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She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain
Traditional Old‑Time song and breakdown. USA; Texas, North Carolina.
ARTIST: from Skillet Lickers 1926
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Early 1900’s; First recorded Henry Whitter in 1924
OTHER NAMES: "Coming Round the Mountain"
I'm Going to Ship on the Mike Davis (Wheeler, p. 115)
Bill Cox, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain - No. 2" (Supertone 9556, 1929) [Also apparently issued as by Charley Blake, same record number]
Fiddlin' John Carson, "The New 'Comin' Round the Mountain'" (Bluebird B-5401, 1934)
Mickey Katz, "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Katzkills" (Capitol 1718, 1951)
Anonymous singer, "There's a 'Skeeter" (on Unexp1)
RELATED TO: Old Ship of Zion; When the Chariot Comes; If You're All for Freedom; Ten Virgins
cf. "The Old Ship of Zion (I)" (form, tune, lyrics)
cf. "I Am Growing Old and Gray" (tune)
cf. "Drive It On" (tune)
cf. "Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny" (tune)
cf. "Ding Dong Dollar" (tune)
cf. "Ballymurphy" (tune)
PARODY: She'll Be Skiing Down the Mountain; They'll Be Coming Round; Coming Down the Chimney
PRINT SOURCES: BrownIII 460, "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" (1 text)
Sandburg, pp. 372-373, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune plus a spiritual Sandburg describes as the source of the song)
Lomax-FSNA 214 "She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 276, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" (1 text)
Fuld-WFM, pp. 496-497, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain"
RECORDING INFO: She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain [When She Comes] [Me II-AA54]
Seeger, Ruth Crawford (eds.) / American Folk Songs for Children, Doubleday/Zephyr Books, Sof (1948), p 90
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p372
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p276
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p 5 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Lair, John (ed.) / 100 WLS Barn Dance Favorites, Cole, fol (1935), p87
Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p414/#214
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p177
Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p11
Boni, Margaret Bradford (ed.) / Fireside Book of Folk Songs, Simon & Schuster, Bk (1947), p156 (She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain)
Joyful Singing. Campfire Girls Edition, CSS, poc (1947ca), p44
Albert E Brumley's Songs of the Pioneers, Brumley, Fol (1970), 58
Mursell, James, et.al.(eds.) / Music Now and Long Ago, Silver Burdette, Bk (1956), p129
Briegel, George F. (ed.) / 44 Old Time Morman and Far west Songs, Kessinger, Sof (1933), p51/#39 (She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain)
Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1982/11,p23 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1964/1981), p199
Frey, Hugo(ed.) / Bill Hardey's Songs of the Gay Nineties, Robbins, Fol (1942/1938), p90 (She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain)
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p312
Acuff, Roy; and his Smokey Mountain Boys. Country-Western Radio. Rare Radio Recordings of Famous Count..., Radiola MR-1069, LP (1977), trk# A2.3 (Comin' Around the Mountain
Caudill, Roy; and Henry Vanoy. Comin' Round the Mountain, Voyager VLRP 302, LP (1968), trk# 1 (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Clemmens, Ginni. Long Time Friends, Open Door, LP (1976), trk# B.02d (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Davis, Jimmie. Railroad in Folksong, RCA (Victor) LPV 532, LP (1966), trk# A.08b [1931/05/26]
Griffin, Neil. Griffin, Neil / Deluxe Bluegrass Banjo Method, Mel Bay, sof (1974), p 96
Hamilton, Mark. Songs and Tunes from Wolf Run, Sampler 9223, Cas (1992), trk# 11a (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Herren, Ruth Burton. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 75 [1975ca]
Howard, Lawton. Between the Sound and the Sea, Folkways FS 3848, LP (1977), trk# A.05b [1973-76] (Round the Mountain)
Lyman, James. Oldtime Fiddling. Vol. 2, Century 33054, LP (1968), trk# A.02 (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Macon, Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave Macon, Vol. 2, Vetco LP 105, LP (1974), trk# B.03 [1928/07/26] (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Macon, Uncle Dave. Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy, Old Homestead OHCS 148, LP (1983), trk# B.03b [1929/06/21]
Macon, Uncle Dave. Classic Sides 1924-1938, JSP 7729A-D, CD( (2004), trk# C.17 [1928/07/26] (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Macon, Uncle Dave. Classic Sides 1924-1938, JSP 7729A-D, CD( (2004), trk# D.06b [1929/06/21]
Martin, Asa; and the Cumberland Rangers. Land of Yahoe, Rounder 8041, CD (1996), trk# 1 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Mid-Columbia Old-Time Music Club. Way It Was, Kuiper, CD (2002/1978), trk# 5 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). 100 Years Farther On, June Appal JA 064C, Cas (199?), trk# 6 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Reser, Harry. Banjos Back to Back, RCA (Victor) LPM-2515, LP (1962), trk# A.02c (Coming 'Round the Mountain)
Robison, Carson; and his Pleasant Valley Boys. Square Dances, RCA (Victor) LPM-1238, LP (1956), trk# A.04 (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Seeger, Pete; and Brother Kirk. Pete Seeger & Brother Kirk Visit Sesame Street, CRA CTW 22062, LP (1974), trk# A.05 (She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain)
Seeger, Peggy and Mike. American Folk Songs for Children, Rounder 8001/8002/8003, CD (1977), trk# 1-28
Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy. Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy / Favorite Mountain Ballads & Old T..., Sizemore, fol (1932), p43 (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Skillet Lickers. Corn Licker Still in Georgia, Voyager VRLP 303, LP (197?), trk# B.20 [1927-30] (Comin' Round the Mountain)
