Two Videos Of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Sung At Rugby Games In England & Selected Comments From A 2017 New York Times Article About This Custom

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases two videos of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" sung by attendees at United Kingdom rugby games.

This post also provides selected examples of comments from a March 2017 New York Times article entitled "

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/fisk-jubilee-singers-1909-sound-file-of.html for a related pancocojams post entitled
"Fisk Jubilee Singers' 1909 Sound File Of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (with three other renditions of this Spiritual)"

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the author of this featured New York Times article and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these YouTube examples.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO EXAMPLES
Example #1: The story of how Swing Low, Sweet Chariot became England Rugby's anthem



England Rugby, Published on Apr 9, 2015

"It would be a day that would go down in English Rugby folklore". Watch the story of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and meet the people who started it at Twickenham.

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Example #2: Stoke City - Swing Low vs. Arsenal



Redstokie828, Published on Dec 20, 2016
Stoke City fans singing during the game against Arsenal.

10/12/16
Arsenal 3 - 1 Stoke City

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS ARTICLE'S DISCUSSION THREAD
All of these comments are from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/sports/rugby-swing-low-sweet-chariot.html "How a Slave Spiritual Became English Rugby’s Anthem" By Andrew Keh, March 7, 2017

These selected comments are given in chronological order, with the earliest comments given first except for replies. I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only.

1. Sam Allison
Montreal, Canada; March 7, 2017
"Swing Low Sweet Chariot" has been around since at least the 1960s when I watched rugby internationals in Scotland, Wales and England. The English were always out-sung by the Celtic nations and did not really have much of a voice since they had no one song to sing. Eventually, "Swing Low" won out as the "national English song". However, it still pales to the likes of "Flower of Scotland" and the various Welsh anthems sung in harmony.
There is absolutely nothing racist about the crowds singing "Swing Low". By the way, "Hail to the Chief" originally refers to a Highland chief and is an old Scottish tune adopted by an Englishman for the musical "The Lady of the Lake". The words are, of course, by Sir Walter Scott."

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2. Maxwell De Winter
N.Y.C., March 7, 2017
"Crazy! It's being sung in complete ignorance, however not in any shape or form of racism. As ironic is another African American anthem, Amazing Grace which was written by an English slave trader! Go figure."....

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REPLY
3. Jeannie
WCPA; March 7, 2017
"Since we're talking historical accuracy, let's be accurate. After his conversion, John Newton, the English slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace, saw slavery as sin. The song was his testimonial to the salvation he believed was available to him despite his past. Because African-Americans embraced and breathed such passion into the song is probably why you mistakenly perceive it to be an African-American anthem."

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4. Stuart Cumella
Worcestershire, England; March 8, 2017
"Not entirelay accurate. John Newton wrote Amazing Gace in 1772, but did not speak a word against slavery until his conscience was awakened by Anti-Slavery movement over ten years later. See Adam Hochschild's excellent book Bury the Chains."

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REPLY
5. brion
Connecticut; March 9, 2017
"Lest there be more confusion - after Jeannie's comment - about who wrote WHICH song, THIS article is referring to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." "Swing Low" was written by Wallace Willis, A Black man. A Free Black man. "Amazing Grace" was written by the slave trader Newton. a White British man. This article is bout the former, not the latter.

As for "US" (as in the United States) taking drinking songs from the British, the British did not use the colonists as slaves, beat them, shoot them without a second thought (the Civil War Black Union regiment, where the white soldiers were kept prisoner, but the Black ones shot to death), or hanged them.
Just noting that for the sake of 'historical accuracy,' you know."

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REPLY
6. brion
Connecticut; March 9, 2017
"Thank you for that, Mr. Cumella. Selective memory about our historical past allows history to be, again, re-written."

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7. Emily Booth
Chicago; March 7, 2017
"They don't sing the entire song, do they? Only the chorus, not the stanzas. The British pronunciation of "chariot" is different, too, pronouncing the 1st syllable like "char" as in charburger."

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8. @blueskysinking
HK; March 7, 2017
"SLSC goes beyond bawdy - it is racist parody, pure and simple. There is a fine tradition across all sports of appropriation, usually taking a tune and reworking the lyrics. By all means make these new lyrics lewd and crude, but using the same tune and lyrics to gesture and demean is deeply cynical."

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9. OM
Boston, MA; March 7, 2017
"It's troubling that such heartbreaking yet uplifting song has been twisted into a drinking chant. And its history in being sung when black players were on the field is even more distressing. After singing it at funerals and prayer services my entire life, to hear it sung with no context of its meaning is painful."

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10. Mark Whitton
Ottawa, Canada; March 7, 2017
"Many English sports chants use tunes and sometimes words from popular and religious songs. You'll Never Walk Alone is the song of the Liverpool soccer club. There are a few nasty chants that seem to use the tune of the hymn Jesus Loves The Little Children. When the Saints go Marching In is often sung. I don't think the English are trying to insult the song, they are usually trying to insult the other team or inspire their team and their fans or provide some comic relief. My favorite chant is "You're not special, We lose every week!" sung by the fans of hapless teams."

