Edited by Azizi Powell
[Latest Revision - October 4, 2021]
This pancocojams post presents five examples of African American religious song "Swing Down Chariot And Let Me Ride". This song is also known as "Slow Down Chariot" (Stop And Let Me Ride) and "Low Down The Chariot And Let Me Ride".
The content of this post is presented for historical, religious and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composers of this song, Ted Brooks and George "Biggie" McFadden of the Jubalaires, and thanks to the featured vocalists. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
Hat tip to Autoharper for sharing this information about the composers of "Swing Down Chariot And Let Me Ride".
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EARLY VERSIONS OF THIS SONG: "SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT"
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41800is "Chariot Spirituals"
[posted by Q on June 24, 2003 in response to a guest David Neale's questions about this song, particularly whether Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "Swing Down Chariot were both originally part of the same song, but have somehow become separated in time]
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'CHARIOT' SPIRITUALS
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Jun 03 - 02:27 PM
You are asking a question to which there is no answer.
The chariot was a frequent image in the old 19th and early 20th century spirituals; some of the songs are related and some are not (of course, no authors are known). The Fisk Jubilee Singers were just one of the early groups that sang the song (their choral organization goes back to the 1870s; that of the Hampton Institute started almost as early and they are only the two best known of the early groups singing spirituals). Both groups sang "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" in the 1870s. The Fisk recording date of 1910 thus is not useful since the song was sung by their touring group and other groups long before that.
Many singers have recorded their own versions of these songs. The Cleveland Index does not list a "Swing Down..." in their list of spirituals; it may be fairly recent. It is listed as traditional at this website, but many of these sites have incorrect attributions: Swing Down
I have not heard the Elvis version. Are there any recorded comments by him about the song and the origin of his copyrighted version? He came from a Delta background, and he probably heard several different versions of Swing Low... during his early years. Where did he hear "Swing Down..."?
A number of gospel and art versions that are identified with a singer or a group, but identifying the primary source of their particular version is difficult if not impossible. Did they get it from their church? Versions sung by different congregations could vary widely. Did they synthesize it from other versions, either from books or other singers?
Seems incongruous to hear that these spiritual songs would be sung at rugby matches."
-snip-
This comment is given in its entirety.
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'CHARIOT' SPIRITUALS
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Jun 03 - 03:49 PM
Swing Down... combines elements of Swing Low Sweet Chariot and the Ezekial and the Wheel songs in a gospel arrangement. Apparently the origin is unknown.
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'CHARIOT' SPIRITUALS
From: masato sakurai
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 09:49 AM
H.T. Burleigh arranged "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," which was published by G. Ricordi in 1917; it was definitely not "Swing Down Sweet Chariot". The sheet music (....) is at Historic American Sheet Music. Fisk University Jubilee Singers didn't record "Swing Down Sweet Chariot"; their version was "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" .... According to Blues and Gospel Records 1890-1943, 4th ed. (Oxford UP), the recordings of "Swing Down Chariot (Let Me Ride)" were made by the Mississippi Gospel Singers (1941) and the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet (1946).
-snip-
The hyperlinks for the sheet music and the sound file that are referenced in this comment aren't included in this quote.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENTS [revised Oct. 4, 2021]
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Swing Down Sweet Chariot Lord And Let Me Ride" aren't the same song. However, it's very likely that "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" was inspired by the traditional "Swing Low" Spiritual.
"Swing Down Chariot And Let Me Ride" is referred to as a hymn, a camp meeting song, a Spiritual, and/or an early Gospel song. It appears that the early 20th centuryGospel song is the correct designation.
I learned "Swing Down Sweet Chariot And Let Me Ride" in the 1950s (in a Baptist church in Atlantic City, New Jersey), but I remembered the title as "Swing That Chariot (Lord) And Let Me Ride". That title is probably my misremembering what was being sung.
"Low Down Chariot" may be the earliest title for the song that became "Swing Down Sweet Chariot". "Low Down" probably means "lower down" as in "Fly down lower."
The title "Slow Down Chariot" may have been sung because the "Low Down" was misheard or misremembered. Or the singer reasoned that if the chariot flying in the sky would slow down, he or she could more easily hop on board and be taken up to the home on the other side (heaven).
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EARLY LYRICS FOR "SWING DOWN CHARIOT" ("LOW DOWN CHARIOT")
Here are two early examples of lyrics for "Swing Down Chariot" that probably inspired the song "Swing Down Chariot and Let Me Ride".
