Posted by lookdownfish on December 9, 2003, at 9:17:54
In reply to Re: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.. » NikkiT2, posted by tealady on December 9, 2003, at 3:56:48
Thanks for the pictures Nikki. Wish I could have gone, but I couldn't skip off work sadly.
As for swing low...I found the following possible explanation:
Swing Low is an African-American gospel song about a runaway slave during the cotton trade. It was arranged by American Henry Thacker Burleigh from a spiritual song his slave grandfather taught him in 1866. The way it became associated with English rugby is not as clear cut. The most popular theory is that it came from a bawdy song sung in the British Army. Officers would sing a version of the spiritual in the mess tent complete with lewd hand actions. Officers played rugby, so it became a favourite bawdy tune sung in local clubs, which was then adopted by English fans. Another theory is that workers in the cotton industry based in Lancashire in Northern England adopted the tune in support of the slaves. English rugby was based in the north and was popular with textile workers, who were becoming unionised and were against the US slave trade.
All a bit tenuous, But tealady, I must ask what has Waltzing Matilda got to do with rugby?!!
poster:lookdownfish
thread:287661
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031207/msgs/287987.html