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Jordan's Rollin'

from Back Where We Came From by Purple Gums

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about

The spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," is the obvious reference here. This spiritual was a code song referring to the Underground Railroad. I have to believe that as much as a slave might want to escape, there might at the crucial moment, be some doubt. After all, if you don't make it, there is a high probability that you will be killed. Even more likely, is that you will be taken back and treated even worse than before. Because the truth is, they don't really want to kill you. Dead, you're a lost investment. The tune looks at the situation from several angles.

lyrics

I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
I saw a band of angels comin' after me.
To take me home.
And I said, no. I ain't ready to go no place.
No place at all.
So, I turned tail and I ran,
And I ran, and I ran, and I ran,
'til I ran into a tree.
And I fell down.
And I turned around.
I jumped. Turned around,
And looked back where I came from.
And what did I see?
That same band of angels comin' after me.
I said, no. I'm not ready. I don't want to go.
It's not my time.
And they just looked at me,
And they sang a tune.
They sang,
It ain't about you,
It ain't your choice,
It ain't got nuthin' to do with you.
Come on.
Come on across this river.
They've had enough of you.
They've had enough of you.
No more. No more.
Let them go.
Let them be free.
You need to come back home.
You need to come over here,
Where you came from.
Come on over here.
Come on over here.
Those heel spurs,
They been messin' with you for a long, long time.
Give them a rest.
Come here. Come here.
Stop the treatments.
You're too, too, too, too…
Orange!
You too orange!
Ain't nothin' natural about that.
There ain't nothin' natural about you.
Come back over here,
Where you came from.
They've had enough of you.
Do it yourself.
Don't let them do it.
Do it yourself.
Be a man.
Be a man.
Stand up.
Stand up.
Come on.
Little Trumpy. Little Trumpy-pooh.
Little Trumpy-pooh. Come on over here.
We want you. We want you.
You so great. You're the best.
The best-est.
You're so orange.
Come on over here across the Jordan.
Across the Jordan River.
The river waits for you.

Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Hey, lookie here man.
Lookie here man.
Don't you know,
Your neck won't hold it
And your back won't go.

Hey, lookie here man.
Lookie here man.
Don't you know,
Your neck won't hold it
And your back won't go.

credits

from Back Where We Came From, released July 17, 2020
Bobby Bradford - cornet, singing bowl, vocals
Francis Wong - tenor sax, vocals
William Roper - tuba, bovine femur, spoken word, vocals

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William Roper Los Angeles, California

William Roper is a multi-disciplinary artist residing in Los Angeles. His primary foci are music composition, music performance and improvisation, and the visual arts. He has toured Japan, Europe, and the two Americas, as soloist and ensemble musician. He is represented on 60+ recordings, twelve as leader. ... more

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