We Sha Ova Cums Sum Daya (A New Version of "We Shall Overcome")

As I marched with the National Action Network on Saturday, August 28, 2010, to reclaim the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., I could not help but be haunted by the ignorantic beside me who was singing what he believed to be "We Shall Overcome". The only way that I could maintain my sanity was to continue to think about Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech and its impact on this country. Moreover, as I marched shoulder to shoulder with the worse singer on the planet who was butchering one of the greatest songs ever written, I had to ponder whether MLK Jr. was thinking about ignorantics in his "I Have A Dream" speech. The answer to that question became immediately clear when I recalled the first sentence of Dr. King's speech: I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. The greatest demonstration for freedom for the ignorantic is the freedom to express themselves incorrectly with joy.

Now, I did not have a computer with me during the march, but I did have my smartphone; so, I typed and walked as he sang ignorantically:

We sha ova cums
We sha ova cums
We sha ova cums
Sum Daya

O, O, O Deeps in my hard
I kill believe dat
We sha ova cums
Sum daya

We can walk hands and hands
We can walk hands and hands
We can walk hands and hands
Sum daya

O, O, O Deeps in my hard
I kill believe dat
We sha ova cums
Sum daya

We sha alk be fee
We sha alk be fee
We sha alk be fee
We sha alk be fee
Sum daya
 
O, O, O Deeps in my har
I kill believe dat
We sha ova cums
Sum daya

We are not a fade
We are not a fade
We are not a fade
Sum daya

O, O, O Deeps in my hard
I kill believe dat
We sha ova cums
Sum daya

We are not alona
We are not alona
We are not alona
Sum daya

O, O, O, Deeps in my hard
I kill believe dat
We sha ova cums
Sum daya

I tried to stay true to the phonetic interpretation of his song as closely as possible. You have to remember that it was hot outside, and I only had two bottles of water. So, during his rendition of this song, I did slip in and out of subterranean consciousness. He literally sang me into a negro spiritual coma.

I do not offer any explanation for the butchery of this beautiful song. I did not dare ask why he sang the way he did. Quite frankly, I was afraid of what he would say had I asked. The answer may have been more ignorantical than the lyrics to his song. So, all I can tell you is that he sang with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. Like most ignorantics, he was happy being incorrect, blissfully happy. He felt good about his mispronunciations that only got louder and louder with each chorus. I honestly do not believe that he meant any harm by his ignorantics. He was at peace, and he believed that he was making a contribution to the mood of hundreds of marchers within earshot. I know that in the future, I will never be the same every time I hear the song. However, deep in my heart, I do believe that [I] we shall overcome someday! ©2010