Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Cedarmont Kids Lyrics

The song Swing Low Sweet Chariot is a spiritual that originated from the African American community during the slavery period. The lyrics talk about a chariot coming to take the singer home, which can refer to either death or the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses used by slaves in the United States to escape to freedom in the 19th century. The first verse of the song expresses the singer's desire to be taken home by the sweet chariot. The singer is longing for release from their current situation, which is most likely enslavement. The repetition of the phrase "Swing low, sweet chariot" emphasizes this desire and longing.

In the second verse, the singer looks over Jordan and sees a band of angels coming to carry them home. The Jordan in this verse is most likely a reference to the biblical Jordan River, which represented the boundary between the enslaved life of the Israelites in Egypt and their freedom in the Promised Land. The band of angels represents hope and salvation, and their presence confirms that the singer's release is close at hand.

The final verse is a message to the singer's friends. If the singer does not arrive first, they ask their friends to tell everyone that they are coming too, reaffirming their longing for freedom and their belief that they will eventually reach it. The repetition of the phrase "Comin' for to carry me home" at the end ties the whole song together, as it represents the singer's hope and belief that they will be taken to a better place.