“Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus.
“Steal away, steal away home.
“I ain’t got long to stay here.”
***
To the slave owner, the melody was just keeping his slaves happy as they worked.
He paid little attention to the words.
But the slaves, they were getting ready to steal away all right — steal away from the plantation.
They were to start on a dangerous journey on the Underground Railroad, a loose organization of sympathizers who provided hideouts and other help to runaway slaves.
