Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

history

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a Negro spiritual. The first recording was by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1909. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored the song as one of 50 recordings chosen that year to be added to the National Recording Registry. It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

History

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was composed by Wallis Willis, a Choctaw freedman in the old Indian Territory, sometime before 1862. He was inspired by the Red River which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah being taken to heaven by a chariot. Many non-scholarly sources (see Songs of the underground railroad) claim that this song and "Steal Away"—also composed by Willis—had hidden lyrics referring to the Underground Railroad.

Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw boarding school, heard Willis singing these two songs and transcribed the words and melodies. He sent the music to the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jubilee Singers then popularized the songs during a tour of the United States and Europe.

The song enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s Civil Rights struggle and the folk revival; it was performed by a number of artists, perhaps most famously during this period, by Joan Baez during the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival.

The song was adopted by England rugby union fans during the last match of the 1988 season. The song was recorded by UB40 for the Rugby team to win the world cup

Traditional lyrics

Chorus:

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.

Chorus , Sometimes I'm up, and sometimes I'm down,
(Coming for to carry me home)
But still my soul feels heavenly bound.
(Coming for to carry me home)

Chorus , The brightest day that I can say,
(Coming for to carry me home)
When Jesus washed my sins away.
(Coming for to carry me home)

Chorus , If I get there before you do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
I'll cut a hole and pull you through.
(Coming for to carry me home)

Chorus , If you get there before I do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
Tell all my friends I'm coming too.
(Coming for to carry me home)

Chorus

Notable cover versions

Another earlier recording was by the Apollo Jubilee Quartette on Monday, February 26, 1912, Columbia Records (A1169), New York.Dixon, Robert M. W. Blues and Gospel Records: 1890-1943 (Blues and Gospel Records), Oxford University Press (1997), page 23 - ISBN 0198162391Brooks, Tim. Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919, University of Illinois Press (2004), page 258 - ISBN 0252028503

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been sung by many artists. A partial list includes:

,

Notable allusions in other songs

  • Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd lyricist, used the lines from this spritual twice in his songs: first, in 1977 composition "Sheep" from "Animals" album,
I looked over Jordan, and I've seen
Things are not what they seem
and then in "Bravery of Being out of Range" from "Amused to Death" (1992):
I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
Saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris

I jumped in the river and what did I see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me

  • Steve Earle made an allusion to Swing Low, Sweet Chariot in "Ellis Unit One":
Swing low,
Swing low
Swing low and carry me home

  • Hole, Courtney Love's band made an allusion to Swing Low, Sweet Chariot in "Awful":
Swing low, sweet cherry,
Make it awful

and later,

Swing low, cherry cherry
Make it awful

Usage in rugby union

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot has been sung by English rugby players and fans for some decades , but became associated with the English national side, in particular, in 1988. Coming into the last match of the 1988 season, against Ireland at Twickenham, England had lost 15 of their previous 23 matches in the Five Nations Championship. The Twickenham crowd had only seen one solitary England try in the previous two years and at half time against Ireland they were 0-3 down. However during the second half England scored six tries to give them a 35-3 win. Three of the tries came in quick succession from Chris Oti, a black player making his Twickenham debut. A group from the Benedictine school Douai started to sing a rugby club favourite – the gospel hymn "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" – in honour of their new hero, large sections of the crowd joined in. The song is still regularly sung at matches by supporters.Oliver Price [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1699545,00.html Blood, mud and aftershave] in The Observer Sunday February 5, 2006, Section O is for Oti There are associated gestures, sometimes used in a drinking game, which requires those who wrongly perform the gestures to buy a round of drinks.Hash House Harriers, »Hash Songs,»Ankara Hash House Harriers Retrieved 2009-02-07Hugh Farrelly. »Oti the man to blame as 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' continues to roll, Irish Independent 13 March, 2008

The England national rugby union team returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed "Sweet Chariot".»England rugby heroes head home BBC, 24 November, 2003

Recordings of the song coinciding with England's participation at the Rugby World Cup

The song became the England Rugby World Cup theme for 1991, when performed by "Union featuring the England World Cup Squad". It reached #16 on the UK singles chart.

The song was then covered in 1995 for that year's tournament by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with China Black and reached #15 on the chart.

1999's tournament saw Russell Watson record a version which had less success, only peaking at #38 on the UK chart.

The song enjoyed more success in 2003's tournament, when recorded by UB40 and the United Colours of Sound. It originally peaked at #23, but following England's victory in the tournament returned to reach #15.

A new version has been recorded by Blake for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Usage in Popular Culture

In the 1932 film I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang, the song is sung by a congregation of black church-goers as the prison mates are led into the pews.

The song was used in Comedy Central's 2005 series Stella, episode "Vegetables" starring Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. The song is sung by the cast as they work out in a field picking vegetables.

Footnotes

See also

External links

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "Swing_Low%2C_Sweet_Chariot ". | compliance | March 19th 2010