

Answers will vary but predictions may include that the song will be about people hoping to be free from oppression or slavery.

Before listening to the song, read the lyrics. What is the tone of the lyrics, what resonates after the first read?

Answers will vary but may include that the tone is one of resilience and determination. The author writes that they would rather be “buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free,” than be a slave. The tone is also one of longing.

After listening to the song, evaluate the tone of the song again. How have the words, meaning, and emotion changed after listening? (This question can be asked a third time after students view the slide show and listen to the song).

Answers will vary but may include that the melody and rhythm of the song amplify the tone of determination and longing. Some students may conclude that the melody adds a more somber tone. Also the slide show adds a stronger tone of determination and resilience.

Why might this song have been a powerful song for marches during the Civil Rights Movement?

Answers may include that this song might have been powerful to inspire marchers to remember the cause for which they were marching. They were marching for freedom from fear and oppression. They were marching against the Jim Crow laws and for equal rights. This song could stoke their desire and willingness to march even if it cost them pain and even death. It could also remind the marchers of how their parents and grandparents fought against the system of slavery. While civil rights marchers were not fighting against physical slavery, they were fighting for freedom from unjust laws that still enslaved them. This song could serve as a reminder that even though we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

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Oh Freedom