Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Encyclopedia
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual
. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
of Fisk University
.
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
.
, 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
's being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Many sources (see Songs of the underground railroad
) claim that this song and "Steal Away
"—also composed by Willis—had lyrics that referred to the Underground Railroad
, the resistance movement that helped slaves escape from the South to the North and Canada.
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 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 the most famous performance during this period was that by Joan Baez
during the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival.
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
(A1169), New York
.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been sung by many artists. A partial list includes:
and then in "Bravery of Being out of Range" from Amused to Death
(1992):
The lyrics are sung in the background behind:
, 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. There are associated gestures, sometimes used in a drinking game
, which requires those who wrongly perform the gestures to buy a round of drinks
.
The England national rugby union team
returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed "Sweet Chariot".
theme for 1991, when performed by "Union featuring the England World Cup Squad". It reached no. 16 on the UK singles chart
.
The song was then covered in 1995 for that year's tournament by British pop/reggae duo China Black
together with South African male choral group, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo
. It reached no. 15 on the chart, selling 200,000 copies — and South Africa won the tournament.
1999's tournament saw Russell Watson
record a version which had less success, only peaking at no. 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 no. 23, but following England's victory in the tournament returned to reach no. 15.
A new version was recorded by Blake for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
For 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand popular all girl group ‘Our Lady Muse’ (O.L.M) are releasing an England Rugby World Cup Song an upbeat party anthem version of the Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – The Song was premiered at the famous 'Polo Rocks' concert in aid of The Princes Trust late July anticipating a release on September 4, 2011
, 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.
Chevy Chase sings an excerpt from the song in both National Lampoon's Vacation
from 1983 and Fletch
from 1985.
In Eastenders the song was sung at Denise Wicks' "funeral."
In the 1997 film Con Air
, racially motivated criminal 'Diamond Dog' Jones sings the chorus of this song before executing his victims.
In the 1993 film Addams Family Values
, Gomez Addams sings the song when faced with his family in ruins.
In the TV Series Bones, in the episode "The Double Death of the Dearly Departed", Seeley Booth starts singing the song in order to break up a fight at a funeral as well as create a diversion for the team's investigation.
In the HBO original series "Oz (TV series)
", Omar White
practices the Chorus line numerous times.
In the TV series Scrubs
(S08e07 - "My New Role"), Elliot is chastised for having sung the song at karaoke. Later in the show, she is seen singing the song and is slowly approached by a bewildered-looking black doctor. Elliot cheerfully says Hi and continues singing.
In Psych
, Gus performs an a cappella
version of the song with his former bandmates from college at the funeral of one of the members.
In Prison Break
Season 1 Episode 11 titled "And Then There Were 7," T-Bag sings the song to purposely annoy another inmate, Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin, who is African-American.
In the Futurama episode "A Tale of Two Santas" Bender sings the song while being executed by giant magnets.
In Mel Brooks
' film Blazing Saddles
, Lyle attempts to get the slave laborers to sing and recommends this song. They mutter to each other and look back at him in dismay before he tries another tune.
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
Fisk Jubilee Singers
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for their college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs...
of Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
.
In 2002, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
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
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
, by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
History
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was first written by Wallis WillisWallace Willis
Uncle Wallace Willis was a Choctaw freedman living in the Indian Territory. His dates are unclear: perhaps 1820 to 1880. He is credited with composing several Negro spirituals. Willis received his name from his owner, Britt Willis, probably in Mississippi, the ancestral home of the Choctaws...
, a Choctaw freedman
Choctaw Freedmen
The Choctaw freedmen were enslaved African Americans who became part of the Choctaw Nation with emancipation after the American Civil War, a requirement of the 1866 treaty the US made with the Choctaw. The Choctaw had sided with the Confederacy during the war....
in the old Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, sometime before 1862. He was inspired by the Red River, which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah
Elijah (prophet)
Elijah also Elias ; , meaning "Yahweh is my God";Arabic:إلياس, Ilyās), was a prophet in the Kingdom of Samaria during the reign of Ahab , according to the Books of Kings....
's being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Many sources (see Songs of the underground railroad
Songs of the underground railroad
Songs of the Underground Railroad reflect that music has always been important in the heritage of African people. This music can relay a story or bring people together in a common cause. In the slavery era, songs may have conveyed coded meanings to help bring the slaves to freedom...
) claim that this song and "Steal Away
Steal Away
"Steal Away" is an American Negro spiritual. The song is well known by variations of the chorus:Many say that songs like "Steal Away to Jesus", and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Wade in the Water" and the "Gospel Train" are secret codes not only to have faith in God, but were hidden messages for...
"—also composed by Willis—had lyrics that referred to the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, the resistance movement that helped slaves escape from the South to the North and Canada.
