The Bible and Music

Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones is a song that has multiple versions with several different artists. We quickly listened to it during class yesterday and I wanted to learn more about the song as a whole. I did a quick search on YouTube and listened to multiple videos that ranged from The Delta Rhythm Boys singing it to Waring’s Pennsylvanians that was released in 1957. Each video I found myself watching, I felt a deeper understanding in the simple harmony that is displayed. After listening to the song over about five times, it became stuck in my head throughout the whole day. I found myself singing it in the hallways to class and even in my dorm.

I further looked into the history of this song and found that it was written by an African-American author and composer named James Weldon Johnson. The song was first recorded in 1928 by Myers Jubilee Singers. The song’s lyrics are taken from the Book of Ezekial, where the Prophet visits the Valley of Dry Bones and he prophesies that the dead will one day rise again at the command of the Lord. The song got its popularity from the Delta Rhythm Boys when they performed it on the radio, television, and even on Broadway. Following the research I conducted on this song, I can appreciate it more and was interested in the background of the development of Dry Bones.