The great Etta James has the definitive version.
Maybe from the foreman of a Railroad Crew? At the 1 minute mark
warning: NSFW language
It’s sung by the crowd at every England rugby international.
That’s good to hear. I’ve loved the song all my life.
Maybe its not always a funeral song then. It would be a shame if it was wasted like that.
I sang it with the state children’s choir, circa 1990. It was just the annual concert, not a funeral or anything.
It’s also a gag in the first Revenge of the Nerds movie.
Did you read the Wikipedia entry?
As an historic American spiritual I would expect in to be regularly sung in Black churches. Anyone know?
I’ve never heard real people singing this song. Ever.
We aren’t African-American, nor is our church, but our son learned it in Sunday school and loved it. He used to sing it all the time, often trying to see how fast he could sing “comingfortocarrymeHOME!”
When I was in the Glee Club in elementary school, it was a crowd favorite. I was in elementary school a long, long time ago.
ETA: It is a song about dying, so it stands to reason it’d be sung at funerals.
What a strange way to spell Paul Robeson.
CMC fnord!
I’ve sung it in a concert (in an arrangement by Bob Chilcott), and as noted it’s an old rugby favourite. I don’t think it has much of an association with funerals over here in the UK.
This is one of three songs that are from my earliest memories, of my father rocking me to sleep on his lap when I was a toddler. His repertoire was Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Your Are My Sunshine, and My Darlin’ Clementine. They stuck with me so much that when I had my own kids, I would rock them to sleep with the same songs.
Well, I better get started learning it then. Thank you for confirming that Swing Low hasn’t become something just sung for funerals. I plan to play it up tempo. Similar to George Jone’s version.