(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958, and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post.)
The Highwaymen - "Michael"
Hit Number 1: September 4, 1961
Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks
When you first hear "Michael", you might think that it's just a boring song about rowing the boat ashore. But it's more than that. It was an African-American spiritual song sung during the American Civil War at St. Helena Island. The song was specifically sung by slaves whose owners had abandoned the island before the Union got to them. It was written into music notation by an abolitionist named Charles Pickard Ware, who supervised the plantations on St. Helena Island. He heard the freedmen singing it, so he wanted to turn it into something that would be remembered by others. I guess you could say it worked, because here I am, more than 150 years later, writing about it.
Apparently, the "Michael" in the song refers to the Archangel Michael. He is often, at least in the Roman Catholic interpretation of Christian tradition, regarded as the conductor of the souls of the dead. The slaves that would sing the song would remain optimistic that someone would arrive and help free them off the island, and to me, the song kind of acts as a prayer. In the Highwaymen's version, it's pretty slow, quiet, and unfortunately, yeah it is kind of boring. But it's hard for me to dislike it. The song is a peaceful and optimistic song that was sung by slaves hoping not only to get off of the island, but the prolonging hope that there would be better days ahead. To quote the song, "milk and honey on the other side". It's even pretty cool if you close your eyes and imagine the slaves singing this. So while "Michael" will never be a song that I'm going to go out of my way to listen to, I respect it for what it is.
GRADE: 6/10
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