Swing Low
Adrian Rollini & His Orchestra Lyrics
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Comin' for to carry me home
There was a band of angels, a-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
Comin' for to carry me home
But but I know my soul is 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
If you get there before I do
Comin' for to carry me home
Tell all 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
And now they're comin' for to carry me home
The lyrics to Adrian Rollini and His Orchestra's song Swing Low have deep spiritual and religious undertones. The song talks about the singer's journey to the afterlife and his belief that angels are coming to carry him home. He looks over Jordan and sees a band of angels coming for him, giving him comfort that his soul is heavenly bound. The repetition of "comin' for to carry me home" and "Swing low, sweet chariot" highlights the singer's anticipation of death and entry into the afterlife.
The song is a classic example of the "Negro Spiritual" genre of music that emerged during the mid-19th century among enslaved African Americans. These spiritual songs served as a way for slaves to express their profound belief in God and the afterlife, and as a means of communication and resistance to slavery. Swing Low is a song that speaks of hope, faith, and the promise of freedom that awaited slaves in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
I looked over Jordan and what did i see?
As I gazed at the horizon of Jordan, what caught my attention was...
Commin' for to carry me home
...a band of angels who had come to escort me to my heavenly home.
There was a band of angels, a-commin after me
I saw a group of otherworldly beings hastening towards me, with a mission to...
Swing low, sweet chariot
...transport my soul to the divine realm.
I'm sometimes up, and i'm sometimes down
The vicissitudes of life cause me to experience highs and lows,
But but i know my soul is heavenly bound
yet I am certain that my spirit is destined for an eternal home above.
If you get there before I do
In the event that you reach that blessed abode ahead of me,
Tell all my friends that I'm a-comin' too
kindly inform my acquaintances that I am also en route to join them soon.
And now they're comin' for to carry me home
Finally, the angelic messengers have arrived to take me to the much-anticipated afterlife.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRADITIONAL, FRANCESCO MOCCHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind