The traditional African American spiritual "Elijah Rock" is the focus of a post that I just added to my pancocojams cultural blog.
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/three-renditions-of-spiritual-elijah.html Three Renditions Of The Spiritual "Elijah Rock"

That post showcases 3 videos of that spiritual, includes the lyrics to one version of "Elijah Rock" (from http://www.lyricstime.com/mahalia-jackson-elijah-rock-lyrics.html) and also includes my opinion about the meaning of the chorus "Elijah rock/comin up Lord".

In addition, that post includes my comments about the use of so-called "Negro" dialect in the performance of African American spirituals.

Here's an excerpt of that blog post in which I share my opinion about the meaning of the words "Elijah rock/ comin up Lord" (or "Elijah rock / comin up Glory")

"I believe that the words "Elijah Rock/Comin up Lord" (or "Elijah Rock/Comin up Glory")refer to the prophet Elijah ascending up to heaven.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah

"According to the Books of Kings, Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the more popular Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was taken up in a whirlwind (either accompanied by a chariot and horses of flame or riding in it)."

-snip-

In my opinion, the referent to the rock in the title and chorus of "Elijah Rock", "rock" refers to the chariot rocking. Also, I believe that "comin' up Lord" is an abbreviated way of saying "Coming up to be with the Lord (in heaven). Furthermore, in the alternate line "Elijah rock / comin up Glory" (which I remember my church's choir singing*, "Glory" is a referent for "heaven".

However, the word "rock" in other lines of that song, including in the commonly found floating verse song "If I could I surely would / stand on the rock where Moses stood", the word "rock" refers to an actual rock (where Moses stood to see the promised land).

* My recollection of this line of "Elijah Rock" is from [the African American church] Union Baptist Temple Church, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s to 1970s, if not later.


-Azizi Powell