A wise man once said, “Don’t just listen to a song; listen to the words of the song.” Like psalms, songs can minister to us.

The other day, I was in the kitchen preparing Mom’s lunch when I heard myself humming an old forgotten song. Like the secretion of saliva, a hum just shows up in your mouth, in your throat, behind your teeth, and between your ears. Pretty soon, forgotten words are resurrected, and the tongue and lips give voice to the lyrics.

Usually, the kitchen is hum central for me, but that day I had been busy but a silent bee: cleaning the counters, washing and putting away utensils, silverware, and dishes. For me, cleaning and cooking go hand-in-hand. Either you clean while you cook or clean before you cook.

Anyway, I didn’t know something was stirring in me while I stood in front of the stove and stirred the hot gravy in the skillet, humming alone.

Like I said, the guttural moan showed up without pre-consideration and erupted into a thought provoking song.

When Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore audibly presented itself, it was like hearing the voice of an old friend. The words brought peace and assurance that everything was going to be alright. I was destined to make it ashore.

I wasn’t in any turmoil or stormy sea. There weren’t any dark clouds overhead or bad news threatening. But there was a little uncertainty nipping at the perimeters of my peace of mind. You know this pandemic messes with you now and then.

Nothing was wrong, but something wasn’t entirely right. Have you ever had that feeling?

Grateful for the song, I stopped and googled it to make sure I remembered it correctly. The results of the first Goggle included the word row not rowed in the title.

But as a child, we sang rowed.

I remember being happy about Michael getting ashore. And the word Halleluiah in the song was fitting because God is praised for helping him get there safely.

It has been ages since I’ve sung this song, and evidently, I had sung it incorrectly. I wondered whether we were taught it incorrectly. But I researched further and discovered several titles, including Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore, Michael Row Your Boat Ashore, and Michael Row That Gospel Boat.

I was happy to learn I was taught the correct title, which is the song’s first line.

Whichever title, this popular children’s song is enjoyed around campfires and at different religious gatherings throughout America. Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore is said to be a song of slaves.

I’ve never thought about the origin of the song until now.

Michael in the song reminds me of Michael the archangel. How befitting that one of God’s angels rows the souls of dead slaves ashore. After a life of bondage and misery, death brought freedom and reunion with God and family.

Like other folk songs, the song was handed down orally from generation to generation, which led to variations of the lyrics and title. But the common theme of the versions describes crossing Jordan River to live with God and family in heaven.

Like most Negro or African-American spirituals, the origin of Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore is deeply rooted in the times and culture of that period. Charles P. Ware., an abolitionist, recorded the song when he heard the freedmen sing it on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, in 1863. Ware, a Harvard graduate, collected folk songs. He published Slave Songs of the United States in 1867, which includes Michael Row the Boat Ashore.

After the brief research, I resumed singing and wondered why this song. Maybe the song was reminding me not to burden myself with things beyond my control. Sure, we had better days before the pandemic. But we should trust God, who will lead, protect, and guide us every day, regardless of the hardships and circumstances.

The song reminded me of God’s presence.

We can find solace in a song.

Be safe