I Shall Not Be Moved facts for kids

"I Shall Not Be Moved", also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is a very old and powerful song. It started with African Americans who were enslaved in the southern United States in the early 1800s. This song was a spiritual (a type of religious folk song), a hymn (a religious song of praise), and later became a famous protest song. People likely first sang it at large religious gatherings called camp-meetings. The song talks about being strong and steady, "like a tree planted by the waters," because of faith in God. Later, as "We Shall Not Be Moved," it became very popular as a song for protests and workers' unions during the Civil Rights Movement.

The words of the song are based on ideas from the Bible. They describe someone who trusts in God as being like a tree. This tree is planted by water, so its roots are deep by the river. It won't be afraid when hot weather comes, and its leaves will stay green. It won't worry during a dry year and will always produce fruit. This means that someone with strong faith will stay strong and successful, no matter what challenges they face.

In 1908, Alfred H. and B. D. Ackley created a copyrighted hymn called "I Shall Not Be Moved."

A Song for Change: The Civil Rights Movement

The song "We Shall Not Be Moved" became very important during the Civil Rights Movement. This was a time in the United States when people worked hard to end unfair treatment and gain equal rights for all, especially for African Americans. The song gave people hope and strength. It showed their determination to keep fighting for justice.

The song also became popular in other countries. In Sweden, it was used by groups working against nuclear power and for peace in the late 1970s. The Swedish version was called "Aldrig ger vi upp", which means 'Never shall we give up'.

Who Sang It? Recorded Versions

Many famous artists have recorded "I (We) Shall Not Be Moved" over the years. Here are some of them:

• Blind Roosevelt Graves (1929)
• Charley Patton (1929)
• The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger (1955)
• Lonnie Donegan (1956)
• The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) (1956)
• The Freedom Singers at the March on Washington (1963)
• Mississippi John Hurt (recorded 1965, published 1970)
• Ella Fitzgerald (1967)
• The Seekers (1968)
• Son House (recorded 1960, published 1974)
• Joan Baez (in Spanish, "No Nos Moverán") (1974)
• Johnny Cash (2004)
• Mavis Staples (2007)
• Public Enemy (2012)
• Rhiannon Giddens (2021)
• Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder

In Movies, TV, and More

The song has also appeared in many parts of popular culture:

• The British band The Spinners used "We Shall Not Be Moved" in the closing credits of a 1975 TV comedy called The Wackers.
• In the 1980s, a popular British wrestler named Big Daddy used the song as his entrance music. Fans would cheer loudly when they heard it.
• David Spener wrote a book about the history of this song. He explained how it was translated into Spanish as "No Nos Moverán", meaning "They will not move us." This Spanish version was part of the music for a popular Spanish TV series called Verano azul, which made the song well-known among young people in Spain.
• JB Burnett covered the song for an episode of the TV show Supernatural (2007).
• Playwright Isaiah Reaves named his play "I Shall Not Be Moved." The play tells the story of his grandmother's experiences as a Freedom Rider, someone who rode buses into the segregated South to challenge unfair laws.

See also

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