Released 1929–30 | 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: