Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedRoll, Jordan, Roll
SpiritualPictured: The Fisk Jubilee Singers, 1870s (public domain) · source
The verdict
Public Domain
In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.
Used by independents?
Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.
Origin
Developed from Isaac Watts' 18th-century hymn 'There Is a Land of Pure Delight'; created by enslaved African Americans
Historical note
Reportedly used as a coded message related to escape during the era of slavery
Earliest recordings
1909 (Victor) and 1912 (Edison Amberol), both by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers/Quartette
Rights Status
Licenses explained →Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
The compositionPublic domain
1909 Victor recording (via LOC)Likely public domain
1912 Edison cylinder (via UCSB)Rights unknown per host
Cultural Impact
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
Influenced the blues
Music historian Stephen Calt traces this spiritual's structural influence forward into the birth of the blues, finding compositional parallels across early blues recordings.
Wikipedia · read it →
Featured in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Composer Nicholas Britell arranged the spiritual for Steve McQueen's film, rearranging it while keeping the widely-known lyrics intact; John Legend separately recorded a version featured in the same film.
Age of Revolution · read it →
Still a gospel staple
Remains a standard in gospel repertoire; Bing Crosby included it in a medley on his 1961 album '101 Gang Songs.'
Wikipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance
Listen & Access
Where this recording is hosted — we link out to the source
Library of Congress (National Jukebox)
1909 Victor recording — pre-1923, generally PD-treated by host, not item-specifically verified
Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR)
Session/matrix detail page; also links to an Internet Archive copy
UCSB / Calisphere
1912 Edison Amberol — copyright explicitly unknown per host; use fee applies for commercial licensing
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Jul 2026Page created