“She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain”

Description

"She'll coming round the mountain when she comes." The unidentified "she" arrives with great pomp and ceremony, and is greeted with celebration (e.g. the killing and cooking of the old red rooster). The song often is supplemented by summer camp nonsense

Notes

Fuld reports that "substantially this melody" was in print in 1899 in "Old Plantation Hymns," but the text was "When the Chariot Comes." Fuld assumes the "Round the Mountain" lyrics are more recent (he knows of no printing before Sandburg).

The notes in Brown list it as a "parody or secularization of 'The Old Ship of Zion'" (included in the index as "The Old Ship of Zion (I), but note that the phrase is not found in Sandburg's spiritual version); Roud goes so far as to lump them. The Brown text does mention Mary, though it's not clear that this is the mother of Jesus. - RBW

The anonymous singer on Unexp1 sings "There's a 'skeeter on my peter, sweet Marie." Folk process. - PJS

Same tune

• 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)

Cross references

• 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)

Recordings

• 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)

References

1. BrownIII 460, "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" (1 text)
2. 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)
3. Lomax-FSNA 214 "She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 276, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" (1 text)
5. Fuld-WFM, pp. 496-497, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain"
6. DT, COMRND2*
7. Roud #4204
8. BI, San372