Sweet Honey in the Rock was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon who formed the group out of the strongest singers from a vocal workshop she was teaching with the D.C. Black Repertory Company. The name of the group comes from a religious parable that tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open, honey flowed from them.
The music of Sweet Honey in the Rock challenges its listeners with songs on topics including motherhood, spirituality, freedom, civil liberties, domestic violence, and racism.
Over the years, more than twenty individuals have lent their voices to Sweet Honey in the Rock. Beginning as a quartet, Sweet Honey in the Rock is now comprised of six African American women (including a professional American Sign Language interpreter who accompanies the group on concert tours). The ensemble tackles difficult five-part harmonies and composes much of their own music.
Sweet Honey in the Rock has received several Grammy Award nominations, including one for their children's album Still the Same Me which received the Silver Award from the National Association of Parenting Publications. They won a Grammy in 1989 in the category of Best Traditional Folk Recording for their version of Leadbelly's "Grey Goose" from the compilation album Folkways: A Vision Shared.
Ballad of Harry T. Moore
Sweet Honey In The Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies.
Freedom never dies, I say. Freedom never dies.
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold for freedom never dies."
It happened in Florida, the land of flowers.
It was on a Christmas night.
Men came stealing through the orange groves,
It was to a little cottage,
The family in the name of Moore.
At the window hung sprigs of holly,
A fine wreath at the door.
It was on a Christmas evening
And the family prayers were said.
Mother, father, daughter and
Grandmother went to bed.
The father′s name was Harry Moore,
Of the NAACP.
He fought for the right for us to live.
Black folk must be free.
It seems I hear Harry Moore; from the earth his voice still cries:
"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies.
Freedom never dies, I say. Freedom never dies.
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold for freedom never dies."
It could not be in Jesus' name
Beneath the bedroom floor,
On Christmas night the killers hid
The bomb for Harry Moore.
It could not be in Jesus′ name
The killers took his life.
And blew his home to pieces
And killed his faithful wife.
It could not be for the sake of love
They did this awful thing.
But when the bomb exploded and the Moores died,
No hearts were heard to sing.
And certainly no angels cried,
"Peace on earth, good will to men."
But round the world, an echo hurled
The question, "When, when, when?"
When will people, in Jesus' name,
And when will they, by prayer,
Know that each one has the right
To stand up everywhere?
When will people for the sake of peace,
The sake of democracy,
Know that no bomb you can make
Can stop us from being free?
It seems I hear Harry Moore; from the earth his voice still cries:
"No bombs can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies.
Freedom never dies, I say. Freedom never dies.
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies."
So if you see our Harry Moore
Walking on a Christmas night,
Don't you fear and run and hide
He has no dynamite.
For in his heart is only love
For all the human race.
All he wants is for each of us
To have our rightful place.
And this he says, our Harry Moore, as from the grave he cries:
"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies!
Freedom never dies, I say!
Freedom never dies!
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies."
The Ballad of Harry T. Moore is a poignant song by Sweet Honey In The Rock, that tells the story of the tragic death of a civil rights activist, Harry T. Moore, and his wife in 1951. The song is a tribute to Moore's righteous ideals and his persistent struggle for civil rights and equality for all. The lyrics describe the events leading up to the night of the bombing, including the family's Christmas preparations before they were attacked.
The rage and the violence that was inflicted upon Harry T. Moore and his family was a result of their activism and his work with the NAACP. The bomb was planted by a white supremacist group in retaliation for his advocacy for racial equality in Florida. The song also underscores the powerful message of hope and perseverance that Moore's legacy has left behind, as symbolized by the voice of Moore that can still be heard crying out for freedom, even after his death. The final verse addresses how Moore would want to be remembered; a man of peace and love.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems I hear Harry Moore; from the earth his voice still cries:
Even though Harry Moore is dead, his fight for freedom still echoes through the world.
"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies.
Moore believes that no act of violence can stop the pursuit of freedom and justice.
Freedom never dies, I say. Freedom never dies.
Moore reiterates that for those who fight for freedom, it will never truly end.
It happened in Florida, the land of flowers.
The bombing of Harry Moore's home and murder of him and his wife occurred in Florida.
It was on a Christmas night.
The bombing took place on Christmas Eve.
