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This song is an African-American spiritual, probably from the nineteenth century. Like many spirituals, very little definite information is available about its origins. This text has two stanzas and a refrain. The stanzas are in the form of call and response, with identical second and fourth lines. While the text of the stanzas is not biblically accurate (the wise men – not the shepherds – followed the star), the message “Rise up, and follow” echoes other New Testament themes.