Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Merle Haggard Willie Nelson Lyrics

The song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" originated as a spiritual or gospel hymn, sung by slaves on the plantations of the southern United States around the mid-1800s. The song tells the story of a weary slave who looks to heaven for salvation, and sees a band of angels approaching to carry him home. The lyrics in Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's version contain similar themes of hope, redemption, and the promise of a better life after death.

In the first verse, the singer talks about looking across the Jordan River and seeing a band of angels coming to take him home. This is a reference to the biblical story of the Israelites escaping from slavery in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and entering the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River. In the context of the song, the Jordan represents the boundary between life and death, and the angels are a symbol of hope and redemption.

The second verse addresses the listener directly, asking them to tell all the singer's friends that he is headed to heaven too. The repetition of the phrase "coming for to carry me home" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's longing for salvation and the idea that death is not an ending, but a journey to a better place.

Overall, the song's lyrics convey a sense of comfort and hopefulness, and its themes of redemption and salvation have resonated with audiences for generations.