Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song. The earliest known recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University. It refers to the Biblical story of the Prophet Elijah's being taken to heaven by a chariot.
"Swing Low Sweet Chariot" | |
---|---|
![]() Page from The Jubilee Singers (1873) | |
Song | |
Written | After 1865 |
Genre | Spirituals |
Songwriter(s) | Wallace Willis |
In 2002, the US 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 in what is now Choctaw County, near the County seat of Hugo, Oklahoma sometime after 1865. He may have been inspired by the sight of the Red River, by which he was toiling, which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah's being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11).[1][2] Some sources[3][4] claim that this song and "Steal Away"[5] (also sung by Willis) had lyrics that referred to the Underground Railroad, the freedom movement that helped black people escape from Southern slavery to the North and Canada.
Alexander Reid, a minister at the Old Spencer Academy, 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.[2]
In 1939, Nazi Germany's Reich Music Examination Office added the song to a listing of "undesired and harmful" musical works.[6]
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.
Oklahoma State Senator Judy Eason McIntyre from Tulsa proposed a bill nominating "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" as the Oklahoma State official gospel song in 2011. The bill was co-sponsored by the Oklahoma State Black Congressional Caucus. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed the bill into law on May 5, 2011, at a ceremony at the Oklahoma Cowboy Hall of Fame; making the song the official Oklahoma State Gospel Song.[7]
Film and television appearances
The song has frequently been used in films and television.
- 1931: Dirigible – sung by Clarence Muse[8]
- 1936: Dimples – hummed by the Hall Johnson Choir[9]
- 1936: The Lonely Trail – sung by a choir[10]
- 1938: Everybody Sing – swing version sung by Judy Garland in blackface at an audition, with special lyrics.[11]
- 1938: Room Service – sung by the Marx Brothers[12]
- 1943: Dixie – sung by Bing Crosby and a chorus[13]
- 1948: A Date with Judy[14]
- 1950: Young Man with a Horn – sung by a chorus[15]
- 1971: The Hard Ride – sung by Bill Medley[16][17]
- 1974: Blazing Saddles – briefly sung by Lyle while working on the railroad[18]
- 1976: The Shaggy D.A. – sung by a dog in the dog pound[19]
- 1982: Honkytonk Man[20]
- 1983: National Lampoon's Vacation – sung by Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase)[21]
- 1993: Addams Family Values – sung by Gomez Addams (played by Raúl Juliá) on his deathbed[22]
- 1993: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Episode 1663 – sung by François Clemmons[23]
- 1997: Con Air – sung by Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (played by Ving Rhames)[24]
- 2014: Freedom – Performed by The St. Olaf Choir and Marvis Martin[25]
- 2016: The Birth of a Nation[26]
- 2016: The Amazing World of Gumball Episode: "The Origins"[27]
- 2019: The X Factor: Celebrity – performed by group Try Star (composed of former rugby union players Levi Davis, Thom Evans and Ben Foden) on the second live show[28]
Renditions
A popular early recording[29] was by the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet for Victor Records (No. 16453) on December 1, 1909,[30] and two years later the Apollo Jubilee Quartette recorded the song on Monday, February 26, 1912, Columbia Records (A1169), New York City.[31][32]
Since then, numerous versions have been recorded including those by Bing Crosby (recorded April 25, 1938),[33] Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen (included in the album The Kenny Ball Show – 1962), Louis Armstrong (for his album Louis and the Good Book – 1958), Sam Cooke (for his album Swing Low – 1961), Vince Hill (1993),[34] Peggy Lee (1946),[35] and Paul Robeson (recorded January 7, 1926 for Victor (No. 20068).[36]
Biviano Accordion Sextette
External audio | |
---|---|
![]() |
The noted jazz accordionist/composer John Serry Sr. recorded the composition with the jazz guitarist Tony Mottola as members of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette in 1947 for Sonora Records on the album Accordion Capers (Sonora # MS 476).[37][38]
Eric Clapton
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Eric Clapton | ||||
from the album There's One in Every Crowd | ||||
B-side | "Pretty Blue Eyes" | |||
Released | May 1975 | |||
Genre | Blues rock · reggae | |||
Length | 3:33 | |||
