Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

These lines are the refrain of the African American spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” a Christmas song that emerged from the Black oral tradition in the United States in the 19th century. Like many spirituals, it circulated anonymously for years before being notated and published. The best-known early print source is John Wesley Work Jr.’s collection of Negro spirituals, which helped preserve and disseminate the song beyond the communities in which it was sung. The refrain’s imperative—“go tell”—fits the spirituals’ frequent blend of biblical narrative, communal testimony, and exhortation, here focusing on the Nativity proclamation central to Christian Christmas worship.

The refrain is a call to public witness: the birth of Jesus is not private consolation but news meant to be carried outward “over the hills and everywhere.” The mountain image evokes both biblical topography (places of revelation and proclamation) and the idea of a message that must be lifted high to be heard. In the spiritual tradition, such exhortations often function on multiple levels—religious proclamation, communal affirmation, and a resilient insistence on hope amid hardship. The repetition reinforces urgency and collective participation: the singer is both messenger and member of a wider chorus charged with spreading “good tidings.”

1) “Go tell it on the mountain / Over the hills and everywhere / Go tell it on the mountain / To let my people know.”
2) “Go tell it on the mountain / That Jesus Christ is born.” (often repeated as a single-line tag after the refrain)
3) “Go tell it on the mountain / Over the hills and everywhere” (sometimes sung as “over the hills and ev’rywhere”).