African-American Spiritual in the public domain, based on Ezekiel 37:1-14. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel visits a valley full of bones and brings them to life simply by mentioning the Lord.
Also known as "Dry Bones" or "Dem Dry Bones," the song has become a staple of children's music to teach the parts of the body. The popular tune associated with it was written by James Weldon Johnson and these lyrics are by his brother J. Rosamund Johnson:
Ezekiel connected dem dry bones
Ezekiel connected dem dry bones
Ezekiel connected dem dry bones
I hear the word of the Lord.
Your toe bone connected to your foot bone,
Your foot bone connected to your ankle bone,
Your ankle bone connected to your leg bone,
Your leg bone connected to your knee bone,
Your knee bone connected to your thigh bone,
Your thigh bone connected to your hip bone,
Your hip bone connected to your back bone,
Your back bone connected to your shoulder bone,
Your shoulder bone connected to your neck bone,
Your neck bone connected to your head bone,
I hear the word of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
I hear the word of the Lord!
Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones
Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones
Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones
I hear the word of the Lord!
Your head bone connected from your neck bone,
Your neck bone connected from your shoulder bone,
Your shoulder bone connected from your back bone,
Your back bone connected from your hip bone,
Your hip bone connected from your thigh bone,
Your thigh bone connected from your knee bone,
Your knee bone connected from your leg bone,
Your leg bone connected from your ankle bone,
Your ankle bone connected from your foot bone,
Your foot bone connected from your toe bone,
I hear the word of the Lord!
I hear the word of the Lord!
This song has appeared in numerous television shows, including
The Prisoner (in the episode "
Fallout," a recording by the
Four Lads, a
Toronto vocal group, from their
1962 album,
Dixieland Doin's) and
Dennis Potter's television miniseries
The Singing Detective (an early episode features Marlowe hallucinating a
Broadway style dance number performed by
hospital staff, to a recording of this song by
Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians).