Although the first printed version of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" appeared in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag in 1927, the song is believed to have been written during the late 1800s. The song was based on an old Negro spiritual titled "When the Chariot Comes", which is sung to the same melody. During the 19th century it spread through Appalachia where the lyrics were changed into their current form. The song was later sung by railroad work gangs in the Midwestern United States in the 1890s. The song's style is reminiscent of the call and response structure of many folk songs of the time, where one person would shout the first line and others repeat.
While it is not entirely clear who the "she" in the song refers to, there are various plausible interpretations. One interpretation suggests that "she" is the train that will be coming through the tracks that are being laid out by workers.
Carl Sandburg, in The American Songbag, suggests that "she" refers to union organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones going to promote formation of labor unions in the Appalachian coal mining camps.
As I said above a plausible theory says that "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" is based on a slave-era spiritual called "When the Chariot Comes". The two songs share the same melody, structure and even some lyrics -- the iconic "when she comes" chant is present in both versions.
"She" would refer to the chariot he'll be riding down to bring about the End of Days.
The version in the New England Magazine Vol 19 No. 6 (Febr 1899) on page 718 is said to be the first appearance of "When the Chariot Comes", forerunner of "Coming Round the Mountain."
Frank C. Brown lists "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" as a "parody or secularization of "The Old Ship of Zion"
"She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" is song # 460
"The Old Ship of Zion" is song # 623
Another song, "Charmin' Betsy", noted in 1908, is clearly related to "Coming Round The Mountain":
In 1908, Louise Rand Bascom, JAFL Vol. 21, No. 84, p. 246, quoted this fragment:
- I'm comin' round the mountain, Charmin' Betsy,
- I'm comin' round the mountain, 'fore I leave,
- An' if I never more see you,
- Take this ring, an' think of me.
- An' wear this ring I give you,
- An' wear it on your right han',
- An' when I'm dead an' forgotten,
- Don't give it to no other man.
AND HERE ARE THE RECORDINGS:
(o) Henry Whitter (1924) (as "She's Coming Around The Mountain")
Recorded in New York on February 25, 1924
Released on OKEH 40063.
Henry Whitter - Little Brown Jug / She's Coming Around The Mountain (Shellac, 10", 78 RPM) | Discogs
Listen here:
or here:
(c) Uncle Dave Macon and Sid Harkreader (1925) (as "Old Ship of Zion")
(vocal duet with banjo)
Recorded April 15, 1925 in New York
Released on Vocalion 15033
Listen here:
3 years later Uncle Dave Macon would also record the "Comin' Round the Mountain" version.
(SEE FURTHER ON IN THIS POST)
(c) Vernon Dalhart and Company (1925) (as "She's Comin' 'Round The Mountain")
Vernon Dalhart: vocal
Murray Kellner: fiddle, harmonica
Carson Robison: guitar
Recorded on August 3, 1925 in New York
Released on Edison 51608
Listen here:
Same recording was also issued on Edison Blue Amberol cylinder #5052
Listen here:
(o) Gid Tanner and his Skillet-Lickers (1926) (as "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain")
Clayton McMichen, f / Gid Tanner, f /hv / Bert Layne, f / Fate Norris, bj / Riley Puckett, g /lv
unidentified, sp.
Recorded on November 3, 1926 in Atlanta, GA
Released on Columbia 15200-D
Listen here:
(c) Roe Brothers and Morrell
1927 ("She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain")
Fred Roe, f; Lewis Morrell, bj-1; Henry Roe, g; unidentified, v duet.
Recorded on March 28, 1927 in Atlanta, GA
Matrix 143783-1
Released on Columbia 15156-D
Listen here:
(c) Hill Billies (1927) (as "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain")
Recorded May 16, 1927
Released on Vocalion 5240
Release on Brunswick 181 (as by Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters) was canceled
Listen here:
(c) Parman and Snyder (1928) ("She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain")
Dick Parman, Elmer Snyder, v duet; acc. unknown; Dick Parman, g.
Recorded February 20, 1928 in Memphis, TN
Matrix 400273-B
Released on Okeh 45302
(c) Uncle Dave Macon and Sam McGee (1928) (as "Comin' Round the Mountain")
(duet with banjo and guitar)
Recorded July 26, 1928
Released on Brunswick 263
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Pickard Family (1929) (as "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain")
Recorded December 13, 1928 in New York
Released on 14 different labels a.o.: Banner 6311, Paramount 3213, Oriole 1502, Conqueror 7251, etc
Using different aliases: Pleasant Family / Gilbert Family and Harvey Family.
Listen here:
(c) H.M. Barnes and His Blue Ridge Ramblers (1929) ("She’ll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain When She
Comes")
Recorded January 29, 1929
in New York.
Released on Brunswick 310
Listen here:
(c) Cotton Top Mountain Sanctified Singers (1929) (as "She's Coming 'Round the Mountain")
Recorded February 28, 1929 in Chicago
Released on Brunswick 7119.
