The first appearance of "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" in print was in
Carl Sandburg's
The American Songbag in 1927. Sandburg reports that the
Negro spiritual "When the Chariot Comes", which was sung to the same melody, was adapted by railroad workers in the
Midwestern United States during the 1890s. It is often heard today with responses that
add on to the previous verse. The original song was published in
Old Plantation Hymns in 1899. It ostensibly refers to the
Second Coming of Christ and subsequent
Rapture, with the
she referring to the
chariot that the returning Christ is depicted as driving. The secularized version that developed among railroad work gangs in the late 19th century has become a standard over the years, appearing in printed collections of children's music while also being performed by both children and adults in
sing-alongs, particularly as a
campfire song. Since the mid-1920s, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" has been recorded by numerous musicians, ranging from
Tommy Tucker and
Bing Crosby to
Pete Seeger and
Neil Young. ==Variations==