Michael Row the Boat Ashore facts for kids

A man works a cornfield on St. Helena Island, where "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" was first heard.

"Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" is a famous African-American spiritual song. It was first heard during the American Civil War on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. This island is one of the Sea Islands.

The song became very popular in 1960. The U.S. folk band The Highwaymen released a version. It quickly became a number-one hit song.

The song was sung by former slaves. Their owners had left the island before the Union navy arrived. Charles Pickard Ware was an abolitionist from Harvard. He came to help manage the plantations on St. Helena Island from 1862 to 1865. He wrote down the song's music as he heard the freed people sing it.

Ware's cousin, William Francis Allen, wrote in 1863 about the song. He said the former slaves sang it while rowing him across Station Creek. The song was first printed in 1867 in a book called Slave Songs of the United States. This book was put together by Allen, Ware, and Lucy McKim Garrison.

A folk musician named Tony Saletan found the song again in 1954. He found it in a library copy of that old book. The song is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 11975.

Understanding the Song's Meaning

The song "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" is a spiritual. Spirituals are songs that often have hidden meanings. They use ideas from the Bible to talk about freedom and hope.

The River Jordan Symbolism

The lyrics often mention the River Jordan. In the Bible, the River Jordan is where Jesus was baptized. It can mean different things in the song:

• Freedom and Salvation: Crossing the river can mean finding freedom from slavery.
• A New Beginning: It can also mean moving to a better place or a new life.
• Heaven: Sometimes, the river represents the journey to Heaven after death.

The Archangel Michael

According to William Francis Allen, the song is about the Archangel Michael. In some Christian beliefs, Michael helps guide the souls of people who have died. He helps them cross over to the other side.

Lyrics: A Glimpse into the Past

Many versions of the song exist because it was passed down by word of mouth. Here are some lines from an old version:

Michael row de boat ashore, Hallelujah!
Michael boat a gospel boat, Hallelujah!
I wonder where my mudder deh. [there]
See my mudder on de rock gwine home.
On de rock gwine home in Jesus' name.
Michael boat a music boat.
Gabriel blow de trumpet horn.
O you mind your boastin' talk.
Boastin' talk will sink your soul.

Another version collected on Johns Island in the 1960s shows how people sang it while working:

Row, Michael, Row, Hallelujah,
Row, Michael, Row, Hallelujah,
Row the boat ashore, Hallelujah,
See how we (do) the row, Hallelujah,
See how we the row, Hallelujah,

Janie Hunter, a singer from the Moving Star Hall singers, shared that her father sang this spiritual. He would sing it when he rowed his boat back to shore after fishing.

Popular Recordings of the Song

The version of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" that many people know today was adapted by Tony Saletan. He was a folksinger and teacher from Boston. Saletan taught the song to Pete Seeger in 1954.

The Weavers and Bob Gibson

Pete Seeger then taught the song to the Weavers. They performed it at a concert in 1955. A recording of this performance was released in 1957. In the same year, folksinger Bob Gibson also included it on his album.

The Highwaymen's Hit Version

The American folk group the Highwaymen had a huge hit with their version in 1961. It reached number one on the pop and easy listening charts in the U.S. Their song was simply called "Michael." It stayed at number one for several weeks. This recording also became number one in the United Kingdom. Billboard magazine even ranked it as the third most popular song of 1961.

The Highwaymen's hit version had these lyrics:

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah.
Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
The River Jordan is chilly and cold, hallelujah.
Chills the body but not the soul, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
The river is deep and the river is wide, hallelujah.
Milk and honey on the other side, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.

This version starts and ends with whistling. The singers harmonize on the "Michael" lines. The phrase "milk and honey" comes from the Book of Exodus in the Bible. It refers to a land of plenty.

Other Notable Recordings

• Lonnie Donegan reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart with his version in 1961.
• Harry Belafonte recorded a popular version for his 1962 album Midnight Special.
• Pete Seeger included it in his Children's Concert at Town Hall in 1963.
• Trini Lopez had a minor hit with it in 1964.
• The French singer Rika Zaraï recorded a French version in 1964.
• The song was recorded by The Beach Boys for their 1976 album 15 Big Ones, but it was not included in the final album.
• In 1980, counselors sang the song in the opening scene of the horror film Friday the 13th.
• Dschinghis Khan, a German disco group, recorded a version in 1981.
• The Smothers Brothers did a funny version on their album Golden Hits of the Smothers Brothers, Vol. 2.
• Raffi sings this song on his 1994 Bananaphone album.
• Peter, Paul and Mary included it on their 1998 Around the Campfire album.

The melody of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" is also used in a hymn called Glory be to God on High.