African-American spiritual
"Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" (or alternatively "Joshua Fought de Battle of Jericho", "Joshua Fit the Battle" or just Joshua and various other titles) is a well-known African-American spiritual.[1]
Background
The lyrics allude to the biblical story of the Battle of Jericho, in which Joshua led the Israelites against Canaan (Joshua 6:15-21).[1]
Like those of many other spirituals, the song's words may also be alluding to eventual escape from slavery – in the case of this song, "And the walls came tumblin' down."[2][3] The lively melody and rhythm also provided energy and inspiration.[4] Critic Robert Cummings wrote: "The jaunty, spirited theme hardly sounds like the product of the pre–Civil War era, and would not sound out of place in a ragtime or even jazz musical from the early 20th century. The closing portion of the tune, sung to the words quoted above, is its most memorable portion: the notes plunge emphatically and impart a glorious sense of collapse, of triumph."[3]
Composition & recordings
The song is believed to have been composed by enslaved peoples in the first half of the 19th century. Some references suggest that it was copyrighted by Jay Roberts in 1865.[5] In 1882, the song was published in Jubilee Songs by M. G. Slayton and in A Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies by Marshall W. Taylor.
Early published versions include some parts in dialect, such as "fit" for "fought". A rare, unpublished variation, "Jacob fought the battle of Jericho", has evolved and has been heard sung in the later twentieth century. In this instance, "Jacob" refers to the people of Israel, who won the battle. Though this version is almost never used, the two-syllable name 'Jacob' fits more naturally into the song's meter than the three-syllable name 'Joshua'.
References
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