This was the version of Dry bones i first got to know in glee club:
The Story Behind The “Dry Bones” Song
Although it’s often mistaken for a folksong, this popular spiritual that often pops up around Halloween was written by African-American author and composer, James Weldon Johnson. The song has no exact date of composition, however, it was first recorded by the Famous Myers Jubilee Singers in 1928 and some versions of this song also give writing credit the author’s brother, J. Rosomond Johnson. Since that time, it has been rerecorded and made popular by a wildly diverse group of musicians and performers including Rosemary Clooney, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Mills Brothers, The Kingsmen and even Phish.
Although the song has spooky overtones, the lyrics are taken from the Biblical Book of Ezekial (Ezekial 37:1-14) where the Prophet Ezekial visits the Valley of Dry Bones and prophesies that the dead will one day rise again at the command of the Lord. Although there are quite a few variations of the song, the format is pretty much the same. The song starts with an introductory verse, tells the sequence of bones (from the toe upward) and almost always ends the command: “Now hear the word of the Lord.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDhYeQUXXYvK0&v=KG9htI6yzSs
fromhttps://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/the-story-behind-the-dry-bones-song/