Go Tell It On The Mountain

Year: 1865

Written By: John Wesley Work

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Go Tell it on the Mountain is one of the most upbeat songs there is during the holiday season. Not originally meant as a Christmas carol the story of Christ birth insured that it would be and that it will be sang for years to come. It gladdens the hearts of everyone who hears it and is sung constantly over the Christmas season.

The origins are of the song are said to be African American and was said to have been sang by slaves as early as the 1860's. No one really knows who the author of the song was. There are rumors that it was a schoolteacher named Jerome Work who wrote the song in the 1800's. It is also rumored that his nephew John Wesley Work is the one who gets the credit for it, as he is the one to have first made the song known.

Whatever the reason or who wrote the song, it is one of the most popular carols today as it was a popular spiritual song then. It is considered a Christmas carol because of it celebrates the birth of Jesus.

Go Tell it on The Mountain tells the story of Jesus in a lively, upbeat, glorious manner and ask that the news be spread. Many after hearing the song wish they had been there in that time to spread the word themselves.

Go Tell it on The Mountain has often been described as energetic and inspiring and many agree with this call. It was even named Christmas Carol of the year in 2004.The song, although sung early in the century didn't really gain popularity to the 1920's. Afterwards the next time it was remade was in 1963 by the popular singing group Peter, Paul and Mary. The group actually consists of three members named Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, and Mary Travers.

Peter, Paul, and Mary rewrote Go Tell it on the Mountain with Milt Okun in the middle of the civil rights struggle of the 1960's. The song was revised to include the lyric "let my people go" as a tribute to civil rights. Alas, it only hit number 33 on the charts in 1964. The song was also released by Little Big Town some years later where it made it to number 35 on the hot country songs charts.

Go Tell it on the Mountain is one of the most spiritual Christmas carols today and loved by people all across the world.