DANVILLE CHARIOT
^^ (I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE NO LONGER)

Cho.
Oh, swing low, sweet chariot,
Pray let me enter in,
I don't want to stay here no longer.

I done been to heaven, an' I done been tried,
I done been to de water, an' I done been baptized;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Oh, down to the water I was led,
My soul got fed with de heavenly bread;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Cho.
I had a little book, an' I read it through,
I got my Jesus as well as you;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Oh, I got a mother in de promised land,
I hope my mother will feed dem lambs;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Cho.
Oh, some go to church for to holler an' shout,
Before six months dey're all turned out;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Oh, some go to church for to laugh an' talk,
But dey knows nothin' 'bout dat Christian walk;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Cho.
Oh, shout, shout, de debil is about,
Oh, shut your do' an' keep him out;
I don' want to stay here no longer.
For he is so much-a like a snake-a in de grass,
If you don' mind he will get you at las';
I don' want to stay here no longer.
Cho.

Printed in Fenner, 1874, Cabin and Plantation Songs, as The Danville Chariot, p. 11. In Dett, 1927, p. 38-39, as I Don't Want To Stay Here No Longer. Both give sheet music. A variant in Burleigh, Plantation Melodies Old and New, as I Doan' Want Fu' T' Stay Hyeah No Longah, p. 3.
@religion @spiritual

SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT I
^^^
I looked over Jordan, an' what did I see,
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.

Cho.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.

If you get there before I do,
Coming for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I'm coming too,
Coming for to carry me home.
Cho.
The brightest day that ever I saw,
Coming for to carry me home,
When Jesus washed my sins away,
Coming for to carry me home.
Cho.
I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Coming for to carry me home.
Cho.

From Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers, no. 2.
DT version lacks last two verses.
@religion @spiritual

SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT II
^^
I ain't never been to heaven, but Ah been told,
Comin' fuh to carry me home,
Dat de streets in heaben am paved with gold,
Comin' fuh to carry me home.
Cho.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' fuh to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' fuh to carry me home.

Dat ain't all, Ah got mo' besides,
Ah been tuh de ribber an' Ah been baptize.

Lemme tell yuh whut's a mattah o' fac',
Ef yuh evah leaves de debbil, yuh nevah go back.

Yuh see dem sisters dress so fine?
Well, dey ain't got Jesus on dey min'.

Ef salvation wuz a thing money could buy,
Den de rich would live an de po' would die.

But Ah'm so glad God fix it so,
Dat the rich mus' die jes' as well as de po'!

Archie A. Searcy, Houston, Texas, collected by John A. and Alan Lomax, American Ballads and Folk Songs, p. 608-610.
All of these spirituals have verses that appear in others as well.
@religion @spiritual