Of course this song has to do with faith and heaven. Most slaves were (made) deeply religious, and still so are many of their African-American ancestors.
I place this song in the more recent past of America, in the 1960s. This song was inspired by racist violence, the assasination of John F. Kennedy, and the March on Washington. To me, it combines symbolism of all three kinds of treks: The underground railroad to freedom for the slaves, the march to Washington, and the ascent to heaven.
The religious imagery is the easiest to pick out, but there is more. I guess some religious people are like hammers: To them, everything looks like a nail.
To gatorman:
Of course this song has to do with faith and heaven. Most slaves were (made) deeply religious, and still so are many of their African-American ancestors.
I place this song in the more recent past of America, in the 1960s. This song was inspired by racist violence, the assasination of John F. Kennedy, and the March on Washington. To me, it combines symbolism of all three kinds of treks: The underground railroad to freedom for the slaves, the march to Washington, and the ascent to heaven.
The religious imagery is the easiest to pick out, but there is more. I guess some religious people are like hammers: To them, everything looks like a nail.