"Wade in the Water" (Roud 5439) is the name of a Negro spiritual first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers (1901) by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work (see Fisk Jubilee Singers). It is associated with the songs of the Underground Railroad.
The song relates to both the Old and New Testaments. The verses reflect the Israelites' escape out of Egypt as found in Exodus:14. The chorus refers to healing: see John 5:4, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."
Many Internet sources and popular books claim that songs such as "Wade in the Water" contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom.
An example of this is cited in the book Pathways to Freedom: Maryland & the Underground Railroad. The book explains how Harriet Tubman used the song “Wade in the Water” to tell escaping slaves to get off the trail and into the water to make sure that the dogs employed by slavers lost their trail.
Wade in the Water is a 1966 album by Ramsey Lewis. The track "Hold It Right There" won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance - Vocal or Instrumental.
The Water may refer to:
The Water is the first solo album by Scottish indie pop singer Colin MacIntyre, who previously made three albums as Mull Historical Society. It was released on 4 February 2008, and produced by Nick Franglen from Lemon Jelly. MacIntyre had produced the first three albums himself. The last track, "Pay Attention to the Human", features a poem written and performed by Tony Benn. MacIntyre wrote the album in New York, his wife's home city. In 2009, Irvine Welsh used the track "You're a Star" from The Water in his comedy Good Arrows.
The Water is a short film directed by Kevin Drew starring Cillian Murphy, David Fox and Drew's Broken Social Scene bandmate, Leslie Feist.
The Water explores the past, present and future of a family over 24 hours. Set in the middle of a cold beautiful winter, it explores the complex and intimate dynamic between loved ones, and loss with regret and anticipation. The story, told like a visual poem, unfolds in silence, in the faces of the characters and in the beauty of music, leaving questions about death, life and love.
The film was shot over a period of two days in January 2008 in Toronto.
In the Water (French: Dans l'Eau) is an oil on cradled panel painting of a skinny dipping young woman by Eugene de Blaas. It is his only nude, as all his other subjects are fully clothed. It is 78.4 cm high and 44.5 cm tall.
The painting depicts a naked young woman standing up to mid-calf in water, leaning forward, looking down at a school of tiny fish. She has a rosy complexion, and her curly, dark brown hair is tied back.
Although there is no sun in the composition, golden light shines through the cloudy sky and reflects on the water. There is land in the background, with a patch of greenery to the right.
The artist signed his name and the date (1914) on the lower-left corner of the composition in dark ink.
Eugene de Blaas was born into an Austrian family of artists. Eugene's brother Julius von Blaas was a painter, Karl von Blaas, his father was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, and also a painter and sculptor. Later Karl de Blaas moved to Rome in Italy, when he became a professor at the art academy in Rome, where the children, Eugene and Julius were born. The family relocated to Venice when Karl became professor at the Academy of Venice. Eugene de Blaas art was well received in England, he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, the Grafton Gallery and the New Gallery.
(Chorus)
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Well, who are these children all dressed in red?
God's a-gonna trouble the water
Must be the children that Moses led
God's a-gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
Who's that young girl dressed in white
Wade in the Water
Must be the Children of Israelites
God's gonna trouble the Water.
Chorus
Jordan's water is chilly and cold.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
If you get there before I do.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Tell all of my friends I'm coming too.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
See that ban' all dress'd in white?
It look lak the childr'n of the Israelite.
See that ban' all dress'd in red?
It look lak the ban' that Moses led.
Wade in de water
Wade in de water,
Wade in de water.
God's a-gonna trouble de water.
I stepped in water and the water is cold
Don't you know that
God's gonna trouble the water
Said it chilled my body but not my soul
Don't you know that
God's gonna trouble the water
Chorus
Well I went to the water one day to pray
Don't you know that
God's gonna trouble the water
And my soul got happy and I stayed all day
Don't you know that