Run, Nigger, Run

In the mid-nineteenth century, black slaves were not allowed off their masters' plantations without a pass, for fear that they would rise against their white owners; such uprisings had occurred before, such as the one led by Nat Turner in 1831.

If caught, running from the slave patrols was considered better than attempting to explain oneself and facing the whip.

[2] Larry Birnbaum notes lyrical parallels in some versions to earlier songs, such as "Whar You Cum From", first published by J.

By the end of the decade at least another three recordings had been produced, by Uncle Dave Macon (1925), Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers (1927), and Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters (1928).

In the film, a white carpenter named John Tibeats (portrayed by Paul Dano) leads a group of slaves in a rendition of the song.

Hermione Hoby of The Guardian described the scene as "nauseating",[5] and Dana Stevens of Slate found it to be "hideous".

[6] Kristian Lin of the Fort Worth Weekly wrote that, though the song had initially been used by black slaves to encourage escapees and warn them of the dangers involved, when performed by the character of Tibeats it became a taunt, "like a prison guard who jingles the keys for the prisoners to hear, reminding them of what they don't have".

[8] The White's Serenaders' Song Book version is presented as a narrative, with both sung and spoken parts.

In this version, the evader is caught temporarily, but escapes at great speed after he "left my heel tied round de tree".

[1] The act of running itself is a common theme in slave literature and folklore, taking both literal and metaphorical forms.