We Shall Overcome by Pete Seeger

1961

Albany Movement

Albany, Georgia

November 1961

The Albany movement sought to fight the system of racial segregation. It was made up of multiple Civil Rights Movement organisations in Albany such as the SNCC, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to name a few.

Members sung freedom songs during the meetings which became a frequent part of the marches. We Shall Overcome was labelled as the 'anthem' of the Civil Rights Movement which is seen to have taken lyrics from a hymn by Charles Albert called 'I'll Overcome Someday'.

Listen to We Shall Overcome

By Pete Seeger

Artist Pete Seeger
Release Date 1963
Album We Shall Overcome
Label Columbia
Genre Folk
Producer(s) Harold Leventhal
Writer(s) Pete Seeger, Guy Carawan, Zilphia Horton, Frank Hamilton
Duration 5:58
Language English
Country USA
Some notable versions:

Guy Carawan (1961)
Joan Baez (1963)
Mahalia Jackson (1963)

Check out more versions here

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through
The Lord will see us through someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
We're on to victory, We're on to victory,
We're on to victory someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We're on to victory someday.
We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand someday;

We'll walk hand in hand someday.
We are not afraid, we are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.
The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free,
The truth shall make us free someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
The truth shall make us free someday.
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.

About We Shall Overcome:

Pete Seeger first heard the song sung by Tobacco workers in the late 1940s. Prior to the Albany movement, the song was commonly performed within the Southern white folk tradition. When the organisation was led by Bernice Johnson Reagon, black activists changed the structure and tempo of the song which turned it into a protest song sung at mass gatherings.

Grammy for Best Folk Recording by Pete Seeger, 1963

Selected for preservation in the Library of Congress, with the National Recording Registry deeming the song "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.", 2007

Bibliography and more sources here