Wade in the Water (An Adaptation of a Classic Spiritual)

My first recorded piece! I'm so excited. The track will be available in a few weeks.

Vocals by Janeare Ashley, Poem by Michelle Milam, Base by Tossant, Produced by Wayne Organ, ©2006

Scripture: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22)

Solo:
Wade In the Water, Wade in the Water, children, Wade, in the Water
Doncha know God’s gonna trouble the Water

(Baseline begins)

Poem:
I stand at the edge of the world
Where my feet meet the impossible
The Water is deep
Deeper than rushing rivers
Deeper than soul cry quivers
Mysterious eyes of deliverers long hence past

I am down to my last ask

Waiting on a God I
Can’t see but can feel
He leaves no footprints except still
blue planes
In the horizons
And the promise to make mighty continents mere islands
And expectations come down like torrential rains

But still,
Pharaoh is making great gains
The hooves of his chariots can be heard
miles and miles, and miles
from their match –

They push
and we step back

Lyrics:
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)

Poem:
A hand stretches out to the indomitable ocean
A wall of waves that
We couldn’t go over , or under , or around if we tried
But the Lord goes before us in battle

A mighty people reduced to chattel

Yet, with a last breath
We lay our hearts in the inlet
Letting faith tarry out to sea
Knowing an enemy approaches quickly, and he’s got something for us, alight

Steady like heart of a drum
Here he comes

Clothed scarlet soldier,
The unflappable ill will holder
Mounted on indignant spite
Shoes, of undisputed strength and might
stand to the left and right of us

He delights in our fear, steely eyes
Erasing our faces like
commas behind a word that is pejorative
And Pharoah’s wondering why he let us live

So long

He whispers a goodbye song
Who are these children all dressed in red? Must be the children that Moses lead…

Lyrics:
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)

Tell Your God to show up,
And render our property
They call out

Prayerfires circling,
Trouble unearthing

And then,
An east wind and
The sea
just
caved in
and
rose up;
and dissolved
into

waves of
a word
that
was
a wall—

My God, said many are called,
but I have chosen you
To walk, not run,
On and
through
the impossible

Can’t you hear it?
Ten Thousand sons
Speaking the same hope in different languages
With one tongue sounding like ten thousand drums

And the Spirit of God
Moved the souls
So that those who stand before
The impossible know

That He moves

My God teams with dreams
Listless and lean
And He makes the impossible
Clean
Like
Waves
But the question is
Will you wade?
Will you wade?
Will you wade?
Will you?
Lyrics:
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (Children, Children)
Why Don’t You Wade in the Water? (God’s Gonna Trouble The Water)


I stepped in the water and the water was cold
It chilled my body, but not my soul
I stepped in the water and the water was cold
It chilled my body, but not my soul