What is "kumbaya"

n. The title of the etymological folk song, used with varying degrees of sincerity or sarcasm to refer to the song's evocations of spiritual unity and interpersonal harmony.

"Kumbaya" or "Kumbayah" or "Cumbaya" ( Gullah, "Come by Here"—"Kum ba yah") is a spiritual song first recorded in the 1920s. It became a standard campfire song in Scouting and summer camps and enjoyed broader popularity during the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

The song was originally a simple appeal to God to come and help those in need.