Lucy Woodward's video: Hand On The Plow Lucy Woodward

Filmed with friends and neighbors in quarantine in Rotterdam, NL Inspired by Mahalia Jackson, Peggy Lee, Bob Dylan, Mavis Staples, Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax, Bruce Springsteen & Odetta Vocals - Lucy Woodward Guitar - Jelle Roozenburg Guitar - Louk Boudesteijn Drums - Pim Dros I was inspired this week to sing “Hand On The Plow”. Growing up with my Mom and Grandparents, our house was full of political discussions, political art and music (lots of Pete Seeger and Odetta). Due to the 50’s McCarthy era, my Grandfather lost his job when a neighbor reported to the Feds that my Grandparents had “mixed company” over at their house in Queens. So political activism and the fight for change ran deep. On occasion, my Mom would drag me to a peace march so I could witness it all on a much more visceral level other than just what our 1980’s television set had to offer. I first heard this song, also know as Hold on, Eyes On The Prize or Gospel Plow, as a kid sung by Odetta. I revisited loads of versions this week after surprisingly hearing Peggy Lee do it live at the Copacabana in 1968. This song has lived through so many eras, movements and generations. I’ve always loved Mahalia singing it but never heard Bruce do it. And Mavis, oh man. These lyrics often changed from performer to performer but that’s certainly the impact of the song and its story. This was and is especially true in the call and response of African American religious music. For example, Mahalia Jackson, in her 1958 performance of "Keep Your Hand on the Plow", begins with the couplet "Mary had three links of chain, Every link bearin' Jesus name." Bob Dylan also sings these lyrics in his upbeat version of "Gospel Plow." Carl Sandburg, in his 1927 book The American Songbag, attributes these lyrics to yet another song entirely, "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain." Modern choral arrangements of this song sound entirely different from either the Eyes-Prize or Hand-Plow songs. Both Sandberg in the preface to his book and folk singer Pete Seeger in the opening remarks to his Carnegie Hall performance of "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" note the malleability of American and African-American folk music. No one artist can be historically credited with "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize." Peggy Lee recorded it live at the Copacabana in NYC in 1968.