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
Fisk Jubilee Singers
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for their college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs...
of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. The Jubilee Singers popularized the songs during a tour of the United States and Europe.
The song enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
struggle and the folk revival; it was performed by a number of artists. Perhaps the most famous performance during this period was that by Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
during the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival.
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
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
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 RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(A1169), New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been sung by many artists. A partial list includes:
- Clara Ward Singers (unknown)
- Benny GoodmanBenny GoodmanBenjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
(1936) - Fats WallerFats WallerFats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
(1938) - Paul RobesonPaul RobesonPaul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
(1939) - The CharioteersThe CharioteersThe Charioteers was an American gospel and pop vocal group from 1930 to 1957.-History:The Charioteers were put together in 1930 by Professor Howard Daniel, and their school was Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio. They originally called themselves the Harmony Four...
(1939) - Tommy DorseyTommy DorseyThomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
(1940) - Glenn MillerGlenn MillerAlton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
(1944) - Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
(1946) - Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
(1946) - Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
(1950) - Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
(1950) - Norman Luboff Choir (1956)
- Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
(1957) - Laurel AitkenLaurel AitkenLorenzo Aitken , better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaican ska music. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of ska".-Career:...
(1958) - Johnny MathisJohnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
(1958) - Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
(1959) - Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
(1960) - Harry BelafonteHarry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
(1960) - The Brothers FourThe Brothers FourThe Brothers Four are an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields".-History:...
(1961) - The Staple SingersThe Staple SingersThe Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples , the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha , Pervis , Yvonne , and Mavis...
(1962) - Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
(1962) - Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
(1968) - Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(1969) - Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
(1969) - The Grateful Dead (1970)
- Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
(1970) - The Mighty Clouds of Joy (1973)
- The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
(1975) - Lead Belly
- Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
(1975) - ParliamentParliamentA parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
(1976) (the chorus was used in the song 'Star Child') (Sampled in Dr Dre's song 'Let Me Ride') - Kath BloomKath BloomKatherine Bloom is an American singer-songwriter based in Litchfield, Connecticut, whose sad voice often accompanies simple folk melodies.The daughter of oboist Robert Bloom, Kath grew up in New Haven, where she studied the cello as a child and started playing the guitar when she was a teenager...
& Loren Mazzacane ConnorsLoren Mazzacane ConnorsLoren MazzaCane Connors is an American experimental musician who has recorded and performed under several different names: Guitar Roberts, Loren Mazzacane, Loren Mattei, and currently Loren Connors...
(1982) - Larry NormanLarry NormanLarry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
(1983) - Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
(1983) - Glenn YarbroughGlenn YarbroughGlenn Yarbrough is an American folk singer. He was the lead singer with The Limeliters between 1959 and 1963, and had a prolific solo career, recording on various labels.-Biography:...
(1987) - Jerry Garcia Acoustic BandJerry García Acoustic BandThe Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band was a band formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. They played a number of concerts in 1987 and subsequently released two live albums.-Band members:*Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals*David Nelson - guitar, vocals...
(1987) - Diamanda GalásDiamanda GalásDiamanda Galás is an American avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, organist, performance artist and painter.Galás has been described as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", with her three and a half octave vocal range. She often screams, hisses and growls...
(1988) - The Kelly FamilyThe Kelly FamilyThe Kelly Family is an Irish-American-European music group consisting of a multi-generational family, who play a repertoire of rock, pop and folk music. They have had chart and concert success in Europe and other parts of the world, especially in Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Eastern...
- Live (1988) - Ladysmith Black MambazoLadysmith Black MambazoLadysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland and have won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards...
& China BlackChina BlackChina Black was a British pop-reggae duo, consisting of Simon Fung and Errol Reid -Overview:...
(1995) - B. B. KingB. B. KingRiley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
(1996) - Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
(1996) - Barbara MandrellBarbara MandrellBarbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
(1997) - Della ReeseDella ReeseDelloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
(1997) - Loretta LynnLoretta LynnLoretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
(1998) - Dinah ShoreDinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
(1999, 5 years after she died) - Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyBone Thugs-n-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
(2000) (the chorus was used in the intro of the song 'Battlezone') - Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
(2000) - BeyoncéBeyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
(2003) (sung in the film The Fighting TemptationsThe Fighting TemptationsThe Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
) - UB40UB40UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
(2003) - Von Trapp ChildrenVon Trapp childrenThe Von Trapp Children are a musical group made up of Justin, Amanda, Melanie, and Sofia von Trapp, descendants of the Trapp Family Singers. They are the grandchildren of Werner von Trapp and great-grandchildren of Georg Ritter von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead, and the...
(2004) - AnnualsAnnualsAnnuals is a six-piece indie-pop outfit from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band was started by Adam Baker in 2003 as a side project of the still active sister band Sunfold, formerly known as Sedona and headed up by lead guitarist Kenny Florence....