Men came stealing through the orange groves,
The perpetrators of the bombing arrived quietly and with malicious intent.
Men of hate carrying dynamite.
The perpetrators were fueled by hate and a desire to cause destruction.
It was to a little cottage,
The bombing occurred at the Moore family's small home.
The family in the name of Moore.
The Moore family lived in the house that was bombed.
At the window hung sprigs of holly,
The house was decorated for Christmas with holly in the window.
A fine wreath at the door.
A wreath was hung on the front door.
It was on a Christmas evening
The events of the night occurred on Christmas Eve.
And the family prayers were said.
The Moore family had prayed together before going to bed.
Mother, father, daughter and
The entire Moore family was at home on the night of the bombing.
Grandmother went to bed.
The Moore family's grandmother had gone to bed for the night.
The father′s name was Harry Moore,
Harry Moore was the head of the Moore family.
Of the NAACP.
Moore was an activist with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
He fought for the right for us to live.
Moore was a civil rights leader committed to securing equal rights for black Americans.
Black folk must be free.
Moore believed that black Americans deserved the same freedoms as any other group.
It could not be in Jesus' name
The perpetrators of the bombing could not have been following the teachings of Christ.
Beneath the bedroom floor,
The bomb was hidden beneath the floorboards of the Moore family's bedroom.
On Christmas night the killers hid
The perpetrators of the bombing chose Christmas Eve to carry out the attack.
The bomb for Harry Moore.
The bomb was intended to kill Harry Moore.
The killers took his life.
Moore was killed in the bombing.
And blew his home to pieces
The bombing destroyed the Moore family's home.
And killed his faithful wife.
Moore's wife, Harriette, was also killed in the bombing.
But when the bomb exploded and the Moores died,
The bombing resulted in the deaths of Harry and Harriette Moore.
No hearts were heard to sing.
No one celebrated or praised the heinous act that had been carried out.
And certainly no angels cried,
No divine presence mourned the deaths of the Moores.
"Peace on earth, good will to men."
The traditional Christmas blessing did not seem applicable in the aftermath of the bombing.
But round the world, an echo hurled
The bombing sent ripples of shock and outrage across the globe.
The question, "When, when, when?"
The senseless violence left people wondering when peace and justice would prevail.
When will people, in Jesus' name,
People must work to achieve peace and justice that is reflective of Christ's teachings.
And when will they, by prayer,
Prayer can help guide individuals to act justly and righteously.
Know that each one has the right
All people have a right to live without fear of violence or oppression.
To stand up everywhere?
Individuals must be empowered to speak out against injustice.
When will people for the sake of peace,
Peace must be a goal in and of itself.
The sake of democracy,
Democratic societies must uphold principles of justice and equality for all citizens.
Know that no bomb you can make
Violence cannot stop the pursuit of freedom and justice.
Can stop us from being free?
Moore believed that the pursuit of freedom and justice was an unbreakable spirit.
So if you see our Harry Moore
Moore's legacy lives on as an inspiration to those who continue the fight for civil rights.
Walking on a Christmas night,
Moore's memory is especially poignant on Christmas Eve, the night of his death.
Don't you fear and run and hide
One should not be afraid of standing up for what is right and just.
He has no dynamite.
Moore's power and influence came from his commitment to nonviolent change.
For in his heart is only love
Moore's love for his fellow man was the driving force behind his fight for justice.
For all the human race.
Moore believed in the equality of all people, regardless of race or ethnicity.
All he wants is for each of us
Moore believed in the power of people to work together to achieve peace and justice for all.
To have our rightful place.
All people deserve to live freely and without oppression.
And this he says, our Harry Moore, as from the grave he cries:
Moore's words and spirit continue to inspire generations to keep fighting for justice and freedom.
"No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies!
Moore's commitment to the pursuit of freedom and justice cannot be extinguished by acts of violence.
Freedom never dies, I say!
Moore believed that the spirit of freedom and justice will survive any attempts to stamp it out.
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold, for freedom never dies."
Moore's words continue to inspire and galvanize those committed to the pursuit of justice and freedom.
Writer(s): Bernice Johnson Reagon
Contributed by Jackson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
M y i a h
U got to post more of sweet honey in the rock raise your voice
C
They live…….always….