Uploaded August 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Day 141 of the American Songbag Stay-at-Home Series
Sandburg published this song as "The Preacher and the Slave." To me the nomenclature is a bit confusing. The word "slave" or "enslaved" does not appear in the lyrics, but the content of the song does refer to those who work very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation, which is one definition of enslavement. At the same time, those referenced in the song do not strictly apply to the first definition of enslavement, which is "a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them". To add to this confusion of definition is this particular study of the American Songbag with which I've engaged—an historical survey of songs from the 1840's to 1920's. And looking back over the century plus that has passed, it is easy to conflate the "those who work very hard without proper remuneration" and those enslaved as property. So, it's for this reason I've changed the name of the song, as Pete Seeger did, to "Pie in the Sky."
Sandburg writes: "When Joe Hill, the I. W. W. man, had the death sentence executed on him in Utah while the World War [ed. note: Sadly, now known as World War I) was on, his loss was mourned by the members of his organization. He was their star song writer and is the only outstanding producer of lyrics widely sung in the militant cohorts of the labor movement of America. Jails and jungles from the Lawrence, Massachusetts, woolen mills to the Wheatland, California, hop fields, have heard the rhymes and melodies started by Joe Hill. One of them is "The Preacher and the Slave", going to the tune of "Sweet By and By.""
Now, as to the content of this song. As David Rawlings, a contemporary singer-songwriter said, “Folk music's power comes from the fact we haven't really changed that much.” The points made in these verses are as applicable today. Because I grew up in a protestant home, I'll restrict my comments to the continual argument of faith and works and how it applies to social justice. The extreme of thought is that on one side it is the Gospel that needs to be preached, yet it is pretty much limited to John 3:16. This is the preacher pictured in this song, and I have heard this argument from countless people who identify as Christians.
The other extreme is the believer who says, "John 3:16 doesn't matter we just need to do good works and God's kingdom will grow." I've never actually meet a Christian who espouses this extreme. To me. the Gospel (or good news) is John 3:16 AND Matthew 25:31-44 ("Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’").
Caring for people and caring about social justice only confirms the Gospel messagings—BUT this, in my opinion, is the basic disgrace today in large parts of the evangelical church. Well, enough theology.
Day 141 of the American Songbag Stay-at-Home Series
Sandburg published this song as "The Preacher and the Slave." To me the nomenclature is a bit confusing. The word "slave" or "enslaved" does not appear in the lyrics, but the content of the song does refer to those who work very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation, which is one definition of enslavement. At the same time, those referenced in the song do not strictly apply to the first definition of enslavement, which is "a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them". To add to this confusion of definition is this particular study of the American Songbag with which I've engaged—an historical survey of songs from the 1840's to 1920's. And looking back over the century plus that has passed, it is easy to conflate the "those who work very hard without proper remuneration" and those enslaved as property. So, it's for this reason I've changed the name of the song, as Pete Seeger did, to "Pie in the Sky."
Sandburg writes: "When Joe Hill, the I. W. W. man, had the death sentence executed on him in Utah while the World War [ed. note: Sadly, now known as World War I) was on, his loss was mourned by the members of his organization. He was their star song writer and is the only outstanding producer of lyrics widely sung in the militant cohorts of the labor movement of America. Jails and jungles from the Lawrence, Massachusetts, woolen mills to the Wheatland, California, hop fields, have heard the rhymes and melodies started by Joe Hill. One of them is "The Preacher and the Slave", going to the tune of "Sweet By and By.""
Now, as to the content of this song. As David Rawlings, a contemporary singer-songwriter said, “Folk music's power comes from the fact we haven't really changed that much.” The points made in these verses are as applicable today. Because I grew up in a protestant home, I'll restrict my comments to the continual argument of faith and works and how it applies to social justice. The extreme of thought is that on one side it is the Gospel that needs to be preached, yet it is pretty much limited to John 3:16. This is the preacher pictured in this song, and I have heard this argument from countless people who identify as Christians.
The other extreme is the believer who says, "John 3:16 doesn't matter we just need to do good works and God's kingdom will grow." I've never actually meet a Christian who espouses this extreme. To me. the Gospel (or good news) is John 3:16 AND Matthew 25:31-44 ("Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’").
Caring for people and caring about social justice only confirms the Gospel messagings—BUT this, in my opinion, is the basic disgrace today in large parts of the evangelical church. Well, enough theology.