Label | RSO | |||
Songwriter(s) | Wallace Willis | |||
Producer(s) | Tom Dowd | |||
Eric Clapton singles chronology | ||||
|
British rock musician Eric Clapton recorded a reggae version of the song for his 1975 studio album There's One in Every Crowd. RSO Records released it with the B-side "Pretty Blue Eyes" as a seven-inch gramophone single in May the same year, produced by Tom Dowd.[39] His version reached various singles charts, including Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Weekly chart performance
Chart (1975) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japan (Oricon)[40] | 89 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[41] | 21 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[42] | 26 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[43] | 15 |
UK Singles (OCC)[44] | 19 |
References in other songs
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" contains the lyrics, "I looked over Jordan and what did I see? Coming for to carry me home". Pink Floyd's 1977 song, "Sheep", written by Roger Waters, makes reference to the song with the lyrics, "I've looked over Jordan and I have seen, things are not what they seem". A later 1992 song by Waters, "The Bravery of Being Out of Range", makes further reference to the song with the lyrics, "I looked over Jordan and what did I see? I saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris".
Use in rugby union
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" has been sung by rugby players and fans for some decades,[45] and there are associated gestures, sometimes used in a drinking game, which requires those who wrongly perform the gestures to buy a round of drinks.[46][47] Folk singer Joe Stead claimed he introduced it to the rugby fraternity as early as 1960 after hearing it from civil rights activist Paul Robeson.[48] An article published in Tatler in 1966 described a "tradition" at the West Park bar at Twickenham of patrons singing the song whilst swaying as one, shoulder-to-shoulder.[49] It became associated with the English national side, in particular, in 1988.
First documented singing at Twickenham (1987)
The World Rugby Museum in 2020 unearthed archive footage of Swing Low being sung at Twickenham when Martin Offiah (nicknamed "Chariots" as a play-on-words referencing the 1981 film Chariots of Fire), played in the 1987 Middlesex Sevens tournament.[48] The curator of the museum believes the crowd at Twickenham would already have known Swing Low because it had been sung in rugby clubs since the 1960s, with rude gestures illustrating the words.[50]
First documented singing at an England international match (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. The official account of this occasion from England Rugby is that a group of fans from Market Bosworth rugby club in the West Stand started singing the song before it was taken up by the rest of the crowd.[51][52] Another account states that a group of boys from Douai School were the ones in the crowd to begin singing the song before it was taken up by other fans.[45][53] The song is still regularly sung at matches by English supporters.[54]
2020 review
In 2020 the Rugby Football Union, in response to the increased interest in the Black Lives Matter movement after the killing of George Floyd, said it was "reviewing" fans' use of the song. Former rugby player Brian Moore and Prince Harry both argued that the song should no longer be sung in rugby contexts.[55][56] Former Barbarian and Rugby League Hall of Fame player Martin Offiah shortly afterwards said that he thought the song should be retained as an opportunity to educate England's and other nationalities' rugby fans about racial discrimination and Black history.[57] Former England player Maggie Alphonsi said "I think it's good the RFU are having a review, but I don't agree with it being banned".[58] Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the song should not be banned as people should "focus less on the symbols of discrimination".[59]
Rugby-related record releases
1991
The song became the England Rugby World Cup theme for the 1991 Rugby World Cup, when performed by "Union featuring the England World Cup Squad". It reached number 16 on the UK singles chart.
1995
The song was then covered in 1995 for that year's tournament by British reggae duo China Black together with South African male choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It reached number 15 on the chart, selling 200,000 copies.
1999
1999's tournament featured Russell Watson record a version which had less success, only peaking at number 38 on the UK chart.
