Although our African American history students thought that African slaves sang a great deal of folk songs. Africans could make up a tune about anything to help them get through the workday. When slaves work on plantations, singing songs helps them function better. According to Black Culture and Black Consciousness by Lawrence W. Levine, a former slave said, “we picked cotton and sang, we picked cotton and sang all day.” Music was a daily element in every slave's life. Singing together makes the task at hand more bearable. It would have been very difficult to overcome slavery without music and other people to share it with. Cotton picking and singing show some rhyme. Slave songs were an outlet that allowed each individual and group of slaves to express themselves without judgment. Songs were a way for the owner and neighbors to be creative in expressing their emotions and feelings. Slave songs gave slaves the freedom to express themselves and the feelings they had towards each other. The psychological aspect of the salt chant was explained by the Ashanti high priest. He stated: “…man and woman, the free man and the slaves, should have the freedom to express what is in their minds, to tell others what they think of them and their actions, and not only to others , but also the king or chief (9).” People should have the freedom to express themselves whether through songs or spoken words, this helps them heal their soul. When people are not allowed to express how they feel to their leaders and neighbors, they can become hurt and their souls can become sick. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Slave songs have a leader, someone who starts the song, someone who has a powerful voice and rhythm. After the leader sang the first line, the other slaves joined in and sang the chorus. After the chorus there is then another lead line and then another short chorus and then a longer chorus. The way they knew what to sing was their surroundings. Some of the verses that the slaves sang were known to everyone. The other lines they would sing come from their surroundings. They would make up a song about anything. “Some of these were full of rough spirit, and a lucky stroke always roused a thunderous chorus from the rowers…” (7). Slaves sometimes composed songs that mocked their mistress or master. They would sing with words they wouldn't understand. For the external audience it is nonsense: only the singers know what they are talking about. There are several types of slave songs: field songs, work songs, and social songs. No matter what the song is about, they always sing together. In slave songs the singers don't pay much attention to the rhythm or the number of syllables in a line, they just go together. Slaves composed songs about whatever type of work they were doing to while away the day. For example these slaves cut down trees and sing a song like this “a col' icy mo'nin' Niggas feel good Take your ax on your shoulder Nigger.talk to the wood. Songs like these aren't written down on paper before being delivered to the public. The leader would find a rhythm as they cut down the interlocking trees. This type of song allows everyone to cut at the same time and has a certain unity that binds the slaves to each other. Songs are sometimes composed based on the way something is sung. The songs reflect the culture of slave people by showing.