When Jesus washed my sins away, She said, “Wait, let de chariot of de Lord swing low, and let me take one of de Lord’s scrolls an’ read it to you.” In his 1915 book, Folk Song of the American Negro, Work suggests the old woman went on to prophesy thusly: “God’s got a great work for dis baby to do; she’s goin’ to stand befo’ kings and queens. First circulated by John W. Work, Jr., member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, this alternative version begins on a plantation in Tennessee. In the evening, the couple often sat outside singing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Steal Away to Jesus,” and other spirituals. } catch(e) {}, try { We are able to call out the evils of this world for what they are, because we know something better is coming. A remarkable feature of this hymn is the ease with which it can be sung at different tempos. But before she reached the water’s edge an older slave woman stopped her. Jon Little _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); Not long after Ella was born, Mrs. Sheppard learned that her master intended to sell her downriver and thereby separate her from her child and family. In fact, the first recording of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” was made in 1909 by the Jubilee Singers. Wait, let de chariot of de Lord swing low, and let me take one of de Lord’s scrolls an’ read it to you.” In his 1915 book. FlexScores are available in the Media section below. Coming for to carry me home. P4. Some historians question Willis’s authorship more generally, suggesting that he may have heard the song in Mississippi in his youth. Tell all my friends I’m coming too, Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home. In fact, he was so enthralled by their songs that when asked how he liked the songs performed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in a Newark, New Jersey show he attended in 1871, he quipped, “Very well, but I’ve heard better ones.”, George L. White, treasurer and music director at Fisk, was taken. Not long after Ella was born, Mrs. Sheppard learned that her master intended to sell her downriver and thereby separate her from her child and family. When our friends die of disease, or our children are bullied, we cry out with the psalmist, “How long, O Lord, how long?” And yet (for the believer, there is always a “yet”), we make this cry knowing that we have a God who hears us and responds. Some believe it was written by Wallis Willis, a Choctaw freedman in Oklahoma, who was inspired to write the song when viewing the Red River. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); Oh, [Refrain]Source: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: an African American ecumenical hymnal #611. As a result of the old woman’s intervention, Mrs. Sheppard spared Ella’s life. Concerning as these reports are, the phenomenon is not new. But before she reached the water’s edge an older slave woman stopped her. Swing Low Sweet Chariot Amazing Grace When the Saints Go Marching In He's Got the Whole World in His Hands What a Friend We Have in Jesus Rock Of Ages Shall We Gather at the River Michael Row the Boat Ashore Jesus Loves Me: Christmas Tree Silent Night Jingle Bells Deck The Halls Auld Lang Syne Joy To The World Hark The Herald Angels Sing var _g1; The tune SWING LOW is typical of a spiritual’s music structure, in that it uses “call and response,” or Der Spiritual Swing low, sweet chariot geht mutmaßlich auf den Afroamerikaner Wallis Willis zurück, der nach dem amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg 1866 den freigelassenen Sklaven der "Choctaw-Region" angehörte. When not bowed before the scorching sun and tending the school’s cotton fields, Mr. Willis and his wife, known to history only as Aunt Minerva, lived on the edge of campus in a wood cabin overlooking a small, bending river. Ad revenue helps keep us running. In horror, she ran towards the nearby Cumberland River, intent on drowning herself and her baby Ella. Liturgical Use: Because there’s a completely different origin story for “Swing Low”—a story that has nothing to do with Wallace Willis, Aunt Minerva, Mississippi, or Oklahoma. In horror, she ran towards the nearby Cumberland River, intent on drowning herself and her baby Ella. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); Whether Wallace Willis, the man who is generally credited with authoring “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” trod the Trail of Tears behind his Choctaw master is debatable. Don’t you do it, honey.” As a result of the old woman’s intervention, Mrs. Sheppard spared Ella’s life. In fact, he was so enthralled by their songs that when asked how he liked the songs performed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in a Newark, New Jersey show he attended in 1871, he quipped, “Very well, but I’ve heard better ones.”. Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus; Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse; Swing ride, an amusement park ride consisting of suspended seats that rotate like a merry-go-round; Arts, entertainment, and media Films. Oh, [Refrain] 2 If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home. Concerning as these reports are, the phenomenon is not new. Oh, [Refrain], 2 If you get there before I do, Swing low, sweet chariot, Swing Low Sweet Chariot 5. We can’t sing this hymn in order to run away from the hardship and the pain. In 1830, more than three decades before the Civil War began, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which laid the groundwork for the removal of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands to reservations west of the Mississippi. Others claim it was an old song sung by slaves to point them to Canada. Advent; times of hardship; with preaching on 2 Kings 2 or on eschatological topics. This is one of the best-known African American spirituals in Christian history. } Behind the Song: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”. Of course the history of “Swing Low” precedes that recording, and even precedes the commercial recording of music. Its origins lie in the antebellum South, during a time when African-Americans were shackled in chains and sold as chattel, and Native Americans weren’t treated much better. According to Work, it was there that Sarah Hannah Sheppard gave birth to Ella Sheppard, choirmaster of the first Fisk Jubilee Singers. J. Sam Cooke has a recording that demonstrates this style and provides a good example of solo-chorus call and response. In spite of the "ups" and "downs" of earthly life (st. 3), it is comforting for Christians to know with certainty that their final destination is the glory of a new heaven and earth. CCLI, OneLicense, etc). Alternatively, you could sing the hymn with a “swinging” lilt to it. aback. 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