God Moves on the Water

Updated on Nov 20, 2023

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Released 1929–30 Genre Blues		Format 10" 78rpm single Length 3:04
A-side Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There Recorded December 11, 1929; New Orleans, LA

God Moves on the Water is a blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929, and released as the B-side of Columbia 14520-D.

The song describes the sinking of RMS Titanic and the consequent loss of life after it struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912. Its origins are obscure: topical songs are generally written soon after the event to which they relate. Johnson's lyrics call the ship's captain, E. J. Smith, A. G. Smith, which suggests an oral tradition. The fact that two of the earliest recordings, by Johnson in 1929 and by Mance Lipscomb in 1965, were made by Texans suggests an origin in that state.

The title may allude to the Book of Genesis at 1:2: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters". If it does, the song may derive from an earlier gospel song, now lost.

Recordings

The following recordings are by notable musicians:

1929 – Blind Willie Johnson

1963–71 – Rory Block and Stefan Grossman, as an instrumental

1965 – Mance Lipscomb, live at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival

1966 – Mance Lipscomb, live at the 1966 Berkeley Folk Music Festival

1972 – Stefan Grossman, as an instrumental

2000 – Guy Forsyth

2003 – Chris Jones and Steve Baker, on the album Smoke and Noise

2003 – Chris Jones, on the album Roadhouses and Automobiles

2004 – Mary Margaret O'Hara

2008 – Garrison Keillor, on the album A Prairie Home Companion 4th Annual Farewell Performance

2009 – Charlie Parr, on the album Roustabout

2011 – Charlie Parr, on the album Keep your Hands on the Plow

2011 – "God Moves on Water" by Dead Rock West, on the album Bright Morning Stars

References

God Moves on the Water Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA