The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #41800 Message #1267337
Posted By: Azizi
09-Sep-04 - 12:18 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: 'Chariot' Spirituals
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'CHARIOT' SPIRITUALS
This is in response to the question about the song clip for "Ride The Chariot." I think that is the song my church in Atlantic City, New Jersey called "Swing That Chariot" and Kaleea further up in this thread {Feb 11, 2001} called "Swing Down Chariot." Here are the words as I remember them and still sing them:
Swing that chariot, Lord
and let me ride.
Swing that chariot Lord
and let me ride,
Oh-o
rock me Lord,
rock me Lord
calm and easy.
I've got a home {I've got a home}
I've got a home {I've got a home}
I've got a home on the other side.
--
Now that I think about it "Swing down chariot" makes more sense. Maybe I was the only one singing "Swing that chariot", but I don't think so.
I can't remember any other verses that were sung with this song. I think we merged into other songs such as "All My Trials, Lord, Soon Be Over" and "Ride on King Jesus".
The song clip is a "sweet" version of that song. You can tell it's "Swing That Chariot" but it missing its soul...But then again, I remember this Southern choir coming to my wanna be middle class/elite Black Babtist church and the choir told the congregation that we were too reserved when we sang, too dead, without fire and energy, and-dare I say-without soul.
As a child in New Jersey I learned "Ride the chariot in the morning Lord {I'm gettin ready for my judgment day, my Lord, my Lord.} I learned the "Ride the chariot sooner in the mornin" song as an adult in Pittsburgh.
Probably people movin from the South to different regions of the North brought along different songs. And people from the North traveling to the South picked up different songs along the way...