Wade in the Water is an African-American spiritual, a genre of music created and sung by African-Americans in slavery. Wade in the Water was estimated to be written during the Civil War around 1863, but the lyrics were not published until 1901, by Frederick J. Work and his brother John Wesley. The first commercial recording was made by the Sunset Four Jubilee Singers and released by Paramount Records.
The song is associated with Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. It is believed that Tubman, who made thirteen trips to the South and helped free more than 70 people, used this song to warn slaves to get off the main trail and into the water to prevent the slavers' dogs from finding them.
The song has been modified, updated, and recorded many times in the past one hundred years. Billy Preston and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass have released instrumental versions of it.
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