I Shall Not Be Moved

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

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

— Psalm 62:6

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] – reissued on The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (2006)
• Charley Patton (1929)^[6]
• The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger on The Original Talking Union and Other Union Songs (1955)^[7]
• The Harmonizing Four (single; Gotham 1954)^[8]
• Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Donegan Showcase (1956)^[9]
• The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) (1956)^[10]
• The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington (1963)^[11] in a medley with other songs
• Mississippi John Hurt on The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt (recorded 1965, published 1970)^[12]
• Ella Fitzgerald on Brighten the Corner (1967)^[13]
• Oktoberklub on Der Oktober-Klub singt (1967)^[14]
• The Seekers, on several albums including The Best of The Seekers (1968)^[15]
• Son House on The Real Delta Blues – 14 songs from the man who taught Robert Johnson (recorded 1960, published 1974)^[16]
• Joan Baez ("No Nos Moverán") on her Spanish-language album Gracias a la Vida (1974)^[17]
• Henry Qualls on Blues from Elmo, Texas (1994)^[18]
• Underground Ministries featuring Kenny Bobien (Vinyl, 12", Single, Promo) (1999)^[19]
• Sweet Honey in the Rock on Still the Same Me (2000)^[20]
• This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb on Front Seat Solidarity (2002)^[21]
• Peter, Paul and Mary on In These Times (2003)^[22]
• Johnny Cash on My Mother's Hymn Book (2004)^[23]
• Mavis Staples on We'll Never Turn Back (2007)^[24]
• Public Enemy on Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp (2012)^[25]
• Owen McDonagh & The Bogside Men on Songs of Irish Civil Rights (1970)^[26]
• Rhiannon Giddens on They're Calling Me Home (2021)^[27]
• Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder on GET ON BOARD^[28]

The Housemartins on the 12 inch version of their 1985 UK number 1 single "Caravan of Love"

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".^[29]

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.^[30]

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"^[31] (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.^[32]

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

Playwright Isaiah Reaves used the name for his show describing his grandmother's experiences as a Freedom Rider.^[33]

See also

• Civil rights movement in popular culture
• Christian child's prayer § Spirituals

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. 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]. Hgo.diva-Portal.org (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-03-25.
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. "The Harmonizing Four – I Shall Not Be Moved / I'll Go, Lord, Send Me! (1954, Shellac)". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
9. "Lonnie Donegan Showcase - Lonnie Donegan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
10. Fricke, David (1988-02-25). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
11. 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.
12. "The Best of Mississippi John Hurt sound recording". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
13. "Brighten the Corner - Ella Fitzgerald". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
14. "Oktoberklub". Deutsche Mugge. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
15. Bruce Eder. "The Best of the Seekers - The Seekers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
16. "An unofficial Blue Goose Records Homepage". Wirz. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
17. "Gracias a la Vida - Joan Baez". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
18. "Blues from Elmo, Texas - Henry Qualls | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 1995-11-22. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
19. "I Shall Not Be Moved - Underground Ministries". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
20. "Still the Same Me - Sweet Honey in the Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
21. "Front Seat Solidarity - This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
22. "The music - In these times". "Peter, Paul and Mary" official website. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
23. "My Mother's Hymn Book - Johnny Cash". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
24. Sullivan, Caroline (2007-04-20). "CD: Mavis Staples, We'll Never Turn Back". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
25. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp - Public Enemy". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
26. McDonagh, Owen; Bogside Men (1970). "Songs of Irish civil rights". Library of Congress. Belfast: Outlet. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
27. "They're Calling Me Home - Rhiannon Giddens". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
28. "Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
29. "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.
30. "Big Daddy". Wilde Life: Official Kim Wilde Fansite. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
31. David Spener. 2016. We Shall Not Be Moved / No Nos Moverán: Biography of a Song of Struggle. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
32. "¡No nos moverán!". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
33. "Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents a Double Bill of I SHALL NOT BE MOVED and YOUR NEGRO TOUR GUIDE". 29 March 2022.