The legendary Cathedral Quartet retired in 1999, upon the death of lead singer Glen Payne. Former Cathedrals members formed several groups; one of these was the Old Friends Quartet, which featured former Cathedrals bass George Younce and his son-in-law, Ernie Haase, who had sung tenor with the Cathedrals for nearly ten years. The Old Friends Quartet disbanded after about two years on the road, as Younce's ill health prevented them from doing much travelling.
Ernie Haase, a native of Evansville, Indiana, still had a love for quartet singing and wished to create a quartet that was 21st Century in image and attitude, but traditional in sound, emulating the great Southern Gospel groups of the 20th Century, including the legendary Statesmen Quartet, the Stamps Quartet, the Blackwood Brothers and of course, the Cathedral Quartet. Along with Old Friends Quartet pianist Garry Jones, Haase gathered three other young men with similar love and respect for Gospel music, and the Signature Sound Quartet was born. Jones left shortly after the recording of their first album, Stand by Me.
Almost immediately, their name was heard everywhere, and when audiences saw the fun and energy that the group gave at their concerts, they responded enthusiastically, rocketing the Signature Sound Quartet to instant stardom. With the fame came some controversy, as some Gospel music lovers objected to the "outlandish" look of the group, which included short ties and oddly-colored suits. Still later, the group began styling their hair in "modern" stand-up spiked style, which further added to their controversy. The fan reaction, however, was far more positive than negative, and trade magazines began referring to them as "the next Statesmen", implying that the mold-breaking style they created brought to mind the similarly outside-the-box thinking of the classic group.
In 2004, the group changed its name to Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, reportedly in order to avoid confusion with other similarly-titled regional groups, and since Bill Gaither suggested getting Ernie Haase in the group name for fans who would remember him from The Cathedrals. They signed with the Gaither Music Group and became regular performers with the Gaither Homecoming tours and videos. Like-minded legendary singer/producer Bill Gaither eventually began scheduling a second series of concerts with only Signature Sound and the Gaither Vocal Band appearing together. Due in part to the popularity of these concerts, the two groups decided to record a single album together, due out sometime in late 2007. The group is also at work on an album due out in 2008.
In May 2007, pianist Roy Webb came off the road to be with his dad, who was dying of cancer. On May 29, 2007, it was announced that Webb had resigned from the group. Later, it was announced that Gordon Mote would be the group's piano player during their Get Away Jordan summer tour.
Discography
* Stand by Me (2002)
* Building a Bridge (2003)
* Glory to His Name (2003)
* The Ground is Level (2004)
* Great Love (2004)
* Christmas with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (2004)
* Stand by Me: Live (2005)
* Self Titled (2005)
* Get Away, Jordan (2007)
* Influenced (2008)
* Dream On (2008)
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home
Comin' for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm a coming too
Comin' for to carry me home
Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down
Comin' for to carry me home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Comin' for to carry me home
The opening line of the song “Swing low sweet chariot, comin' for to carry me home” introduces the idea of being saved by a divine force. It is a reference to a passage in the Bible where prophet Elijah is carried to heaven in a chariot of fire. The song then goes on to describe the singer's vision of this divine force, which takes the form of a band of angels coming to carry him home.
The second verse “I looked over Jordan and what did I see/ Comin' for to carry me home/ A band of angels comin' after me” is an allusion to the story of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt and crossing the River Jordan. Here, the singer sees the band of angels coming to transport him to the afterlife. The third verse “If you get there before I do/ Comin' for to carry me home/ Tell all my friends I'm a coming too” is a message to the singer's loved ones, that should they die before him, he will join them soon with the help of the accompanying angels.
The final verse, “Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down/ Comin' for to carry me home/ But still, my soul feels heavenly bound/ Comin' for to carry me home” is a reminder to the listener that it doesn't matter what ups and downs one goes through in life, the ultimate destination is salvation in the afterlife, and angels will carry them there.
Line by Line Meaning
Swing low sweet chariot,
Oh, sweet chariot, please come and take me home
Comin' for to carry me home
I am eagerly waiting for the chariot to come and take me away
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
When I looked over the Jordan river, I saw something amazing
Comin' for to carry me home
It was the chariot, coming to take me home
A band of angels comin' after me,
Accompanying the chariot, I saw a band of angels coming for me
Comin' for to carry me home
Their goal was the same as the chariot, to take me home
If you get there before I do
In case you reach home before I do
Comin' for to carry me home
Know that I am also on my way home
Tell all my friends I'm a coming too
Please tell all my friends that I will also be coming home
Comin' for to carry me home
And just like the chariot and angels, I will soon be home
Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down
My life has its ups and downs
Comin' for to carry me home
But despite that, I know that I am destined for my heavenly home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
I feel bound to my heavenly home, despite the challenges of life
Comin' for to carry me home
And I am eagerly anticipating the chariot's arrival, to take me there
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janice Freeman
These guys have the spirit of Christ in their songs and it radiates from them.Awesome!
Kathy Herron
Love this guys love their Singing it's so Encouaging
Marta Ramos Barreto Da Silva
BRASIL Bernie você canta muito parabéns 😉😆
Gid Hilonga
why does the dislike button exist on this video???
Marc Eaton
It is like watching a Vegas act.
Brandon Micheal
for my girlfriend merrisa and her boyfriend Brandon
Yely Harmony
I love harmonies...I'm an arranger and composer myself...but they just killed a great negro spiritual(in a bad way)...it's too white...Where's the soul in this version??And the harmonies are as simplistic as they can be...Not a good version at all.