2003
"Swing Low" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by UB40 featuring United Colours of Sound | ||||
from the album Homegrown | ||||
B-side | "Swing Low" (Stadium mix) | |||
Released | 27 October 2003 | |||
Genre | Reggae | |||
Label | DEP International DEPDJ58 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Charlie Skarbek | |||
UB40 featuring United Colours of Sound singles chronology | ||||
|
The song enjoyed more success in 2003's tournament, but included the album Homegrown, when recorded by UB40 and the United Colours of Sound. It originally peaked at number 23, but following England's victory in the tournament returned to reach number 15.[60][61] In the wake of the tournament, UB40 performed the song at a concert at the NEC Arena Birmingham that was attended by England rugby fans and captain Martin Johnson.[62] The England national rugby union team returned from the 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed "Sweet Chariot".[63]
2007
Another version was recorded by Blake for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
2011
For the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, all-girl group Our Lady Muse (O.L.M) released an England Rugby World Cup Song. An upbeat party anthem version of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – The Song was premiered at the "Polo Rocks" concert in aid of The Prince's Trust.
2015
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Ella Eyre | ||||
Released | 7 September 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:14 | |||
Label | Virgin EMI Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Wallace Willis | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Ella Eyre singles chronology | ||||
|
English singer Ella Eyre released a cover version of the song on 7 September 2015 as a digital download in association with England Rugby, to coincide with the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with the song raising money for England Rugby's All Schools programme. The song was produced by Glyn Aikins and Mojam, it peaked to number 134 on the UK Singles Chart and number 87 on the Scottish Singles Chart. A music video to accompany the release of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was first released onto YouTube on 10 September 2015 at a total length of three minutes and ten seconds.
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" | 3:14 |
Chart performance
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scotland (OCC)[65] | 87 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[66] | 134 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 7 September 2015[64] | Digital download | Virgin EMI Records |
2019
See also
African-American spirituals
Rugby Union fan songs
References
- "Story behind spiritual 'Swing Chariot' emerges". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
- "Michael Overall, How an Oklahoma slave came to write one of the world's most famous songs". Tulsa World, January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- Walls, Bryan. "Underground Railroad Terminology". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- Eversley, Melanie (12 August 2006). "Story behind spiritual 'Sweet Chariot' emerges". USA Today. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- "A Guide to The Underground Railroad in New Jersey" (PDF). Njstatelib. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- "Banned Music in the Third Reich". Völkischer Beobachter, Full edition Nr. 94 of 4 April 1939. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- "Oklahoma House Approves 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' As State Gospel Song". www.newson6.com. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- Croce, Fernando. "Dirigible (Frank Capra / U.S., 1931)". CinePassion. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- Simpson, Eugene Thamon (2008). Hall Johnson: His Life, His Spirit, and His Music. Scarecrow Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0810860384.
- Reid, John Howard (2005). Movie Westerns: Hollywood Films the Wild, Wild West. Lulu.com. p. 88. ISBN 1411666100.
- Lupack, Barbara Tepa (1999). Nineteenth-Century Women at the Movies: Adapting Classic Women's Fiction to Film. Popular Press. p. 245. ISBN 0879728051.
- Koestenbaum, Wayne (2012). The Anatomy of Harpo Marx. University of California Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0520269019.
- Dunne, Michael (2004). American Film Musical Themes and Forms. McFarland Publishing. pp. 45–46. ISBN 078641877X.
- Cornelius, David. "A Date With Judy". DVD Talk. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- Goldsmith, Melissa; Wilson, Paige; Fonseca, Anthony (2016). The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 353–354. ISBN 978-1442269866.
- Stanfield, Peter (2018). Hoodlum Movies: Seriality And The Outlaw Biker Film Cycle, 1966–1972. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813599021.
- Devine, Jeremy (1995). Vietnam at 24 Frames a Second: A Critical and Thematic Analysis of 360 Films About the Vietnam War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1476605357.