Listen here:
(c) Hollywood Dance Orchestra ("She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain")
(vocal Irving Kaufman)
Recorded May 27, 1930
Matrix 9768=3
Released on Conqueror 7580
+ Jewel 5978
Listen here:
As I said above the song "Charming Betsy" is also related to "Coming Round The Mountain":
Here are some examples of the "Charming Betsy" variant:
(c) Fiddlin' John Carson "Charming Betsy" (1925) (Okeh 40363)
(c) Land Norris "Charming Betsy" (1925) (Okeh 45033)
(c) Jim Jackson "Going 'Round The Mountain" (1928) (Victor 38525)
(c) Henry Thomas, "Charmin' Betsy" (1929) (Vocalion 1468)
(c) Roy Acuff "Charmin' Betsy" (1936) (ARC 7-02-53)
(c) Tiny Bradshaw (1934) (as "She'll be coming round the mountain")
Recorded on October 3, 1934
Released on Decca 317
Listen here:
(c) Fats Waller (1939) (as "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain")
(radio transcription recorded on November 20, 1939)
Listen here:
And even the natives from Pingo Pongo sang it in this cartoon from 1938.
They sing it at 4 minutes and 25 seconds in the next VIDEO:
In 1949 the song was developed into a complete cartoon: "Comin' Round The Mountain".
And in 1951 the song was developed into a complete Abbott and Costello-movie: "Comin' Round The Mountain"
(c) Pete Seeger (1954) (as "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain")
Released on the album: "American Folk Songs For Children"
Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1960 album Sing Again with The Chipmunks.
The German songs "Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir" and "Tante aus Marokko" as well as the Dutch song "Tante uit Marokko" (which are mostly sung at Scouting events and during hiking) share the same melody and some elements from the text.
(c) een tante in Marokko
Ik heb een tante in Marokko
en ze komt, hiep hoi (2x)
ik heb een tante in Marokko,
een tante in Marokko, een tante in Marokko
en ze komt, Hiep hoi
zing ik ay ay yippie, yippie yee
zing ik ay ay yippie, yippie yee
zing ik ay ay yippie, ay ay yippie
ay, ay yippie yippie yee, hiep hoi
en ze komt op twee kamelen
als ze komt, hobbel, hobbel, enz
en dan braden we een varken
aan het spit, knor, knor, enz
en wat zullen we lekker eten
als ze komt, nou, nou,enz
(c) Goldy und Peter de Vries (1949) (as "Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir")
German lyrics: Heinz Woezel
Recorded in Germany on May 2, 1949.
Listen here:
(c) Bob und Eddy (1960) (as "Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir")
Bob Hill and Eddy Börner = Wolfgang Roloff (= Ronny) and Wolfgang Börner
Listen here:
(c) Capers (1961) (as "Rockin' Round The Mountain")
Released on the Dore-label
(c) Tielman Brothers (1962) (as "Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir")
Recorded live at the Jolly Bar, Hanau (Germany) in July 1962. Instrumental.
Listen here:
(c) Connie Francis (1965) (recorded 1961)
(c) Booker T Washington (Bukka) White had recorded a version in November 1963 under the supervision of Chris Strachwitz.
This was finally released in 2000 on the next album:
Listen here:
(c) Muddy Waters (1963) (as "Coming Round The Mountain")
Recorded on May 2, 1963 in Chicago IL.
Released on the The Chess Box (Chess LP 6040/6050)
Listen to Muddy here:
(c) Bob Dylan and The Band (1967) (as "Comin' Round The Mountain")
Unofficialy released in 1992 on Genuine Basement Tapes Vol 4
Officialy released in 2014 on
Listen to a sample here:
(c) Buffy Sainte-Marie (1973) ("She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain When She Comes")
Listen here:
(c) John Lennon (1978)
Recording at home during sessions for his comeback album “Double Fantasy”.
Sesame Street Pageants: Prairie Dawn, Ernie, Herry and Cookie Monster perform "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" in a 1976 episode (# 0907) of Sesame Street
Cookie Monster, playing the heroine in this season's pageant, can't seem to grasp the concept of going "around" the mountain until Prairie lures him with a cookie.
Watch it here:
Ned Flanders of The Simpsons sang his own variation in "The Bart of War".
We'll be safe inside our fortress when they come.
We'll be safe from creeps and killers when they come.
Unless they have a blow-torch
Or a poison gas injector,
Then I don't know what will happen when they come!
Listen here to the version from The Simpsons episode "Bart Of War":
(c) Neil Young and Crazy Horse (2012) (as "Jesus' Chariot")
NOTES:
NOT TO BE CONFUSED with Eddy Christiani's "Ouwe Taaie" (Yippy Yippy Yay) (1943, which was an original composition by Cees van Noordwijk, Ronny Luco, Jacques Hartman and Eddy Christiani
And NOT TO BE CONFUSED with Winny Dobber's "Zing van Yippie Yippie Yee" (1948)
"She's Coming Around The Mountain" has also a melodical resemblance
Written in 1878 and published that year on page 15 of Spiritual Songs for Gospel Meetings and the Sunday School
SEE NEXT LINK: Are You Washed in the Blood?
The version has been recorded by many notable recording artists, including Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, and Ernest Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers in the Bristol Sessions (1927).
Listen here:
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