"Dem Bones" (also called "Dry Bones" and "Dem Dry Bones") is a spiritual song. The melody was composed by author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson.^[1] It was first recorded by The Famous Myers Jubilee Singers in 1928. Both a long and a shortened version of the song are widely known. The lyrics are inspired by Ezekiel 37:1–14, in which the prophet Ezekiel visits the Valley of Dry Bones^[2] and prophesies that they will one day be resurrected at God's command, picturing the realization of the New Jerusalem.

The song

The chorus and verses are noted for many variations among performers, but fall into the following style. The second verse reverses the first in a pattern similar to:

The neck bone (dis)connected from the head bone

... etc...

Intro 1 Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones, Hear the word of the Lord. Verse 1 Toe bone connected to the foot bone Foot bone connected to the heel bone Heel bone connected to the ankle bone Ankle bone connected to the leg bone Leg bone connected to the knee bone Knee bone connected to the thigh bone Thigh bone connected to the hip bone Hip bone connected to the back bone Back bone connected to the shoulder bone Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone Neck bone connected to the head bone Hear the word of the Lord. Chorus Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Now hear the word of the Lord.

Intro 2 Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones Dem bones Dem bones Dem dry bones Dem bones Dem Bones Dem dry bones, Hear the word of the Lord. Verse 2 Head bone (dis)connected from the neck bone Neck bone connected from the shoulder bone Shoulder bone connected from the back bone Back bone connected from the hip bone Hip bone connected from the thigh bone Thigh bone connected from the knee bone Knee bone connected from the leg bone Leg bone connected from the ankle bone Ankle bone connected from the heel bone Heel bone connected from the foot bone Foot bone connected from the toe bone Hear the word of the Lord. Chorus Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around. Hear the word of the Lord. Finale Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. Hear the word of the Lord.

Artists

Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians recorded the song on 30 April 1947 and released it on the 78 rpm record Decca 23948.^[3] The Delta Rhythm Boys recorded it in 1950 under the name "Dry Bones".

A recording of the song by the Canadian vocal group The Four Lads was featured prominently in "Fall Out", the final episode of the 1967–68 science fiction series, The Prisoner. The song is also performed at several points in the episode, most notably when the character of Number 48 spontaneously begins to lip sync to the recording in order to disrupt a ceremony involving the show's protagonist, Number 6. Later, several characters are shown dancing to the same recording.

Fred Gwynne performs a solo version, accompanying himself on guitar, in a 1965 episode of The Munsters: "Will Success Spoil Herman Munster?"

The song was used in the 1979 Schoolhouse Rock! segment "Them Not-So-Dry Bones", about the skeletal system.

Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for the end credits of their 1999 direct-to-video film Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein.^[4]

See also

• "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel"
• Christian child's prayer § Spirituals
• "Drinkin' Bone", country song whose lyrics allude to “Dem Bones”

References