Bernice Johnson Reagon, Bill Moyers on spirituals

An excerpt from THE SONGS ARE FREE with Bernice Johnson Reagon, on Bill Moyers Journal Nov. 23, 2007. She had been speaking of "Steal Away (to Jesus)," and singing a couple of bars. Then:

BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON:In our tradition, we are told that crossing over, all of those words, "crossing over," "tomorrow," "in the morning when I rise" - all of those words, all of those phrases could be applied to any practical, everyday situation, talking about changing your life. It has to be a change that was as drastic as death so that, youknow, if you were saying "in the morning when I rise," you really might be talking about "in the morning when I rise, I'm leaving."

[Singing] If you don't go, If you don't go, If you don't go

So really within the African-American experience, you could sing ahh, you could own this story. You could own any story floating in you lee. And this has to do with this every moment being special. If every moment is sacred and If you are amazed and in awe most of the time when you find yourself breathing and not crazy, then you are ina state of constant thankfulness, worship and humility.

In addition to the transcript, Moyers' webpage has links to the Spirituals Project of the University of Denver.