- Blazing Saddles (1974) – IMDb, retrieved 2020-06-18
- Scribner, John. "Worst Disney 52: The Shaggy D.A." Cinema 52. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- Knapp, Laurence (1996). Directed by Clint Eastwood: Eighteen Films Analyzed. McFarland & Co. p. 113. ISBN 0786402717.
- "Quotes Description". Movie Quotes. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- "The 'Addams Family Values' Cast Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Secrets 20 Years Later". BuzzFeed. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- Long, Michael (2015). Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0664260477.
- "The 'Con Air (1997) Quotes IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- Freedom (2014) – IMDb, retrieved 2020-06-19
- "The Birth of a Nation: how Nate Parker failed to remake history". The Guardian. October 10, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- Johnson, Kevin (February 15, 2016). "The Amazing World of Gumball succeeds with a simple, silly origin story". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- Rowan, Kate (November 5, 2019). "Rugby must make the most of popularity surge following Japan – Joe Marler should be the new face of the sport on TV". The Telegraph. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 159. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- Dixon, Robert M. W. Blues and Gospel Records: 1890–1943 (Blues and Gospel Records), Oxford University Press (1997), p. 23 – ISBN 0-19-816239-1
- Brooks, Tim. Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890–1919, University of Illinois Press (2004), p. 258 – ISBN 0-252-02850-3
- "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- "The Peggy Lee Bio-Discography And Videography". peggyleediscography.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette (June 19, 1947). "Accordion Capers" – via Internet Archive.
- "Leone Jump; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Jazz Me Blues; Nursery Rhymes" – via Internet Archive.
- "Eric Clapton – Swing Low Sweet Chariot – hitparade.ch". Schweizer Hitparade (in German). Steffen Hung – Hung Medien. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- Tatsaku, Ren (2011). The Oricon Sales Report (in Japanese). Tokyo: Oricon Style – Recording Industry Association of Japan.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – Eric Clapton" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Eric Clapton – Swing Low Sweet Chariot" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- "Charts.nz – Eric Clapton – Swing Low Sweet Chariot". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- "The story behind "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and how it became a rugby anthem". everyhit.com. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- Hash House Harriers, Hash Songs, Ankara Hash House Harriers Retrieved 2009-02-07
- Hugh Farrelly. "Oti the man to blame as 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' continues to roll", Irish Independent, 13 March 2008.
- Lowbridge, Caroline (2020-03-07). "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot rugby 'mystery solved'". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- Bull, Andy (2 July 2020). "Complicated history of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot needs to be taught and honoured". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- Gardner, Jamie (19 June 2020). "'I hate Swing Low Sweet Chariot' says former hooker Brian Moore". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- "The story of how Swing Low, Sweet Chariot became England Rugby's anthem". Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". rfu.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- Oliver Price Blood, mud and aftershave in The Observer Sunday February 5, 2006, Section O is for Oti
- Holden, Jim (16 March 2014). "Italy 11 – England 52: Stuart Lancaster's men end with a flourish". Sunday Express.
- "Prince Harry backs rugby move to kick out slavery song Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- "Ex-Engand hooker Brian Moore says Swing Low, Sweet Chariot must go". Stuff. 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- "Black Lives Matter: RFU reviewing use of slave song Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". June 18, 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Boris Johnson says song should not be banned". June 19, 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- "UK Charts – UB40". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- "Swing Low". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- UB40 – Swing Low Sweet Chariot (live at the NEC Arena Birmingham, 2003) YouTube
- England rugby heroes head home BBC, 24 November 2003
- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – Single by Ella Eyre". Apple Music.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- Chart: CLUK Update 19.09.2015 (wk38). Official Charts Company. Zobbel.de/
External links
- Listen to an a cappella version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot – sung by Gail Selkirk
- Hash House Harrier version of gestures for 'Swing Low' at the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2009)
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot for choir
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot performed by the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette including John Serry Sr. (accodordion), Angelo Delleria (accordion), and Tony Mattola (guitar) in 1945 on archive.org