Roger, along with the other Byrds members, was honored with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Roger McGuinn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Follow the drinking gourd.
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd.
The old man in this was Peg Leg Joe, a sailor-turned-carpenter who had lost part of his right leg in an accident at sea. Joe wintered in the South doing odd jobs, from plantation to plantation. When he wasn't working he taught the slaves this song containing a secret escape route to freedom in the North.
The Drinking Gourd is not a gourd, but the Big Dipper with its two pointer stars (Dubhe and Merak) that visually lead to the North Star.
When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,
Follow the drinking gourd,
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd.
Each year when the quails migrated south, the slaves were told to begin their journey northward, which entailed crossing the unnavigable Ohio River. It was too swift and wide to cross, except in winter, when it was frozen and slaves could walk to the other shore on the ice.
The riverbank makes a very good road,
The dead trees will show you the way,
Left foot, peg foot traveling on,
Following the drinking gourd.
Peg Leg Joe marked one bank of the Tombigbee River in Mississippi with his easily identifiable footprints. By following them and the dead trees along the riverbank, the slaves could have a safe journey free from plantation owner's hounds.
The river ends between two hills,
Follow the drinking gourd,
There's another river on the other side,
Follow the drinking gourd.
When the Tombigbee ended, the slaves were told to continue northward, over the hills, to the Tennessee River where the Underground Railroad would help them.
When the sun goes back and the first quail calls
Follow the drinking gourd
The old man is a-waitin' for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd
Follow the drinking gourd!
Follow the drinking gourd.
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd.
The river bed makes a mighty fine road,
Dead trees to show you the way
And it's left foot, peg foot, traveling on
Follow the drinking gourd
The river ends between two hills
Follow the drinking gourd
There's another river on the other side
Follow the drinking gourd
I thought I heard the angels say
Follow the drinking gourd
The stars in the heavens gonna show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd
"Follow the Drinking Gourd" is a song that was used for years by slaves in the United States to help guide them towards freedom. The "drinking gourd" referred to in the song is not an actual gourd, but rather the Big Dipper constellation, which slaves were advised to follow north towards the North Star. The song was created by Peg Leg Joe, a one-legged sailor turned carpenter who wintered in the South and taught this song and secret escape route to slaves.
The song's lyrics are filled with coded directions that aid slaves in their quest to escape, such as "When the sun comes back and the first quail calls" indicating the best time for slaves to journey as well as "old man is waiting to carry you to freedom" referring to abolitionists on the Underground Railroad that were aiding their escape journey. The song also speaks of using riverbanks as roads and utilizing dead trees to navigate through forests, as well as the importance of identifying a specific footprint on a riverbank to stay on course.
It’s important to understand that songs like “Follow the Drinking Gourd” were important tools for the Underground Railroad because it allowed African American slaves to communicate with no fear of their message being observed. As a result, it added up to the power of their resistance that helped people escape to freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Follow the drinking gourd!
The slaves were instructed to follow the Big Dipper to the North Star, which would guide them towards freedom.
Follow the drinking gourd.
Repeating the message to follow the Big Dipper as a way to ensure that the slaves understood the instructions properly.
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Peg Leg Joe was the old man who taught the slaves the song and had a plan to help them escape to freedom.
Follow the drinking gourd.
Reiterating the instructions to ensure the slaves do not forget what they must do.
When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,
The slaves were told to start their journey northward during the winter when the quails migrated towards the south.
Follow the drinking gourd,
Repeating the instruction to guide the slaves towards the North.
For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom
Reiterating that Peg Leg Joe was ready to help the slaves in their escape from slavery.
If you follow the drinking gourd.
Emphasizing that following the Big Dipper's path was a surefire way to reach freedom.
The riverbank makes a very good road,
Peg Leg Joe helped mark the Tombigbee riverbank, which the slaves could follow safely.
The dead trees will show you the way,
Dead trees along the riverbank helped the slaves know the exact path to take.
Left foot, peg foot traveling on,
The slaves were identified as having one normal foot and one wooden foot, which was pegged - this instruction reminds them which foot to use for their journey.
Following the drinking gourd.
Repeating the instruction to follow the Big Dipper and the riverbank to reach freedom.
The river ends between two hills,
Once the Tombigbee River ended, the slaves were told about the next leg of their journey - through the hills towards the Tennessee River.
Follow the drinking gourd,
Reiterating the instruction to remind the slaves to continue following the Big Dipper's path.
There's another river on the other side,
Once they reach the other side of the hills, the Tennessee River would guide the slaves towards the Underground Railroad.
Follow the drinking gourd.
Repeating the instruction to follow the path that would lead them to freedom.
I thought I heard the angels say
The slaves believed that the angels were guiding them to freedom and keeping them safe during their journey.
Follow the drinking gourd
Reiterating the instruction to follow the Big Dipper's path and trust in it to help them reach freedom.
The stars in the heavens gonna show you the way
The stars, including the Big Dipper and the North Star, would guide the slaves towards their destination and ultimately towards freedom.
Follow the drinking gourd
Repeating the instruction to follow the Big Dipper and the stars to reach the ultimate goal of freedom.
Writer(s): ROGER MCGUINN
Contributed by Samantha D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
derekec
And the background vocal is Nedra Talley (Ross) of the Ronettes. What a voice! Thanks for posting.
ROCKSLIDZ
Roger McGuinn's backing singer here is the fabulous Nedra Talley Ross from THE RONETTES. She also did backing vocals on 'Be My Baby.' Nedra is the cousin of Ronnie Spector and her sister Estelle Bennett.