Go Tell It On The Mountain

Go Tell It on the Mountain is a popular African-American spiritual that is widely sung as a Christmas carol. The song celebrates the Nativity narrative, encouraging the singer to spread the news of Jesus Christ's birth "over the hills and everywhere."

The song is celebrated for its syncopated rhythm and joyful message. Beyond its holiday context, it has served as an anthem of hope and freedom during key moments in American history.

Origins

The song developed as a traditional spiritual within enslaved African-American communities in the American South during the nineteenth century. Because it was passed down through oral tradition, the exact author and date of composition remain unknown.

The first formal publication of the song occurred in 1907, when John Wesley Work Jr. included it in his collection Folk Songs of the American Negro. Work, a professor at Fisk University, is credited with collecting the melody and writing or adapting the standard verses sung today. The song was popularized globally by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a choral group that toured to raise funds for their university.

Meaning & Interpretation

The carol narrates the biblical story of shepherds watching their flocks by night when a heavenly light shines around them, leading them to Bethlehem.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the song was adapted as a freedom anthem. Activists changed the lyrics from "that Jesus Christ is born" to "let my people go," linking the biblical theme of spiritual salvation with the struggle for racial equality and physical liberation.

Who is credited with preserving the song Go Tell It on the Mountain?

John Wesley Work Jr., a professor and musicologist at Fisk University, formally documented the song in 1907. He collected the traditional melody and wrote or adapted the verses that became the standard modern version.

How was Go Tell It on the Mountain used in the Civil Rights Movement?

During the 1960s, civil rights activists adapted the spiritual as a protest song. The lyrics were frequently modified to emphasize themes of freedom and civil rights, connecting the historical struggle of enslaved African-Americans with the modern movement.