(2006) - Sam BakerSam BakerSamuel or Sam Baker may refer to:*Sam Baker, AKA Samiyam, music artist*Sam Baker , author and former editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine...
(2007) (the chorus was used in his song 'Orphans') - John DaveyJohn DaveyJohn Philip Davey , is a former British Olympic swimmer. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, he won bronze medals in both the 400 m freestyle and 400 m individual medley....
(2008) (the chorus was used in his song 'Funeral Day') - She & HimShe & HimShe & Him is an American indie pop duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward . The band's first album, Volume One, was released on Merge Records in March 2008...
(2008) (covered under the name 'Untitled') - Tay ZondayTay ZondayAdam Nyerere Bahner , better known by the pseudonym Tay Zonday, is an American musician, YouTube personality and voice actor. He is well known by listeners for his deep baritone voice whilst singing. He garnered mainstream exposure when his song "Chocolate Rain", and accompanying video on YouTube,...
(2008) - Kathleen BattleKathleen BattleKathleen Battle , is an African-American operatic soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 1970s. She made her opera debut in...
(2008) - RoadkillRoadkillRoadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
(2010) - Others
Notable allusions in other songs
- Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, used word arrangements from this spiritual and from its 1968 adaptation "Swing Low, Sweet CadillacSwing Low, Sweet CadillacSwing Low, Sweet Cadillac is a live album by American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie featuring performances recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Michael G...
" by Dizzy Gillespie in different parts of his song "AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
" on the album HarvestHarvestHarvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
(1972):
Swing low Alabama
Your Cadillac has got a wheel in the ditch and a wheel on the track
Hear the banjo. Don't it take you down home?
- Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, the Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
lyricist, used the lines from this spiritual twice in his songs: first, in 1977 composition "Sheep"Sheep (song)"Sheep" is a song by the English band Pink Floyd. It was released on the album Animals in 1977. In 1974, it was originally titled "Raving and Drooling".-History:...
from the 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
Amused to Death
Amused to Death is a concept album, and the third studio album by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters. It was released in 1992.The album title was attached to material that Waters began working on during the Radio KAOS tour...
(1992):
I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
Saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris
- Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
made an allusion to this song in "Sweet Chariot", the closing song on The Ballad of Sally RoseThe Ballad of Sally RoseThe Ballad of Sally Rose is an album by Emmylou Harris released in May 1985. It marked a significant departure for Harris, as all the songs were written by her and her husband Paul Kennerley. Additionally, it is a concept album, loosely based on Harris's relationship with the late Gram Parsons...
(1985):
Swing down sweet chariot
The flesh will fall and the bones will rot
But from my sorrow you'll carry me not
My heart is bound, my soul is chained to the rock.
- Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in "Ellis Unit One":
Swing low,
Swing low
Swing low and carry me home
- Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in "SparkSpark-Physical sparks:* Spark , a small glowing particle or ember* An electric spark, usually with a flash and a sharp noise-Computer science:* SPARK...
" from the album From the Choirgirl HotelFrom the Choirgirl HotelFrom the Choirgirl Hotel is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. A departure from her previous albums, it was more heavily produced and a very radio-friendly project featuring a full rock band sound . Upon its release in May 1998, the album debuted at US #5 and UK #6...
(1998):
Swing low,
Swing low, sweet chariot
The lyrics are sung in the background behind:
if the Divine master plan is perfection,
maybe next I’ll give Judas a try
- Thom YorkeThom YorkeThomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
of RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in "Pyramid SongPyramid Song"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was the first single from their 2001 album Amnesiac and the first Radiohead single released in over three years, after none were taken from their previous album Kid A....
" from AmnesiacAmnesiacAmnesiac was generally well-received by critics. It was also ranked as one of the best albums of the year by several publications. The Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll ranked it number 6 on their top 10 albums of the year. Alternative Press declared it the #1 album of the year...
album (2001):
I jumped in the river and what did I see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me
- Courtney LoveCourtney LoveCourtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in Hole'sHole (band)Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
song "Awful":
Swing low, sweet cherry,
Make it awful
and later,
Swing low, cherry, cherry
Make it awful
- Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in the song "Early Bird", a b-side from the album Get LuckyGet Lucky (Mark Knopfler album)Get Lucky is the sixth solo album by Mark Knopfler, released on 14 September 2009 in Europe and 15 September in the United States in three configurations...
:
I dig my chariot, dig my crib
And my long black Cadillac
Coming for to carry me home
- Pimp CPimp CChad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer...
made an allusion to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in the opening of "I Gotta Thang" from the album Sweet James Jones StoriesSweet James Jones StoriesSweet James Jones Stories is the solo debut album by Pimp C. Released on Rap-A-Lot Records. Producers include Leroy Williams, Wendell Springer, & Mike Dean...
(2005).
