Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Barry Lee Harwood Lyrics

The first stanza of the song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" by Barry Lee Harwood begins with the singer looking over Jordan and seeing a band of angels coming to carry him home. The phrase "home" refers to heaven, and the angels are a symbol of spiritual transcendence. The second stanza begins with the singer acknowledging his fluctuating emotional state - "sometimes up, and sometimes down" but he is confident that his soul is "heavenly bound" and will soon be carried away by the angels.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Swing low, sweet chariot" - this is a reference to the Biblical story of Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2nd Kings 2:11-12). It is also believed to be a reference to the Underground Railroad, which was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by African Americans to escape slavery in the United States. The "chariot" could then be interpreted as a symbol of freedom, and the "home" as a destination of safety and liberation.

The final stanza of the song is a call to action - if the angels arrive before the singer, they should tell all his friends that he is coming too. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the urgency of the situation - the singer is ready to leave this earthly existence and enter into the realm of the divine.