"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early African-American musical traditions, the song was probably composed in the late 1860s by Wallace Willis and his daughter Minerva Willis, both Choctaw freedmen. Performances by the Hampton Singers and the Fisk Jubilee Singers brought the song to the attention of wider audiences in the late 19th century. The earliest known recording of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was recorded in 1894, by the Standard Quartette. The song uses the theme of death to remind the audience of the glory that awaits in

Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

, when Christians believe they will transcend the earthly world of suffering and come to rest in their final home. Specifically, the text refers to the Old Testament account of the Prophet Elijah's ascent into Heaven by chariot. The stylistic elements and thematic content are highly typical to those of other spirituals. The song is characterized by its use of repetition as a key poetic element, powerful imagery, personal rhetoric, and potentially coded lyrics. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was traditionally performed as a call-and response tune. Its free-form structure intentionally allows for

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

and spur-of-the-moment changes made to bring the performers and audience to a state of ecstasy and connection with the

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...

. The melody is pentatonic. In 2002, the US

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

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 The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

and the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

History

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was composed by Wallace Willis and Minerva Willis, Choctaw freedmen in the old

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

in what is now Choctaw County, near the County seat of

Hugo, Oklahoma Hugo is a city in and the county seat of Choctaw County, Oklahoma, Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in southeastern Oklahoma, approximately north of the Texas state line. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, t ...

, 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 being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Some sources claim that this song and " Steal Away" (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. In 1939, Nazi Germany's Reich Music Examination Office added the song to a listing of "undesired and harmful" musical works. The song enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s

Civil Rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

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 Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

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.

Lyrics

Refrain: Swing low, sweet chariot,In subsequent refrains, it is customary to add "Oh" before the first "Swing Low" 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. I saw a band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home. ''Refrain If you get back to heaven before I do, Coming for to carry me home. You'll tell all your friends I'll be coming there too, Coming for to carry me home. ''Refrain

As is typical of folk songs, there is no standardized set of lyrics. The version by the Fisk Jubilee Singers takes the following structure:

Refrain: Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home ''Refrain I'm sometimes up, I'm sometimes down Coming for to carry me home But still my soul feels heavenly bound Coming for to carry me home ''Refrain 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 ''Refrain ''Refrain

Content and style

The content of the song is typical to the style of the spiritual in several ways: its use of imagery that provides a sense of immediacy to the historical and biblical past, the repetition of the key poetic element of the song (“Coming for to carry me home”), and the alteration between the refrain and the stanzas throughout. The song alternates between first person and second person pronouns, stressing the relationship between the performer, the listener, and the events unfolding in the song. By directly calling to the listener in the second stanza (“If you get there before I do”) the audience is transformed into a creative device that serves to heighten the emotional urgency of the tune. The song was originally intended to be sung in a call-and-response, a format that draws from the heritage of African styles of music and is widely used in African-American churches today. A leader sings the differentiated lines, and the congregation replies “Coming for to carry me home” after each. This style of performing the spiritual can be heard in the existing recordings of the Fisk Jubilee Singers performing the tune. This call-and-response performance style is the most common form of spiritual. The simple, repetitive nature of the song, along with the fact that it was commonly performed without instrumental accompaniment, meant that spontaneous shifts in tempo, pitch, and emphasis were commonly made, leading the song in new and exciting directions intended to unify congregants with the Holy Spirit. Like other spirituals, “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” has been thought to contain coded meanings not immediately apparent to all listeners. American historian Charshee Charlotte Lawrence McIntyre argues that many spirituals make use of “metonymic devices,” or metaphors that have encoded meanings. She claims that throughout many traditional spirituals several recurring figures always carry a metonymic double meaning. These double meanings allowed enslaved people to safely communicate messages of hope, freedom, and specific plans for escape to one another under the watchful gaze of their captors. The double meanings encoded in “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are believed to be the Jordan River as representative of the first step to freedom from slavery, “home” as

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, and

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

as anyone who helps bring the enslaved to freedom. However, a definitive categorization of any such figures is impossible to make.

Film, video games, and television appearances

The song has frequently been used in films and television. * 1931: '' Dirigible'' – sung by Clarence Muse * 1936: '' Dimples'' – hummed by the Hall Johnson Choir * 1936: '' The Lonely Trail'' – sung by a choir * 1938: '' Everybody Sing'' – swing version sung by Judy Garland in blackface at an audition, with special lyrics. * 1938: '' Room Service'' – sung by the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

* 1943: '' Dixie'' – sung by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and a chorus * 1944: ''The Adventures of Mark Twain'' - sung by Fredric March playing Samuel Clemens * 1948: '' A Date with Judy'' * 1950: '' Young Man with a Horn'' – sung by a chorus * 1961: '' The Alvin Show'' – sung during one of the show's musical segments * 1970: '' Woodstock'' - sung by

at the 1969

Woodstock Festival The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

in Bethel, New York. * 1971: '' The Hard Ride'' – sung by

Bill Medley William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half of the Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Medley produced a n ...

* 1974: '' Blazing Saddles'' – briefly sung by Lyle, albeit in a mocking tone, while working on the railroad * 1976: '' The Shaggy D.A.'' – sung by a dog in the dog pound * 1980: ''The Muppet Show''— sung by

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

* 1982: '' Honkytonk Man'' * 1983: '' National Lampoon's Vacation'' – sung by Clark Griswold (played by

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...