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11. Billy
Out in the woods; March 7, 2017
"Most rugby anthems wouldn't be printable at all here."

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12. mancuroc
Rochester; March 7, 2017
"Maybe the writer is unaware of the irony of the Brits importing "Swing Low..." as a rugby/drinking song.

It's a two way street. The melody for the Star Spangled Banner was imported from a British drinking song. Which explains why its melodic range is beyond many people in a sober state."

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13. Philip Lees
Melbourne; March 7, 2017
"Bawdy rugby songs were sung on the team coach going to and from school and club rugby games and Swing Low was a non-bawdy one until it was accompanied by hand gestures. It was taught in music classes (sans gestures) in my UK school in the 1970’s along with Campdown Races and I don’t recall that there was any perception that our singing these songs these might be deemed offensive. This was an era when the Black & White Minstrel Show was on BBC TV and ran until 1978. I wouldn’t hold out much hope that cultural sensitivities will see the anthem now dropped, another favourite of this cohort is Blake’s Jerusalem, set to music in 1911, which is premised on Jesus having surely visited England."

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14. Charlie Mike
Nyc; March 7, 2017
"Our national anthem melody came from an English pub song. Things evolve. So must we. Why would any American care what rugby fans in another country sing? The songs are not directed at us and are not intended to be offensive. For people to be "shocked" seems a bit of a stretch, even for liberals. Come on. Would you rather the song fade into obscurity?"

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REPLY
15. brion,
Connecticut; March 7, 2017
It is not "people" who are shocked: it is US (and that don't mean the United States: it means BLACK PEOPLE) the people who originated the song when we were being obliterated thru beatings, lynching and hatred. (And yes, I meant "don't" not "doesn't". It's a Black thing: you wouldn't understand it.)
Would you then take a song that the Jews sang amongst themselves (if they did) to keep their spirits up while interred in concentration camps and use that for a sports anthem??
As for the song fading into obscurity, wow. Just. WOW. That is just plain stupid to think a song that connected us spiritually to God and helped us endure suffering as something WE fear "fading into obscurity." Obviously you've given this all the thought of which you are capable. Which is: not much.
This is how racism propogates: marginalization of another culture's inherent traits."

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REPLY
16. Malcolm Clark
London; March 8, 2017
"I agree we shouldn't be glib about the origins of this beautiful and haunting song. The Welsh choirs which probably first spread the song through the UK...and into the world of rugby (in Wales rugby is the national sport) were often based in tough mining communities with a strong socialist tradition. So I suspect all this started with fellow feeling and empathy. But the meme spread. At least in this case- unlike others- the appopriation was never intended to offend. Maybe that "innocence" (or ignorance) about the song's origins is something English Rugby can address. Why can't the game's authorities use this link (gently) to point its supporters towards the origins of the song and the experences that inspired it; as part of the game's professed desire to tackle racism. Perhaps after the next game at Twickenham they can urge English fans to take a trip ....just up the road from the stadium to Marble Hill, the last of the great Georgian villas that was funded by slavery.
https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/slavery

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REPLY
17. Ian Maitland
WayzataMarch 8, 2017
"No, this is how racism propagates: When you refer to black or white people's "inherent traits." It's called stereotyping.

The history of humanity has been marked by cultural borrowings between different people -- gastronomic, musical, technological, and so on. That attests to our common humanity.

True, cultural borrowings have always been adapted and changed and applied in contexts unimagined by their creators. Just like this spiritual. But to call this "marginalization" is insane -- it is the sincerest form of flattery."

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18. Susan Anderson
Boston; March 7, 2017
"For heaven's sake. What about My Country 'Tis of Thee from God Save the Queen (King). Who cares!"

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REPLY
19. Thomas,
Branford, Florida; March 8, 2017
"I guess I care because the spiritual was about a painful subject and that is getting lost by the rugby use of it. I care in the same way that hearing Beethoven used to sell merchandise on TV makes me wince.
So , I care."

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20. BTRnut
NY; March 7, 2017
"I understand the inclination to be offended by this. My initial reaction was "oh no." But honestly, now I just think it's nice that anyone is keeping this song alive. It's so beautiful and, sadly, I don't think it's well known to American youth anymore. Last time I heard it was at a funeral about seven years ago. Gives me goosebumps when sung by someone who really has a feel for the history and origin of the song. Maybe someday the Brits will be lucky enough to hear a version like that."

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21. Ben Edwards
San Jose; March 7, 2017
"As a Brit who has lived in America for these past sixteen years, I have experienced first hand the many ways in which this country has improved upon British practices in society, politics and the law. But this growing obsession from the American left in policing our thought and speech (and now song!) is not one of them.

