Kim & Reggie Harris Follow

Narration:
The year is 1850
You have recently escaped from slavery
But the person that you love wasn’t able to come with you
They were sold at auction before you had the chance to get away
You thought that you would be free, in a free state
But the Fugitive Slave Act has passed
And now any runaway in a free state can be taken back to slavery
And so heaven, the word that used to mean free state, now means Canada
For Queen Victoria has said, that a runaway in Canada is free, they cannot be taken back
You decided to work on the Underground Railroad, the Gospel Train
So that you can help others to make it to Heaven
There are many people helping,
A shepherd – a person who’s job it is to convince people to run away to tell them that though it is cold in Canada

There are those waiting there for the runaways
Who will help them, start them in a new life
“The wind blows from the south today, my burden is heavy”
That means there are fugitive slaves in the area, a great number of them
But you might need to know exactly how many people would be escaping
So that you can provide them with food and shelter. And good hiding place and disguises.
So you wait to hear a song with numbers in it.
“Children go where I send thee,
How shall I send thee?
One by one, Two by two, three by three”
Depending on how high the numbers go in the song, you know exactly how many people are coming
And finally, when you hear a knock at the door
Before you let anyone in,
You go thru some passwords.

You traveling neighbor, it’s a dark night, shall I bring a lantern? No
The north star is bright
Heaven is less than fair

Singing:

The moon is away tonight, the weather is so fine
Weary travelers will be happy on the line
It wasn’t so long ago that I was on that train
Moving away, heaven bound.
Children go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee one by one
I’m gonna send thee two by two
It was at harvest time that the southern breeze did blow
I heard the gospel train
And I knew I had to go
The journey was long and hard
And three did nearly die
Moving away heaven bound
Chorus:
And I miss you now, when the snow falls around me
The chains that I used to wear are wrapped around my heart
And I need you know, for my burden is so heavy
Without you here, heaven is less than fair
Children go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee four by four
I’m gonna send thee five by five
Will you be traveling late when the sun has lost its light?
ShalI bring a lantern?
No. The North Star is bright!
They tell me the shepherd calls
She comes for you tonight
Moving away, Heaven bound.
Children go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I’m gonna send thee six by six
Six for the six that never got fixed
I’m gonna send thee seven by seven
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven