brown sings with his accompanist, ella lewis. ♪ i got news to tell you i got good news ♪ >> reporter:makes the present bearable. ♪ i got a crown up in that kingdom ain't a that good news ♪ >> a spiritual that says beyond this world there is victory. i'm going to get my crown. i'm going to be regal. >> "nobody knows the trouble i've seen" or "sometimes i feel like a motherless child," but then there was always that message of hope in them that would allow you, okay, this is what my circumstance is, but this is what i can look forward to as well. >> reporter: spirituals, which arose at plantations like this one in roswell, georgia, were really a double-edged sword. while the melodies might suggest to masters that slaves were happy with their lot in life, if you listen closely you will find the message in many spirituals was defiant, indeed rebellious. >> the stereotype was that as long as the slaves were singing and dancing, they were happy, and we said we're good. well, we can also communicate, you know, "steal away, steal away to jesus, steal away home, i ain't got long to stay here."