She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain facts for kids

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain is a very old and popular folk song that many people know, especially kids! It's often sung at camps or during fun sing-alongs. This song actually came from an even older Christian spiritual song called "When the Chariot Comes." It's so well-known that it has a special number, 4204, in a big list of folk songs called the Roud Folk Song Index.

The Story Behind the Song

The first time "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" appeared in a book was in 1927, in a collection called The American Songbag by Carl Sandburg. He wrote that the tune came from an old African-American spiritual. This spiritual was then changed by railroad workers in the central United States around the 1890s. They adapted the words to fit their lives and work.

The original spiritual, "When the Chariot Comes," was published in 1899. It was a religious song, and the "chariot" was a symbol for something important coming. However, over time, the song changed. The version we know today became popular with railroad workers. It then turned into a fun song for everyone, especially children. You can often hear it at campfires or in schools. Many famous musicians have recorded this song, like Bing Crosby and Neil Young.

Different Ways to Sing It

Over the years, many people have made their own versions of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain." Here are a few examples:

• The very first recordings of the song were made by Henry Whitter in 1924 and Vernon Dalhart in 1925.
• In a children's songbook from 1985, the song was rewritten with new words. These new lyrics describe "she" doing more and more things, like "She'll be ridin' on a camel" or "She'll be tuggin' on two turtles."
• The German song "Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir" uses the same tune. Another German song, "Tante aus Marokko," also uses the melody. It tells a story about an aunt riding a camel with pistols!
• Some sports fans at the University of Cambridge in England sing a different set of words to this tune.
• In Scotland, there's a children's song called "Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny Aff A Bus" that uses the same melody.
• The Scottish football team Glasgow Rangers also use the tune for one of their chants.

The Song in Cartoons and Movies

This song is so famous that it has appeared in many cartoons and movies:

• In a 1938 cartoon called Mickey's Trailer, Goofy sings the song while driving.
• Donald Duck sings it in the 1941 cartoon Timber.
• The characters from Peanuts sang the song in their 1977 movie Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown. They also sang it in an episode of This Is America, Charlie Brown about building the Transcontinental Railroad.
• In The Magic School Bus TV show, Mrs. Frizzle and Carlos sing the song in one episode. In another episode, Mrs. Frizzle sings a changed version: "We'll make changes in the mountain as we roll."