She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain

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History Nugget: “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain”

The tune “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain” might sound like a cheerful campfire song today, but its roots go surprisingly deep into American history. It actually began life as a spiritual sung by enslaved African Americans in the 1800s called “When the Chariot Comes.” That original version was filled with Biblical imagery and hope for deliverance — “She” referred to the chariot that would carry souls to freedom.

In the late 19th century, railroad workers and folk singers adapted the melody and rhythm into the version we know now. “She” was reimagined as a train rather than a heavenly chariot, and the song spread through the Appalachian Mountains, logging camps, and railroad lines. Folk collectors like Carl Sandburg and John Lomax helped preserve it in print during the early 1900s, and it became a staple of American folk and children’s music.

So while it may sound playful, every “toot toot!” and “yee-ha!” echoes a much older story — one of faith, freedom, and the rolling rhythm of America in motion.

Full Lyrics: “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain”
(Traditional American folk song)

1️⃣
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes, (woo-hoo!)
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes, (woo-hoo!)
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain,
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain,
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes. (woo-hoo!)

2️⃣
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes, (whoa, back!)
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes, (whoa, back!)
She’ll be driving six white horses,
She’ll be driving six white horses,
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes. (whoa, back!)

3️⃣
We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes, (hi, babe!)
We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes, (hi, babe!)
We’ll all go out to meet her,
We’ll all go out to meet her,
We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes. (hi, babe!)

4️⃣
We’ll be havin’ chicken and dumplings when she comes, (yum, yum!)
We’ll be havin’ chicken and dumplings when she comes, (yum, yum!)
We’ll be havin’ chicken and dumplings,
We’ll be havin’ chicken and dumplings,
We’ll be havin’ chicken and dumplings when she comes. (yum, yum!)

5️⃣
We’ll all be shoutin’ “Hallelujah!” when she comes, (hallelujah!)
We’ll all be shoutin’ “Hallelujah!” when she comes, (hallelujah!)
We’ll all be shoutin’ “Hallelujah!”,
We’ll all be shoutin’ “Hallelujah!”,
We’ll all be shoutin’ “Hallelujah!” when she comes. (hallelujah!)