I'm Gonna Walk

I'm Gonna Walk is a fine example of a Negro Spiritual hymn. Until the year 1865, throughout the southern states of the U.S.A. slavery was legal. Many people had been captured in parts of West Africa and transported against their will to work in the cotton and tobacco plantations of America.
For those who survived the voyage, they quickly learned that for black people, America was hardly a land of dreams. Working conditions were hard and punishments severe. The only freedom that the slaves experienced was their weekly visit to church. There, they were able to express their feelings through song.
As the years passed by, a musical style developed, based on the rhythms and harmonies that these people remembered from Africa.
Strangely, although the slave owners failed to realise that slavery in itself was wicked and wrong, they still encouraged their slaves to attend church. What they didn't know was that many of the spiritual songs and hymns had a hidden meaning. Many of them describe the joys of heaven. However, when you read between the lines of the hymn, you can also see that the words describe an escape route to the Northern American states. Slavery was illegal there. Any slaves who managed to escape to the North, were granted their freedom. It's likely that "I'm Gonna Walk" describes the journey to heaven. It also describes the route to freedom.

I'm gonna walk.
Walk them golden stairs.
'Cos I know my Jesus,
answers all my prayers. Well
I know when he calls me,
to my home on high,
I'll walk them golden stairs
when I die,
when I die.

O Lord you know
that I can hardly wait
to reach that sweet bye and
bye bye bye bye.
Well now I've seen
those pearly gates
I'll walk them golden stairs
when I die,
when I die.

I'm gonna walk.
Walk them golden stairs.
'Cos I know my Jesus,
answers all my prayers.
Well
I know when he calls me,
to my home on high,
I'll walk them golden stairs
when I die,
when I die.

When Jesus says
to me, "Well Done,"
When all my cares are laid
bye bye bye bye.
I'll lay down my sword,
my battles are won
I'll walk them golden stairs
when I die,
when I die.

I'm gonna walk.
Walk them golden stairs.
'Cos I know my Jesus,
answers all my prayers.
Well
I know when he calls me,
to my home on high,
I'll walk them golden stairs
when I die,
when I die.