Biblical Songs Based on EXODUS + Psalm 137

Biblical songs based on EXODUS

EXODUS

Though often used as a tool to accept "the powers that be," the Bible has also influenced numerous liberation movements, including those in the American South, Latin America, and Jamaica, which has its own understanding of biblical ideas related to social liberation.
    Actually the idea of social liberation as ordained by God is the basis of the second book of the Torah, called Exodus. Exodus, perhaps even more than the book of Genesis, is the foundation book for Jews, defining God as a God of history concerned with Israel and their freedom from slavery. This idea would then be adapted by Jesus and the later Christian church in different terms. The "exodus" now is from the bondage of sin to the freedom from sin. Presumably as the hope of God's intervention in history to save his people faded, followers of Jesus adapted the message of Exodus to a different idea of freedom. The "Promised Land" was now no longer on this earth but in another world ("Heaven").
    Regardless, the original biblical message has been revived over the centuries and endures to this day, in the rhetoric of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, in Latin American countries preaching liberation for the poor and the oppressed, and in once colonized peoples such as the Jamaicans.
    In each case, a musical style developed from the biblical message, whether the sedate psalms of the mainstream church, the powerful black Spirituals and rhythmic Gospel songs of the black churches of the American South, or the Reggae of Jamaican music. Especially well known is the music of Bob Marley, who adapted many biblical texts and ideas to preach a message of social liberation, such as in the following song, titled after the book of Exodus.
    The religion in Jamaica has come to be known as Rastafarianism and the biblical God is known as "Jah," as in the form of God in the word "Hallelujah" ("praise the Lord"). This form of God's name appears in English translation so far as I know only once, in the King James translation of Psalm 68:4: "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him."
    Notice that the meaning of the words in Marley's song is not about freedom from sin or in the afterlife but about real social freedom, an idea that has endured for centuries in the words of a famous Afro-American Spiritual, to "let my people go." As usual, "Babylon" represents any evil government. Originally, in the New Testament, Babylon was a code word for ancient Rome, but later it began to be used for any government in power when the reference was made.

Exodus: movement of jah people! oh-oh-oh, yea-eah!
Men and people will fight ya down (tell me why!)
When ya see jah light. (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
Let me tell you if you're not wrong; (then, why? )
Everything is all right.
So we gonna walk - all right! - through de roads of creation:
We the generation (tell me why!)
(trod through great tribulation) trod through great tribulation.

Exodus, all right! movement of jah people!
Oh, yeah! o-oo, yeah! all right!
Exodus: movement of jah people! oh, yeah!

Yeah-yeah-yeah, well!
Uh! open your eyes and look within:
Are you satisfied (with the life youre living)? uh!
We know where we're going, uh!
We know where we're from.
We're leaving babylon,
We're going to our father land.

2, 3, 4: exodus: movement of jah people! oh, yeah!
(movement of jah people!) send us another brother moses!
(movement of jah people!) from across the red sea!
(movement of jah people!) send us another brother moses!
(movement of jah people!) from across the red sea!
Movement of jah people!

Exodus, all right! oo-oo-ooh! oo-ooh!
Movement of jah people! oh, yeah!
Exodus!
Exodus! all right!
Exodus! now, now, now, now!
Exodus!
Exodus! oh, yea-ea-ea-ea-ea-ea-eah!
Exodus!
Exodus! all right!
Exodus! uh-uh-uh-uh!

Move! move! move! move! move! move!

Open your eyes and look within:
Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
We know where we're going;
We know where we're from.
Were leaving Babylon, yall!
Were going to our father's land.

Exodus, all right! movement of jah people!
Exodus: movement of jah people!
Movement of jah people! (repeat)

Move! move! move! move! move! move! move!

Jah come to break downpression,
Rule equality,
Wipe away transgression,
Set the captives free.

Exodus, all right, all right!
Movement of jah people! oh, yeah!
Exodus: movement of jah people! oh, now, now, now, now!
Movement of jah people! (repeat)

RIVERS OF BABYLON

This song, based mainly on Psalm 137 but also on the last verse of Psalm 19 (v. 14) became a big hit as performed by The Melodians and an even bigger hit performed, in Disco style, by Bony M. Lyrics, though mainly the same, are given for both versions, beginning with Bony M.'s.

By the rivers of babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.

By the rivers of babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.

When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
Now how shall we sing the lords song in a strange land

When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lords song in a strange land

Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

By the rivers of babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.

By the rivers of babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.

By the rivers of babylon (dark tears of babylon)
There we sat down (you got to sing a song)
Ye-eah we wept, (sing a song of love)
When we remember zion. (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

By the rivers of babylon (rough bits of babylon)
There we sat down (you hear the people cry)
Ye-eah we wept, (they need their God)
When we remember zion. (ooh, have the power)

Song from EXODUS  

The 1960 epic film, Exodus, was about the establishment of the statehood of Israel in 1948. Because the book of Exodus is the foundational book of Jewish identity, the film was named after that book, on the analogy that modern Israel was the Promised Land promised in the Bible. The theme music from the film, by Ernest Gold, quickly became one of the most popular tunes of the decade, performed in just about every arrangement, including a two-piano recording by Ferrante and Teicher. Words were added and the theme, now with words, became popular in yet another form. This is the recording of the song by Andy Williams.

This land is mine, God gave this land to me. This brave and ancient land to me. And when the morning sun reveals her hills and plains, then I see a land wehere children can run free. So take my hand and walk this land with me. And walk this lovely land with me. Though I am just a man, whenyou are by side, with the help of God I know I can be strong. Though I am just a man, when you are by my side, with the help of God I know I can be strong to make this land our home, if I must fight, I will fight to make this land our own, until I die, this land is mine!

---