) * 1984: '' Revenge of the Nerds'' - played on a record player before being quickly stopped by Lamar. * 1993: '' Addams Family Values'' – sung by Gomez Addams (played by Raúl Juliá) on his deathbed * 1993: '' Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' Episode 1993 – sung by

François Clemmons François Scarborough Clemmons (born April 23, 1945) is an American singer, actor, writer and teacher. He is known for his appearances as "Officer Clemmons" on the PBS television series ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' from 1968 to 1993. Early li ...

* 1997: '' Con Air'' – sung by Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (played by

Ving Rhames Irving Rameses Rhames ( ; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible (film series), ''Mission: Impossible'' film series (1996–2025) and crime boss Marsellus Wal ...

) * 2001: '' Futurama'' in season 3, episode 3 - sung by Bender (played by John DiMaggio) * 2003: '' The Fighting Temptations'' - Performed by

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

* 2003: '' The Saddest Music in the World'' - sung by Maria de Medeiros * 2004: '' Jersey Girl'' * 2007: '' The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night'' - sung by Sparx (played by Billy West) * 2008:

iCarly ''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...

- sung by Spencer Shay (played by Jerry Trainor) * 2009: '' Scrubs'' in season 8, episode 7 - sung by Elliot Reid (played by Sarah Chalke) * 2012: ''

Brickleberry ''Brickleberry'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Waco O'Guin and Roger Black (actor), Roger Black for the basic cable network Comedy Central, which aired from September 25, 2012 to April 14, 2015. Executive produc ...

'' in season 1, episode 5 - sung by Steve Williams (in black) (voiced by David Herman) * 2014: ''

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

'' – Performed by The St. Olaf Choir and Marvis Martin * 2016: '' The Birth of a Nation'' * 2016: ''

The Amazing World of Gumball ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' (also known simply as ''Gumball'' or by its abbreviation ''TAWOG''; retitled ''The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball'' beginning with its The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, seventh season) is an animated si ...

'' Episode: "The Origins" * 2019: '' The X Factor: Celebrity'' – performed by group Try Star (composed of former

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

players Levi Davis, Thom Evans and Ben Foden) on the second live show

Renditions

A popular early recording was by the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet for Victor Records (No. 16453) on December 1, 1909, which became the first gospel song to sell 1 million copies and is one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time. Two years later the Apollo Jubilee Quartette recorded the song on Monday, February 26, 1912,

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

(A1169),

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Since then, numerous versions have been recorded; including those by Nellie Melba (one of her last recordings, made in June 1926),

(recorded April 25, 1938), Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen (included in the album ''The Kenny Ball Show'' – 1962),

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(for his album '' Louis and the Good Book'' – 1958),

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

(for his album '' Swing Low'' – 1961), Vince Hill (1993), Peggy Lee (1946), and Paul Robeson (recorded January 7, 1926 for Victor (No. 20068)). In 1951,

replaced the chariot with a

Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

; first a

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...

and later, as on the 1967 album '' Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac'', an Eldorado.

Biviano Accordion Sextette

The 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).

Eric Clapton

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

ian

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

recorded a reggae version of the song for his 1975

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

'' 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. His version reached various singles charts, including Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Weekly chart performance

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 Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

", written by

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

, 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 English rugby players and fans for some decades, 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. 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. 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. It became associated with the England 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. 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.

First documented singing at an England international match (1988)

Coming into the last match of the 1988 season, against Ireland at

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

, 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 the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World 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. 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. The song is still regularly sung at matches by English supporters.

2020 review

In 2020 the Rugby Football Union, in response to the increased interest in the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

movement after the murder 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. 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 Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their Race (human categorization), race, ancestry, ethnicity, ethnic or national origin, and/or Human skin color, skin color and Hair, hair texture. Individuals ...

and Black history. Former

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

player Maggie Alphonsi said "I think it's good the RFU are having a review, but I don't agree with it being banned".

Rugby-related record releases

1991

The song became the England

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

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 covered in 1995 for that year's tournament by British reggae duo China Black together with South African male choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Released as a single on 22 May 1995, it reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

1999

1999's tournament featured Russell Watson record a version (titled Swing Low '99) which had less success, only peaking at number 38 on the UK chart.

2003

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, the cover reached number 15. 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. The

England national rugby union team The England national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France national rugby union team, France, Ireland national rugby union team, ...

returned from the 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed "Sweet Chariot".

2007

Another version was recorded by Blake for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

2011

For the

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 World Rugby, International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japa ...

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

English singer Ella Eyre released a cover version of the song on September 7, 2015 as a digital download in association with England Rugby, to coincide with the

2015 Rugby World Cup The IRB 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was ...

, 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 September 10, 2015 at a total length of three minutes and ten seconds.

Track listing

Chart performance

Release history

2018

Country and gospel artist, Josh Turner, released a cover of the song on the 2018 album, I Serve a Savior. The album was Turner's first release that contained mainly gospel music.

Notes

References

External links

Listen to an a cappella version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot
– sung by Gail Selkirk *
Swing Low Sweet Chariot for choirSwing 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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 1860s songs African-American cultural history Swing Low, Swing Chariot Ella Eyre songs Eric Clapton songs Lead Belly songs Johnny Mathis songs Paul Robeson songs Mildred Bailey songs Al Hirt songs Swing Low, Swing Chariot United States National Recording Registry recordings African-American spiritual songs UB40 songs Year of song unknown England national rugby union team 2003 singles RSO Records singles Virgin EMI Records singles Flying chariots