Swing High Swing Low
Bert Firman and His Orchestra Lyrics

The song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a spiritual with deep and complex lyrics. It tells a story of a slave who looks over Jordan and sees a band of angels coming to carry him home to heaven. The rhythm of the song is slow, emotive and melancholic, which perfectly matches the weighty topic of escaping the physical chains of slavery to reach freedom in the afterlife.

The first verse and chorus illustrate the singer's vision of the divine, with Jordan representing the boundary between the mortal and the spiritual world. The angels are coming to gather him from this life and take him to the next. The refrain "Swing low, sweet chariot / Comin' for to carry me home" emphasizes the singer's longing to be liberated from his suffering and pain.

In the second verse, the singer describes the ups and downs of life, but still feels assurance that he is going to heaven. The final verse is an invitation for all of the singer's friends to join him on his journey to the afterlife. The song concludes with the repetition of the refrain, underscoring the universal desire for salvation.

Overall, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a powerful and poignant piece that has resonated with audiences since its creation. Its message of hope and optimism in the face of adversity has made it a standard in the gospel canon and a classic of the American spiritual tradition.