It was sung in camp by Black soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War, as was "Oh Freedom," which was revived in the 1960s as a civil rights song. I do the two together as a medley.
The great civil rights song, "We Shall Overcome" is based partly on this one. I think it was a merging of "No More Auction Block" and another spiritual.
Just a quick comment about this great song... I've seen it described as a civil war song a few times, but it's my understanding that it pre-dates the American civil war by quite some time. I believe it originated around 1833 when many blacks fled to Canada after Britain abolished slavery.
Of course, that doesn't take away anything from the song or this performance, but if I'm correct it may make a difference to the video description.
Paul Robeson will live forever in the hearts of people!! A great man!!
I have said this elsewhere but I will say it again when he was dying maybe poisoned by Hoover My Mom was in the same Hospital an almost crawled out of her bed to get to see him but could not--I saw him once at his funeral--I hope he rests in peace in a place with no action blocks! God bless him!
@vivascargill Dylan's own words - to journalist Marc Rowland in 19778: "'Blowin' in the Wind' has always been a spiritual. I took it off a song called 'No More Auction Block' — that's a spiritual and 'Blowin' in the Wind' follows the same feeling."
the video you're seeing is from roots I think, it's obviously not actual footage because there weren't cameras or recording at the time (at least color recordings).
A lot of slave era 'Black' music was stolen or appropriated and used in songs from the 50s. Elvis for example borrowed heavily from barbershop and slave era hymns, it's kinda funny because they were never given credit and elvis still gets credit for it.
In December of 1951, Paul Robeson submits a petition titled, "We Charge Genocide: The Crime of Government Against the Negro People" to the United Nations. This book-length petition documents hundreds of lynching cases and a clear pattern of government inaction or actual complicity. It charges that in the 85 years since the end of slavery more than 10,000 Blacks are known to have been lynched (an average of more than 100 per year)...
@lynettekomidar LynetteKommisar? That's your name? Being a Commie is subscribing to a system that killed more people than Nazism or practically anything else. Robeson should be condemned for being such a person. Also, he was alive when the full report of the Soviet Union's crimes came out, making his guilt even worse.
@underzog The difference is that real Communism aims at creating an equality amongst people which isn't based on exploitation (OK, they messed up a bit in most places), unlike Nazism, which stigmatised and persecuted as part of its published agenda. Considering Robeson was of the generation whose grandparents, if not parents could remember slavery, I don't think it surprising that Communism appealed. let's face it, capitalist USA hadn't really been 100% on the human rights record, either.
Maybe someday slavery will end... doesn't seem likely though we are all still the beneficiaries of slavery today. Now it hides behind the happy face logo of Walmart.
"You know how, today, the Northern people put on airs of morality on the score of having "abolished chattel slavery," the "traffic in human flesh," "gone down South and fought, and bled, to free the Negro," etc., etc. Yet we know that just as soon as manufacturing was introduced in the North, the North found that it was too expensive to own the Negro and take care of him; that it was much cheaper not to own the worker;" -- Daniel DeLeon 1896
I couldn't agree more, Slavery along with the Aristocracy never disappeared it just hid. Why have slave plantations when you can convince the slaves that they are free and get them to support themselves. I once heard something true in a comedy sketch. You are born free and you are cheated out of most of that freedom and you stand on the sidewalk waving a flag cheering about it....
It was sung in camp by Black soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War, as was "Oh Freedom," which was revived in the 1960s as a civil rights song. I do the two together as a medley.
biastg 2 months ago
Paul Robeson was a great human being.
mandaladouble 1 year ago 4
The great civil rights song, "We Shall Overcome" is based partly on this one. I think it was a merging of "No More Auction Block" and another spiritual.
wb7ptr 1 year ago 3
how could you Americans do this to other human
apchyouzo 1 year ago
@apchyouzo
The Americans weren't alone.
Faxe90Swe 5 months ago
'....no more drivers Lash for me...'
JiffySpook 1 year ago
Just a quick comment about this great song... I've seen it described as a civil war song a few times, but it's my understanding that it pre-dates the American civil war by quite some time. I believe it originated around 1833 when many blacks fled to Canada after Britain abolished slavery.
Of course, that doesn't take away anything from the song or this performance, but if I'm correct it may make a difference to the video description.
All the best.
thirteenfingers 1 year ago
Paul Robeson will live forever in the hearts of people!! A great man!!
I have said this elsewhere but I will say it again when he was dying maybe poisoned by Hoover My Mom was in the same Hospital an almost crawled out of her bed to get to see him but could not--I saw him once at his funeral--I hope he rests in peace in a place with no action blocks! God bless him!
vivascargill 1 year ago 3
Robeson´s got a such a wonderful bass!
I still like Dylans version, it gave the song the revolutionary power it demanded.
loerez 2 years ago
The first melody line of Blowin in the wind is clearly based on this song.
zapspace 2 years ago 2
What a treasure was Paul Robeson to our America. God bless him.
Teetee33 2 years ago 2
Wow.
sgoodtobetheking 2 years ago
Comment removed
HiddenFormula 2 years ago
The "Politically Incorrect Guide to the Sixties" says that Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the wind" is a ripoff of this song.
It's no wonder the author Ralph Ellison called rock music a bastardization of negro church music.
underzog 2 years ago 2
Haunting
Fuzzywink1 2 years ago
what the fuck does ronaldinho do in the beginning of this video? haha
jimruthless 2 years ago
Terrible what humans do to each other.
