The sound of black voices singing permeates this short story. The songs being sung were likely African-American spirituals, or religious folksongs associated with enslaved Africans in the South. During the Civil Rights Movement, some of these songs were adapted to express activist sentiments. Jesse has been "hearing [the singing] all his life" (235) and it comes to haunt him, as he feels the singing's purpose turn sinister. Singing first comes from the black protestors outside the courthouse. Although singing is a form of peaceful protest, it disturbs Jesse and the other officers. Jesse tortures the protestors' "ringleader" (232) with a cattle prod, demanding he get the others to "stop that singing" (232). Sensing the power the singing has, the young man says they won't stop until they drive the white people "stark raving out of your minds" (233).

At first, Jesse feels the black people in his life have been "singing for mercy" (235) and the hope of going to heaven. He even thinks that some of the older black people are "singing for mercy for his soul, too" (235). Jesse's paranoia about the potential of black activism, though, leads him and others to believe black people have been "singing white folks into hell" (236).