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{{Short description|American traditional spiritual song}}{{for|the song by Alice in Chains|Them Bones}}{{distinguish|text="Dry Bones", a similar folk song}}"Dem Bones" (also called "Dry Bones" and "Dem Dry Bones") is a spiritual song. The melody was composed by author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson.WEB, Locust St,weblink 1 November 2014, It was first recorded by The Famous Myers Jubilee Singers in 1928. Both a long and a shortened version of the song are widely known. The lyrics are inspired by Ezekiel 37:1–14, in which the prophet Ezekiel visits the Valley of Dry Bones"Dry Bones, Valley of," in Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature, David L. Jeffery, editor. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, November 1, 1992, pages 216-217, {{ISBN|0-8028-3634-8}} and prophesies that they will one day be resurrected at God's command, picturing the realization of the New Jerusalem.

The song

The chorus and verses are noted for many variations among performers, but fall into the following style. The second verse reverses the first in a pattern similar to: {{col-2}}Intro 1Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bonesDem bones Dem bones Dem dry bonesDem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones,Hear the word of the Lord.Verse 1Toe bone connected to the foot boneFoot bone connected to the heel boneHeel bone connected to the ankle boneAnkle bone connected to the leg boneLeg bone connected to the knee boneKnee bone connected to the thigh boneThigh bone connected to the hip boneHip bone connected to the back boneBack bone connected to the shoulder boneShoulder bone connected to the neck boneNeck bone connected to the head boneHear the word of the Lord.ChorusDem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Now hear the word of the Lord.{{col-2}}Intro 2Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bonesDem bones Dem bones Dem dry bonesDem bones Dem Bones Dem dry bones,Hear the word of the Lord.Verse 2Head bone (dis)connected from the neck boneNeck bone connected from the shoulder boneShoulder bone connected from the back boneBack bone connected from the hip boneHip bone connected from the thigh boneThigh bone connected from the knee boneKnee bone connected from the leg boneLeg bone connected from the ankle boneAnkle bone connected from the heel boneHeel bone connected from the foot boneFoot bone connected from the toe boneHear the word of the Lord.ChorusDem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.Hear the word of the Lord.FinaleDem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.Hear the word of the Lord.{{col-end}}}}

Artists

Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians recorded the song on 30 April 1947 and released it on the 78 rpm record Decca 23948.Entry for Decca 23948 (including image of disc label). www.discogs.com, Accessed 13 March 2012. The Delta Rhythm Boys recorded it in 1950 under the name "Dry Bones".A recording of the song by the Canadian vocal group The Four Lads was featured prominently in "Fall Out", the final episode of the 1967–68 science fiction series, The Prisoner. The song is also performed at several points in the episode, most notably when the character of Number 48 spontaneously begins to lip sync to the recording in order to disrupt a ceremony involving the show's protagonist, Number 6. Later, several characters are shown dancing to the same recording.Fred Gwynne performs a solo version, accompanying himself on guitar, in a 1965 episode of The Munsters: "Will Success Spoil Herman Munster?"Peter O'Toole performs the song in the 1972 film The Ruling Class.The song was used in the 1979 Schoolhouse Rock! segment "Them Not-So-Dry Bones", about the skeletal system.Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for the end credits of their 1999 direct-to-video film Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein.WEB,weblink The Chipmunks - dem Bones | with lyrics, YouTube,

See also

• "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel"
• Christian child's prayer § Spirituals
• "Drinkin' Bone", country song whose lyrics allude to “Dem Bones”

References

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