| The slaves of the nineteenth century faced | | | | establishing the foundation of what would eventually |
| tremendous adversity to regain their freedom, but | | | | become a fully integrated nation. |
| the southern gospel music lyrics they gave birth to | | | | Southern gospel music lyrics also gave birth to gospel |
| have left their footprints deeply embedded in the | | | | jazz, a powerful genre of music that developed in |
| pages of history. The struggles they faced and | | | | the early 20th century. Jazz itself was created on the |
| conquered provided fodder for many of the most | | | | streets of the south, developed through the efforts |
| beautiful and inspirational works of this type of music | | | | of the newly freed slaves to learn to play western |
| known today, and they laid the foundation for a new | | | | musical instruments and firmly integrating their own |
| era of Christianity. | | | | distinct musical heritage. Gospel jazz bears the flavor |
| These lyrics differ from many of the Protestant | | | | of West Africa, the Caribbean and South America, |
| hymns predating modern gospel in that they | | | | seamlessly blending them and bringing to them the |
| personify a more personal relationship with God. Much | | | | free spirit and deep suffering of the African people. |
| of this is based upon the way that the religion | | | | Such an emotional genre cried out for the new |
| evolved. The European Protestants were encouraged | | | | Americans to express their spirituality, and so it was |
| to maintain a much more formal religion; however, | | | | that Thomas A. Dorsey faced the censure of the |
| when religious services are held in filthy huts and you | | | | church and set southern gospel music lyrics to jazz. |
| have no other hope to get you through the day | | | | For a society that favored a complete separation of |
| formality gets thrown to the wayside. This led to | | | | the spiritual and the secular this was an abomination; |
| inspirational pieces such as Thomas A. Dorsey's | | | | however, his works would come to be known as the |
| "Precious God," "Amazing Grace," "The Old Rugged | | | | traditional style of southern gospel and be emulated |
| Cross", "Beulah Land" and "Swing Low, Sweet | | | | in churches all over the south. |
| Chariot." | | | | Southern gospel music lyrics can still be found in the |
| These became so popular that when slavery was | | | | works of contemporary artists, Christian and secular. |
| abolished and the African freed slaves were allowed | | | | Today's country music singers have created new |
| to establish formal places of worship their music | | | | versions of old favorites and stamped them as their |
| spread throughout the south, drawing in Africans and | | | | own, and many Christian music artists straddle the |
| Europeans alike to join together in a common | | | | fence between the two. They have undeniably left |
| brotherhood. This was among the first pieces of | | | | their footprints in the history of this country and the |
| African-American culture to cross the racial divide, | | | | heritage of the mighty south. |