Gourt Home::Gourt :: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a United States spiritual folk song.
History
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot was composed by Wallis Willis, a one-time slave for the Choctaw Indians in the old Indian Territory. 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. Some latter day sources* imply that this song and Steal Away Jesus—also composed by Willis—had some hidden lyrics referring to the Underground Railroad. That is unlikely, however, since neither song was heard outside the Choctaw Nation until after the Civil War. That is when Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw boarding school heard Willis singing the 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.
Traditional Lyrics
Lyrics are as follows:
Chorus (in bold):
- 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)
- 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)
- 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
(Chorus2)
Traditional Gestures
Here is one version of the gestures for the chorus as done by rugby fans, hash house harriers and US air force fighter pilots:
- Swing low: Hand clasped and fingers interlocked motion with arms
- sweet: kiss fingers and blow kiss
- chariot: snapping invisible reins and shaky voice as if riding in a chariot
- Comin' : simulated masturbation
- for: hold up four fingers
- to: hold up two fingers
- carry: cradle arms as if carrying baby
- me: point to self
- home: make arc over head with arms
The gestures continue in a similar vein for the rest of the lyrics. These gestures are also used as a drinking game. The first person to incorrectly give the gestures for this song is required to buy the next round of drinks.
Swing Low is also the "Hash Hymn" and 'official' ending to many Hash House Harriers circles. The basic lyrics and gestures are the same as described here although there are many, many variations including: Scooby-Doo, Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, silent, humming and harlots.
Among the best known perofrmances of the song was Joan Baez, who included an acapella version in her set at the legendary Woodstock concert in 1969.
Usage in rugby union
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. During the second half the floodgates opened and England scored a remarkable six tries in a thumping 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, the whole crowd joined in. In 2003 the England national rugby union team returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed 'Sweet Chariot'.
The song is still regularly sung at matches by supporters. There are also a series of gestures that accompany the song, many of which are sexual.
See also
External links
- Listen to lyrics and a playable recording - Isadore Oglesby
- Listen to an a'cappella version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot(OGG and MP3 versions) - sung by Gail Selkirk
- Link to Hash House Harrier version of gestures for 'Swing Low'
- Discussion of gestures: This page has an mp3 where Ian Cumming remembers seeing the masturbation gesture used in 1947 while playing rugby union in England.
Rugby union in England | Songs popular at sporting events | American folk songs | Drinking games | Drinking songs
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"