I Blog Poetry and Prose

Soundtrak of Your Life: Day 10 - Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Kamál (Perfection), 4 Mulk (Dominion) 176 B.E. - Monday, February 10, 2020

Artist: Louis Armstrong
Title: Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Lyrics1

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Comin' for to carry me home
A band of angels comin' after me
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home

If you get there before I do
Comin' for to carry me home
Just tell my friends that I'm a comin' too
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home

I'm sometimes up and sometimes down
Comin' for to carry me home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home

I look over Jordan, and what do I see
Comin' for to carry me home
A band of angels comin' after me
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home

When and where did I first hear this song? I have no idea!. I've heard several different version, sung by numerous vocal artist. I know several of the versions have been recorded by different artist over the years, so Grandpa Frank might have had a recording of it. I could have heard it in church because the words suggest a song that would be sung in a Baptist church.

I did a little research about the song, and found out it was written by Wallis Willis, who lived in Indian Territory (now Choctaw county) in Oklahoma. I also learned that it is now the official Gospel song of Oklahoma.2

Traditional Lyrics3

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)

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

Footnotes
1  https://genius.com/Louis-armstrong-swing-low-sweet-chariot-lyrics
2  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot
3  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot#Traditional_lyrics