Swang down, sweet chariot
Use in rugby union
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been sung by 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 TwickenhamTwickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, 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
Chris Oti
Chris Oti was a rugby winger of prodigious pace who represented England on thirteen occasions between 1988 to 1991...
, a black player making his Twickenham debut. A group from the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
school Douai
Douai School
Douai School was the public school that was run by the Douai Abbey Benedictine community at Woolhampton, England, until it closed in 1999.- History :...
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. There are associated gestures, sometimes used in a drinking game
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
, which requires those who wrongly perform the gestures to buy a round of drinks
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
.
The England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed "Sweet Chariot".
Recordings of the song coinciding with England's participation at the Rugby World Cup
The song became the England Rugby World CupRugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
theme for 1991, when performed by "Union featuring the England World Cup Squad". It reached no. 16 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The song was then covered in 1995 for that year's tournament by British pop/reggae duo China Black
China Black
China Black was a British pop-reggae duo, consisting of Simon Fung and Errol Reid -Overview:...
together with South African male choral group, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland and have won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards...
. It reached no. 15 on the chart, selling 200,000 copies — and South Africa won the tournament.
1999's tournament saw Russell Watson
Russell Watson
Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. The self-styled "People's Tenor" had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club...
record a version which had less success, only peaking at no. 38 on the UK chart.
The song enjoyed more success in 2003's tournament, when recorded by UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
and the United Colours of Sound. It originally peaked at no. 23, but following England's victory in the tournament returned to reach no. 15.
A new version was recorded by Blake for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
For 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
in New Zealand popular all girl group ‘Our Lady Muse’ (O.L.M) are releasing an England Rugby World Cup Song an upbeat party anthem version of the Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – The Song was premiered at the famous 'Polo Rocks' concert in aid of The Princes Trust late July anticipating a release on September 4, 2011
Use in Popular Culture
In the 1932 film I Am A Fugitive From A Chain GangI Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a Pre-Code crime/drama film starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted convict on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. The film was written by Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes from Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain...
, 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.
Chevy Chase sings an excerpt from the song in both National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
from 1983 and Fletch
Fletch (film)
Fletch is a 1985 comedy film about a wisecracking investigative newspaper reporter, Irwin M. Fletcher , who writes under the name of Jane Doe...
from 1985.
In Eastenders the song was sung at Denise Wicks' "funeral."
In the 1997 film Con Air
Con Air
Con Air is an Academy Award–nominated 1997 American action-thriller film directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich...
, racially motivated criminal 'Diamond Dog' Jones sings the chorus of this song before executing his victims.
In the 1993 film Addams Family Values
Addams Family Values
Addams Family Values is a 1993 sequel to the 1991 comedy The Addams Family. The film was written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and many cast members from the original returned for the sequel, including Raúl Juliá, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci...
, Gomez Addams sings the song when faced with his family in ruins.
In the TV Series Bones, in the episode "The Double Death of the Dearly Departed", Seeley Booth starts singing the song in order to break up a fight at a funeral as well as create a diversion for the team's investigation.
In the HBO original series "Oz (TV series)
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
", Omar White
Omar White
Omar White is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz played by Michael Wright.-Character overview:Prisoner 01W711. Convicted January 4, 2001 - Murder in the first degree...
practices the Chorus line numerous times.
In the TV series Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
(S08e07 - "My New Role"), Elliot is chastised for having sung the song at karaoke. Later in the show, she is seen singing the song and is slowly approached by a bewildered-looking black doctor. Elliot cheerfully says Hi and continues singing.
In Psych
Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
, Gus performs an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of the song with his former bandmates from college at the funeral of one of the members.
In Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
Season 1 Episode 11 titled "And Then There Were 7," T-Bag sings the song to purposely annoy another inmate, Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin, who is African-American.
In the Futurama episode "A Tale of Two Santas" Bender sings the song while being executed by giant magnets.
In Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' film Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
, Lyle attempts to get the slave laborers to sing and recommends this song. They mutter to each other and look back at him in dismay before he tries another tune.
See also
- Cwm RhonddaCwm RhonddaCwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes and first performed in 1907. It is often erroneously called Bread of Heaven and is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams's text Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah , originally...
- Flower of ScotlandFlower of ScotlandFlower of Scotland is a Scottish song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although there is no official national anthem of Scotland, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with the older Scots Wha Hae, Scotland the Brave...
- Ireland's CallIreland's CallIreland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international Rugby Union fixtures.It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket, Rugby League and A1GP teams.- Overview :...
- The Fields of AthenryThe Fields of Athenry"The Fields of Athenry" is an Irish folk ballad set during the Great Irish Famine about a fictional man named Michael from near Athenry in County Galway who has been sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, Australia, for stealing food for his starving family...
- La MarseillaiseLa Marseillaise"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...