Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Raffi Lyrics

Raffi's song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" is a folk spiritual song that speaks to the idea of deliverance to a better place. The song is believed to have originated among the enslaved Africans brought to America and has been adapted in various forms since then. The first verse of the song talks about a "sweet chariot" that is coming to take the singer home. The use of the word 'chariot' implies a mode of transportation generally associated with the heavens or the afterlife, where the soul is transported to a better place.

The second verse of the song describes the singer looking over Jordan and seeing a band of angels coming to take them home. The reference to Jordan probably has biblical connotations, as it could refer to the river Jordan in the Bible which was crossed by the Israelites to enter the promised land. The use of the phrase 'band of angels' is a biblical reference to the belief that angels are intermediaries and that they convey messages and give guidance from God to humans.

The final verse of the song speaks to the idea of dying before others and envisions the singer leaving earth to be reunited with their peers in Heaven. The song as a whole is a spiritual song and encourages listeners to embrace the notion that death is not an end but a new beginning where the soul is transported to a better place.