I Shall Not Be Moved
"I Shall Not Be Moved", also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is an African-American spiritual, hymn, and protest song dating to the early 19th century American south. 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 labor union song and a protest song of the Civil Rights Movement.
The text is based on biblical scripture:
In 1908 Alfred H. and B. D. Ackley copyrighted a hymn by the name "I Shall Not Be Moved".
Civil rights movement
As "We Shall Not Be Moved" the song gained popularity as a protest and union song of the Civil rights movement.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".
Recorded versions
Among others, the following artists recorded "I Shall Not Be Moved":- Blind Roosevelt Graves – reissued on The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
- Charley Patton
- The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger on The Original Talking Union and Other Union Songs
- The Harmonizing Four
- Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Donegan Showcase
- The Million Dollar Quartet
- The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington in a medley with other songs
- Mississippi John Hurt on The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt
- Ella Fitzgerald on Brighten the Corner
- Oktoberklub on Der Oktober-Klub singt
- Xesco Boix on No Serem moguts! a Catalan version of the protest song quite popular on that time by Viasona.
- The Seekers, on several albums including The Best of The Seekers
- Son House on The Real Delta Blues – 14 songs from the man who taught Robert Johnson
- Joan Baez on her Spanish-language album Gracias a la Vida
- Henry Qualls on Blues from Elmo, Texas
- Underground Ministries featuring Kenny Bobien
- Sweet Honey in the Rock on Still the Same Me
- This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb on Front Seat Solidarity
- Peter, Paul and Mary on In These Times
- Johnny Cash on My Mother's Hymn Book
- Mavis Staples on We'll Never Turn Back
- Public Enemy on Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp
- Owen McDonagh & The Bogside Men on Songs of Irish Civil Rights
- Rhiannon Giddens on They're Calling Me Home
- Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder on GET ON BOARD
In popular culture
In the 1964 The Andy Griffith Show episode "Aunt Bee the Crusader", a group of protesting women sing the chorus of this song to declare their intent to remain on the property of a man who's about to be evicted to make way for a highway project.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". Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C. fans still sing a rendition of the song today.
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.
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". That version was part of the soundtrack of the well-known popular tv series Verano azul, which popularized the song among the Spanish youth.
JB Burnett covered the song for the first episode of the third season of Supernatural.
Playwright Isaiah Reaves used the name for his show describing his grandmother's experiences as a Freedom Rider.
In the children's television programme Recess, Season 1 Episode 2 "The Great Jungle Gym Standoff" references the song in the context of the students' jungle gym "Old Rusty" being replaced, in response to which the students of the school all protest it's removal by gathering on the jungle gym and singing "We Shall Not be Moved".