What have we learned as we still enslave people??
Bethsheeba7 2 years ago 4
Thank you for this video!
grummeper 2 years ago
Very moving. Paul's father was a runaway slave, who became a preacher in the north.
EbenezerIan123 3 years ago
FUCK RACISM, in ALL its forms
420IrishRasta420 3 years ago 17
@420IrishRasta420
how about racism against alleged racists?
Faxe90Swe 5 months ago
¿pero qué hace ahí Ronaldinho?
jajaj
DarktownStrut 3 years ago
sounds like blowin' in the wind by Bob Dylan
riotiticaca 3 years ago 5
I think so.
jacetango 3 years ago 3
blowin' in the wind was based on this song
hareyb 3 years ago 21
Yes,yes.
jacetango 3 years ago 3
@hareyb how do you know?
vivascargill 1 year ago
@vivascargill Dylan's own words - to journalist Marc Rowland in 19778: "'Blowin' in the Wind' has always been a spiritual. I took it off a song called 'No More Auction Block' — that's a spiritual and 'Blowin' in the Wind' follows the same feeling."
raymondcrooke 1 year ago
@raymondcrooke thanks!
vivascargill 1 year ago
It's sad what man was doing to his own fellow man... It's also sad what man has done to other creatures.
HOPE IN CHANGES
obamanodraft 3 years ago 3
the video you're seeing is from roots I think, it's obviously not actual footage because there weren't cameras or recording at the time (at least color recordings).
A lot of slave era 'Black' music was stolen or appropriated and used in songs from the 50s. Elvis for example borrowed heavily from barbershop and slave era hymns, it's kinda funny because they were never given credit and elvis still gets credit for it.
PerfectlyCromulent 3 years ago 3
In December of 1951, Paul Robeson submits a petition titled, "We Charge Genocide: The Crime of Government Against the Negro People" to the United Nations. This book-length petition documents hundreds of lynching cases and a clear pattern of government inaction or actual complicity. It charges that in the 85 years since the end of slavery more than 10,000 Blacks are known to have been lynched (an average of more than 100 per year)...
It was not discussed.
yourcamden 4 years ago 5
Paul Robeson was a Commie.
I admire his singing however.
underzog 2 years ago
I suggest you read his life story, his qualifications and his accomplishments. To sum this man up with one word 'commie', is rather misguided.
lynettekomidar 1 year ago
@lynettekomidar LynetteKommisar? That's your name? Being a Commie is subscribing to a system that killed more people than Nazism or practically anything else. Robeson should be condemned for being such a person. Also, he was alive when the full report of the Soviet Union's crimes came out, making his guilt even worse.
underzog 1 year ago
@underzog The difference is that real Communism aims at creating an equality amongst people which isn't based on exploitation (OK, they messed up a bit in most places), unlike Nazism, which stigmatised and persecuted as part of its published agenda. Considering Robeson was of the generation whose grandparents, if not parents could remember slavery, I don't think it surprising that Communism appealed. let's face it, capitalist USA hadn't really been 100% on the human rights record, either.
moominpic 1 year ago
This is an outstanding video that capture man's inhumanity to his fellowman dramatically!
Dramadirect 4 years ago
Do you know where I can find the complete lyrics to Paul Robeson's 'Anthem of the United Nations' (1944)?
yourcamden 4 years ago
awesome video, and hey check out my version of the song.
zkafel 4 years ago
We are all ruled controlled and owned by ruthless rich vermin, and they are laughing at you and your families all the way to the bank as it were.
OscarLimaMike 4 years ago
Maybe someday slavery will end... doesn't seem likely though we are all still the beneficiaries of slavery today. Now it hides behind the happy face logo of Walmart.
OscarLimaMike 4 years ago 16
"You know how, today, the Northern people put on airs of morality on the score of having "abolished chattel slavery," the "traffic in human flesh," "gone down South and fought, and bled, to free the Negro," etc., etc. Yet we know that just as soon as manufacturing was introduced in the North, the North found that it was too expensive to own the Negro and take care of him; that it was much cheaper not to own the worker;" -- Daniel DeLeon 1896
RedCeltic 4 years ago 7
I couldn't agree more, Slavery along with the Aristocracy never disappeared it just hid. Why have slave plantations when you can convince the slaves that they are free and get them to support themselves. I once heard something true in a comedy sketch. You are born free and you are cheated out of most of that freedom and you stand on the sidewalk waving a flag cheering about it....
OscarLimaMike 4 years ago
john brown and his meeker friends, the transcendentalists, would disagree heartily with this sentiment.
mcob1 4 years ago
ps. this ol' jersey boy's version is very relevent. Sayerville, right?
mcob1 4 years ago
this is grand, Red Celtic, mad to think not long ago ppl thought slavery was normal and 'christian' even!
Robeson was a great all rounder, civil rights, sports, scholar, writer, singer, etc
is it right he was also in the international brigades in Spain? or am i getting mixed up
5* defo
michelle1688 4 years ago
He was a supporter of the Abraham Lincon Brigade, and had even visited them in the field... but I don't think he took part in the conflict.
RedCeltic 4 years ago
Paul Robeson, a great artist and human being.
Rheingoldi 4 years ago
Paul Robeson, the greatest American ever.
westphalianprinz 4 years ago 2