We sing "swing low, sweet chariot" as our rugby team pulverizes its adversaries (17-0 for the last 17 games, for the record) because it's a great crowd anthem. It's as innocent and as joyfully ignorant as this. Surely, there are more "troubling" things about our world for American journalists and academics to spend their time and spill their ink agonizing over."

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REPLY
22. marie
bronx, new york; March 8, 2017
"It's not your history so you do not care; it is that simple.

Have a bit of respect. Your comment reeks of white, colonial era privilege."

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REPLY
23. Eric
Dover, NH; March 8, 2017
"Ben, using a British accent to "Whitesplain" doesn't make it any more dignified."

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24. Tatum
Allentown, PA; March 8, 2017
"As a rugby player, I've heard far more offensive things sung in pubs after matches...

Music evolves, and I think the author is reading too much into this. Is Sweet Caroline for the Red Sox condoning the politics of JFK? Since Stoke City is mentioned here, does their rendition Tom Jones's "Delilah" condone violence against women? Southampton, to my knowledge, sings "When the Saints Go Marching In" - a Christian ballad about the coming apocalypse..."

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25. Floyd Norton
Washington: March 8, 2017
"I recall this song being sung after rugby games in Washington in the mid- to late-seventies, usually at the instigation of players from Australia and New Zealand. I think part of its appeal is that it is pitched low and occupies a narrow vocal range, which suits most rugby players. Also, it usually never got past the chorus and first verse, words that all the players knew."

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26. Stephen Brake
Boston; March 8, 2017
"As at least one reader correctly comments, the origin of the English adopting Swing Low as their rugby anthem lies in their demonstrated inferiority in this respect to the Celtic nations,particularly Wales. In Wales since the 19th century rugby has been an obsession( " morbid footbalism" in the words of David Lloyd George). An obsession was music was long another Welsh cultural fact. The two mixed,with Welsh rugby crowds cycling through around eight beautiful Welsh hymns. This tradition was captured in the 1970s by a Welsh comedic performer, Max Boyce, in the song " Hymns and Arias". That song now is itself sung at Wales's matches. Even in the years where England's team expected victory they faced a wall of sound all match long and generally lost( England's won lost record at Cardiff is notably poor).

Since the Hymnal of the Anglican Church had no really appropriate hymns ( Onward Christian Soldiers? I don't think so), they appropriated one. Given Britain's 19th century record on slavery think of William Wilberforce and let them use this one."

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27. K Fellows
West Midlands, UK; March 8, 2017
"I am a US citizen married to a UK citizen and have lived in Britain for almost twenty years. While I love Britain and now feel more "at home" here than I do in the States, one tendency which never fails to annoy me is the assumption among some (not all, by any means) British people that any cultural artifact shared by the two countries *must* have had its origins in England.

Thus, when once in conversation i had reason to point out to a co-worker that "Swing Low" was in fact a spiritual, rooted in the horrors of African-American slavery, I was saddened but not terribly surprised when this was vigorously denied. "Surely not! It's always been a rugby song! They [meaning, i can only assume, African slaves] must have picked it up from here [meaning England] somehow!"

Sigh."

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28. Here
There; March 8, 2017
"Perhaps one of the more disquieting points of this article is the claim of "cultural appropriation", that somehow songs or other matters deriving from the cultures of favored minorities must not be used by whites, whereas blacks are under no such restrictions, and may freely use things written by whites. This is part of what I call Reverse Jim Crow, that blacks have privileges whites do not. It's one of the things we elected President Trump to end."

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REPLY
29. Vanequa
Ellicott City, MD; March 8, 2017
"Trump's election ends nothing... cultural appropriation has historically benefitted whites economically (especially in the music industry). But our cultures are closely intertwined and it's useless to try to separate the delicious stew in our American melting pot. Until you truly know what Jim Crow was, how can you claim Reverse Jim Crow...? Can hurt feelings be considered reverse discrimination? Almost comical...almost... not quite Suggestion: See "The 13th" by Ava DuVernay"

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30. Krausewitz
Oxford, UK; March 8, 2017
"I'm an immigrant from America and a rugby fan (cymru am byth!) and I still am shocked when I hear 'Swing Low'. I hate it. I passionately hate it. Hearing a bunch of drunk louts profane a song that is basically sacred all but makes me want to cry. I've tried explaining this to English friends and hey absolutely will not hear it. Like most people they utterly refuse to change, even slightly, when their hurtful and inconsiderate ways are politely pointed out. People are short-sighted, selfish and mean.

As a Wales supporter (with genes that come from the Welsh valleys) it is just one more reason to hate the English......"

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31. Colin
Hexham, England; March 11, 2017
"Ok, here we go. A group of school children first sang the song in 1988 when Chris Oti scored three tries for England against Ireland. Other spectators then joined in. Most (if not all) rugby players, and supporters, know it is an African/American spiritual anthem. It is sung to galvanize support and encourage the players, and I would submit, is not sung to offend anyone but to celebrate hard endeavour in the face of adversity."

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