{"id":4306,"date":"2019-10-14T16:17:59","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T21:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=4306"},"modified":"2019-10-14T16:24:20","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T21:24:20","slug":"slave-songs-journey-through-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2019\/10\/14\/slave-songs-journey-through-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"Slave Songs’ Journey Through Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNobody knows the trouble I see, Lord,<\/p>\n

Nobody knows the trouble I see,<\/p>\n

Nobody knows like Jesus\u201d<\/p>\n

Did you hear the tune in your heard as you read these lyrics? A tune that looks something like this?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This image is from the collection of songs, \u201cJubilee Songs and Plantation Melodies,\u201d published in 1885 by H.B. Thearle. According to the introduction by Harry Hanaford, the songs in the collection \u201cwere not \u2018composed\u2019 after the manner or ordinary music, but came to life ready-made, seemingly during the working and singing on the plantation\u201d and that they are \u201cgiving a truthful representation of the negro as he appeared in the days of slavery\u201d 1 <\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The image above is the song \u201cNobody Knows the Trouble I See, Lord,\u201d the first song in the \u201cJubilee Songs and Plantation Melodies\u201d book. Based on the introduction, this song is meant to be regarded as a slave song, a bit of history in musical form.<\/p>\n

Although since then, \u201cNobody Knows the Trouble I See\u201d has been taken to Hollywood, where it has been used in movies such as The Lion King<\/em>. The Hollywoodization of this song, among others, has caused the songs to lose their original motivation and meaning.<\/p>\n