I Shall Not Be Moved

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For the book of poetry by Maya Angelou, see I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry).

"I Shall Not Be Moved", also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is an African-American slave spiritual, hymn, and protest song dating to the early 19th century American south.[1] It was likely originally sung at revivalist camp-meetings as a slave jubilee. The song describes being "like a tree planted by the waters" who "shall not be moved" because of faith in God. Secularly, as "We Shall Not Be Moved" it gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil Rights Movement.[2]

The text is based on biblical scripture:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

— Jeremiah 17:7–8

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

— Psalm 1:3

In 1908 Alfred H. and B. D. Ackley copyrighted a hymn by the name "I Shall Not Be Moved".[3]


Civil rights movement[]

As "We Shall Not Be Moved" the song gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil rights movement.[2]

The song became popular in the Swedish anti-nuclear and peace movements in the late 1970s, in a Swedish translation by Roland von Malmborg, "Aldrig ger vi upp" ('Never shall we give up').[4]

Recorded versions[]

Among others, the following artists recorded "I (We) Shall Not Be Moved":

  • Blind Roosevelt Graves (1929)[5]
  • Charley Patton (1929)[6]
  • The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger on The Original Talking Union and Other Union Songs (1955)[7]
  • Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Donegan Showcase (1956)[8]
  • The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) (1956)[9]
  • The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington (1963)[10] in a medley with other songs
  • Mississippi John Hurt on The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt (recorded 1965, published 1970)[11]
  • Ella Fitzgerald on Brighten the Corner (1967)[12]
  • Oktoberklub on Der Oktober-Klub singt (1967)[13]
  • The Seekers, on several albums including The Best of The Seekers (1968)[14]
  • Son House on The Real Delta Blues – 14 songs from the man who taught Robert Johnson (recorded 1960, published 1974)[15]
  • Joan Baez ("No Nos Moverán") on her Spanish-language album Gracias a la Vida (1974)[16]
  • Henry Qualls on Blues from Elmo, Texas (1994)[17]
  • Underground Ministries featuring Kenny Bobien (Vinyl, 12", Single, Promo) (1999)[18]
  • Sweet Honey in the Rock on Still the Same Me (2000)[19]
  • This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb on Front Seat Solidarity (2002)[20]
  • Peter, Paul and Mary on In These Times (2003)[21]
  • Johnny Cash on My Mother's Hymn Book (2004)[22]
  • Mavis Staples on We'll Never Turn Back (2007)[23]
  • Public Enemy on Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp (2012)[24]
  • on (1970)[25]
  • Rhiannon Giddens on They're Calling Me Home (2021)[26]

In popular culture[]

The Spinners set the musical tone of the 1975 Thames Television comedy about a Liverpool working class family, The Wackers. The closing credits medley featured them singing "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".[27]

In Great Britain in the 1980s the song was used by the popular British wrestler Big Daddy as his walk-on music, which would be greeted by cheers from the fans.[28]

David Spener has written a book documenting the history of this song title, including how it was translated into Spanish, changing the first singular to third person plural, "No Nos Moverán"[29] (meaning "They will not move us"). That version was part of the soundtrack of the well-known popular tv series Verano azul, which popularized the song among the Spanish youth.[30]

JB Burnett covered the song for the first episode of the third season of Supernatural ("The Magnificent Seven").[citation needed]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ David Spener (2016). We Shall Not Be Moved: Biography of a Song of Struggle. Temple University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-439-91299-7.
  2. ^ a b Robert V. Wells (2009). Life flows on in endless song: folk songs and American history. University of Illinois Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-252-07650-3.
  3. ^ Henry Date; Chas H Gabriel; George C. Stebbins; William J. Kirkpatrick (1911). Pentecostal hymns, nos. 5 & 6 combined : a winnowed collection for young people's societies, church prayer meetings, evangelistic services and Sunday schools. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Music Library. Chicago : Hope Pub. Co. p. 10.
  4. ^ Louise Pettersson (2010). "På jakt efter miljörörelsens sångtradition" [In search of the Swedish environmental movement's song tradition] (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-03-25. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Thom Owens (1994-06-02). "Complete Recorded Works (1929-1936) - Blind Roosevelt Graves | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  6. ^ "Charley Patton Vol 2 1929 - Document Records Vintage Blues and Jazz". Document-records.com. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  7. ^ "The original talking union and other union songs sound recording / with the Almanac Singers ; with Pete Seeger and chorus". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. ^ "Lonnie Donegan Showcase - Lonnie Donegan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  9. ^ Fricke, David (1988-02-25). "Million Dollar Quartet: Complete Million Dollar Session : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  10. ^ Mohdin, Aamna (2020-09-10). "'They couldn't arrest us all': civil rights veteran Rutha Mae Harris on MLK, protest and prison". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  11. ^ "The Best of Mississippi John Hurt sound recording". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. ^ "Brighten the Corner - Ella Fitzgerald". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  13. ^ "Oktoberklub". Deutsche Mugge. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  14. ^ Bruce Eder. "The Best of the Seekers - The Seekers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  15. ^ "An unofficial Blue Goose Records Homepage". Wirz. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  16. ^ "Gracias a la Vida - Joan Baez". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  17. ^ "Blues from Elmo, Texas - Henry Qualls | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 1995-11-22. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  18. ^ "I Shall Not Be Moved - Underground Ministries". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  19. ^ "Still the Same Me - Sweet Honey in the Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  20. ^ "Front Seat Solidarity - This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  21. ^ "The music - In these times". "Peter, Paul and Mary" official website. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  22. ^ "My Mother's Hymn Book - Johnny Cash". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  23. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (2007-04-20). "CD: Mavis Staples, We'll Never Turn Back". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  24. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp - Public Enemy". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  25. ^ McDonagh, Owen; Bogside Men (1970). "Songs of Irish civil rights". Library of Congress. Belfast: Outlet. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  26. ^ "They're Calling Me Home - Rhiannon Giddens". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  27. ^ "The Wackers, 1975". British Classic Comedy. 2021-03-03. (the song can be heard at the end of the clips embedded in the article). Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  28. ^ "Big Daddy". Wilde Life: Official Kim Wilde Fansite. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  29. ^ David Spener. 2016. We Shall Not Be Moved / No Nos Moverán: Biography of a Song of Struggle. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
  30. ^ "¡No nos moverán!". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
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