The song expresses the pain and despair that are conveyed through the the hopelessness of a child who has been torn from their parents and of a slave as an act of crying out. The song described exactly how the Africans Americans felt during this time. The song was meant to be sorrowful and mournful because of how during that time it left many families separated.

Examples in the lyrics:

"Sometimes I feel like a motherless child. A long ways from home"

・Describes the feeling of loneliness and grief.

・The meaning behind the lyrics convey the

misery the African’s felt after being torn from their motherland of Africa and was now far from home

・It also referred to the devastation of a child torn from their parents and sold away in the salve auctions.

Interpretation

"Sometimes I feel like I’m almost gone. A long way from home."

・Expression the deep grief of a mother and child

・The grief is not only over separation, but also over despair and hopelessness that can be more painful than the experience of a child who has lost her mother

Noteworthy:

The interpretation of the word “sometimes” offers a measure of hope, as it suggests that at least “sometimes” I do not feel like a motherless child.

"Sometimes I wish,I could fly like a bird in the sky"

・Represent that the African Americans wanted to be free from slavery

・They wanted achieve liberation and live freely