Snow, Kilby. Mountain Music on the Autoharp, Folkways FA 2365, LP (1965), trk# 4 [1957/08]
Song Spinners. Johnson, Margaret & Travis (eds) / Early American Songs from ... the Spi, AMP, Fol (1943), #63 (She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain)
Taylor, Hound Dog. Beware of the Dog, Alligator 4707, LP (1976/1974), trk# 5 (Comin' Around the Mountain)
Thacker, Maude. Art of Field Recording, Vol. 1, Dust to Digital DTD 08, CD( (2007), trk# 4.36 [1980/08/23]
Wernick, Pete/Peter. Wernick, Peter (ed.) / Bluegrass Banjo, Oak, Sof (1974), p 25
Wernick, Pete/Peter. Wernick, Peter (ed.) / Bluegrass Banjo, Oak, Sof (1974), p 40
H. M. Barnes & his Blue Ridge Ramblers, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes" (Brunswick 310, 1929/Supertone S-2052, 1930)
Vernon Dalhart, "She's Comin' Round the Mountain" (Montgomery Ward M-8148, 1939)
Vernon Dalhart & Co., "She's Comin' 'Round the Mountain" (Edison 51608, 1925)
Al Hopkins & his Buckle Busters, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (Brunswick 181/Vocalion 5240 [as the Hill Billies], 1927)
Uncle Dave Macon & John McGhee, "Comin' Round the Mountain" (Brunswick 263, 1928; Brunswick 425, 1930)
John D. Mounce et al, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (on MusOzarks01)
Elmo Newcomer, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" CroMart 100, n.d. but prob. late 1940s - early 1950s)
Parman and Snyder, "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" (OKeh 45302, 1929; rec. 1928)
Pickard Family, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (Oriole 1502/Conqueror 7251/Microphone [Canada] 22388, 1929; Challenge 992, n.d.; Broadway 8148 [as Pleasant Family], n.d.)
Red River Dave, "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" (Musicraft 287, 1944)
Rhythm Wreckers, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (Vocalion 3341, 1936)
Carson Robison [Trio], "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" (Crown 3027, c. 1930)
Roe Bros. & Morrell, "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" (Columbia 15156-D, 1927)
Pete Seeger, "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" (on PeteSeeger03, PeteSeegerCD03) (on PeteSeeger21)
Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (Columbia 15200-D, 1927; rec. 1926)
Henry Whitter, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (OKeh 40063, 1924)
Jimmie Wilson & his Catfish String Band, "She's Comin' Round the Mountain" (Victor V-40163, 1929)
NOTES: Sandburg states in his 1927 book that mountaineers adapted the African-American spiritual "When the Chariot Comes" into this song which was then spread by railroad work gangs in the Midwest in the 1890's.
WHEN THE CHARIOT COMES
From: Old Plantation Hymns (1899)
O who will drive the chariot when she cu-hu-hu-hu-hums?
O who will drive the chariot when she comes?
O who will drive the chariot? O who will drive the chariot?
O who will drive the chariot when she comes?
King Jesus, he'll be driver, when she cu-hu-hu-hu-hums, etc.
She'll be loaded with bright angels, etc.
She will neither rock not totter, etc.
She will run so level and steady, etc.
She will take us to the portills, etc.
When the Chariot Comes came from the older African-American spiritual, The Old Ship of Zion. There are several old hymns by this title. The Old Ship of Zion was already adapted by the white mountaineers as early as 1904 as it appears in Harper's Magazine, Vol. 109, No. DCXLIX, June, Copyright 1904.
SOME REAL AMERICAN MUSIC
by Emma Bell Miles
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, the old Ship of Zion,
Hit's the old Ship of Zion, as she comes.
She'll be loaded with bright angels when she comes, etc.
Oh, brothers, what will you do when she comes? etc.
We will flee to the rocks and the mountains, etc.
Clearly it's not much of a leap to reach: "She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes" from "We will flee to the rocks and the mountains when she comes." It seem more likely that "She'll be Coming Round the Mountain" is derived directly from and is a parody of the "Old Ship of Zion" and not from the African-American spiritual "When the Chariot Comes" as is commonly accepted.
The song was first recorded Henry Whitter in 1924 and surprisingly the early country versions from Al Hopkins; Uncle Dave Macon and The Skillet Lickers are essentially the same tune and lyrics we sing today.
Including this song tune in my fiddle and instrumental section is essential because it is such a widely known instrumental melody and it was played by many of the early strings bands on the fiddle.
Here are the lyrics from The Skillet Lickers:
SHE'LL BE COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (Columbia 15200-D, 1927; rec. 1926)
(Fiddle intro)
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes,
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes,
She'll be coming around the mountain, she'll be coming around the mountain,
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes.
Fiddle
She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes,
She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes,
She'll be ridin' six white horses, she'll be ridin' six white horses,
She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes.
Fiddle
Oh, we'll have chicken and dumplings when she comes,
Oh, we'll have chicken and dumplings when she comes,
Oh, we'll have chicken and dumplings, we'll have chicken and dumplings,
We'll have chicken and dumplings when she comes.
Fiddle
Oh we'll all go down to meet her when she comes,
Oh we'll all go down to meet her when she comes,
Oh we'll all go down to meet her, we'll all go down to meet her,
We'll all go down to meet her when she comes.
Fiddle
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes,
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes,
She'll be coming around the mountain, she'll be coming around the mountain,
She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes.
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