Both of these lyric examples were published by Dicho in December 2001 in that Mudcat thread whose link was previously given.
LYR ADD: SWING LOW, CHARIOT
Swing low, chariot, low in de Eas',
Let God's people have some peace,
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin',
Swing low-
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin',
Elijah,
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin'.
Swing low, chariot, low in de Wes',
Let God's people have some rest,
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin',
Swing low- etc.
Swing low chariot, low in de North,
Let God's people have a talk,
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin',
Swing low- etc.
Swing low chariot, low in the South,
Let God's people have a shout,
Gwine to ride in de chariot in de mornin',
Swing low- etc.
First two lines of each verse and Swing low-; Elijah-; were sung solo by the Hampton Singers. Spiritual sung "Moderato con enthusiasma."
N. P. Dett, 1927, Religious Folk Songs of the Negro, p. 100, with music.
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LOW DOWN CHARIOT
Oh, let-n me ride, oh, let-n me ride,
Oh, let-n me ride, Oh, let-n me ride,
Oh, let-n me ride, oh, let-n me ride,
Oh, low down the chariot, let-n me ride.
Got a right to ride, oh, let-n me ride,
Got a right to ride, oh, let-n me ride,
Got a right to ride, oh, let'n me ride,
Oh, low down the chariot, let me ride.
3. Got a ticket to ride, etc.
4. I'm humble to ride, etc.
5. I'm beggin' to ride, etc.
6. I'm a soldier, etc.
7. My mother done rid, etc.
8. Train's comin', etc.
9. I'm a warrior, etc.
10. I'm prayin', etc.
11. Prayin' to ride, etc.
Vera Hall and Dock Reed, Livingston Al. John A. and Alan Lomax, 1941, Our Singing Country, p. 36, with music.
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Here's a version of "Swing Down Chariot" as it is more contemporaneously sung (although I believe that the Blind Boys Of Alabama sung this version in the late 1950s)
Swing Down Chariot - (with Blind Boys Of Alabama) Lyrics
Well, well, well, well
I looked over yonder and what I see seems like a chariot coming after me
Swing low, sweet chariot, coming to carry me home
Why dont you swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy
Ive got a home on the other side
Swing, swing, swing
Well, Ezekiel was out in the middle of the field
He said he saw an angel with a chariot wheel
He wasnt too particular about the chariot wheel
He just wanted to see how a chariot feels
Why dont you swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy
Ive got a home on the other side
Swing, swing, swing, swing, swing, swing
Well, Ezekiel went down and he got on board
The chariot went bumping on down the road
Zeke wasnt particular about the bumpin of the road
He just wanted to lay down his heavy load
Why dont you swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy
Ive got a home on the other side
Well, I got a Father in the promised land and I aint stopping till I shake His hand
Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy
I got a home on the other side
Swing down, sweet chariot, stop and let me ride
Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride
Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy
Ive got a home on the other side
Source http://www.metrolyrics.com/swing-down-chariot-with-blind-boys-of-alabama-lyrics-randy-travis.html
-snip-
The words that are sung by The Golden Gate Quartet [Example #1] are very similar to the Blind Boys Of Alabama's lyrics. The Golden Gate Quartet were the first to record this song (in 1946).
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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest dated examples given first.
Example #1: The Golden Gate Quartet - Swing Down Sweet Chariot
SyberkaPL, Uploaded on Apr 7, 2009
Live from Yugoslavia in 1967.
From left: Caleb Ginyard Jr., Orlandus Wilson, Clyde Riddick, Clyde Wright
-snip-
According to a publisher of a soundfile of The Golden Gate Quartet singing this song, that group first recorded this in 1946.
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Example #2: Deacon Jessie Phelps Low Down The Chariot Let Me Ride
k phelps Uploaded on Oct 21, 2010
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Example #3: Dr. C.J. Johnson - Slow Down Chariot, Let Me Ride - Gospel
Gospel Experience, Published on Mar 27, 2012
Vos places pour le Gospel Festival de Paris 2013 ici :
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Example #4: Shiloh Quartet - Swing down chariot stop and let me ride
Jeff Mweemba, Published on Apr 6, 2013
Hope you enjoy this one by Shiloh.
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Example #5: Swing Down Chariot -by Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes (live)
Gail Vaughn, Published on Mar 6, 2014
'Swing down sweet chariot stop and let me ride.... rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy, I've got a home on the other side'
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"Swing Down Chariot" was composed by Ted Brooks and George "Biggie" McFadden of the Jubalaires.
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