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Down by the Riverside
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Wikipedia article
"'Down by the Riverside'" (also known as "'Ain't Gonna Study War No More'" and '"Gonna lay down my burden"') is an African-American spiritual. Its roots date back to before the American Civil War, though it was first published in 1918 in 'Plantation Melodies: A Collection of Modern, Popular and Old-time Negro-Songs of the Southland', Chicago, the Rodeheaver Company.Other early prints of Ain't gonna study war no more / Down by the riverside is: Dann, Hollis. Ed.: Fifty-eight spirituals for choral use Boston, C. C. Birchard & Co., c1924. No notes.
Utica Jubilee Singers Spirituals : As Sung at the Utica Normal and Industrial Institute of Mississippi / Taken down by J. Rosamond Johnson. With introduction by C. W. Hyne. Boston : Olivar Ditson Company, nd. Negro Spiritual. Apparently no recordings of Down by the riverside, even though the song vere on the groups repertoire.
Boatner, Edward: Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New (Round Note Edition) : National Baptist Convention, Nashville Tennessee Date Published: (1927). No notes.
Fisher,William Arms: 1926, Seventy Negro Spirituals, edited for low voice. Oliver Ditson Company, NY, sheet music format, pp. 6062. Noted as Negro Spiritual.
Deas, E. C. 1928: Songs and spirituals of Negro composition: The song has alternatively been known as "Ain' go'n' to study war no mo'", "Ain't Gwine to Study War No More", "Down by de Ribberside", "Going to Pull My War-Clothes" and "Study war no more". The song was first recorded by the Fisk University jubilee quartet in 1920 (published by Columbia in 1922), and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II.'Blues and Gospel Records 18901943', 4th ed., OUP, 1997
Because of its pacifistic imagery, "Down by the Riverside" has also been used as an anti-war protest song, especially during the Vietnam War. The song is also included in collections of socialist and labor songs.
Lyrics
The song has many lyrical variations, though usually, each stanza follows a standard form, with one sentence that differs from one stanza to the next. The song often begins:
With the chorus:
Other lines that can appear in stanzas, in place of "Gonna lay down my burden", include:
* Gonna shake hands with every man
* Gonna lay down my heavy load
* Gonna lay down my sword and shield
* Gonna stick my sword in the golden sand
* Gonna try on my long white robe
* Gonna try on my starry crown
* Gonna put on my golden shoes
* Gonna talk with the Prince of Peace
* Gonna shake hands around the world
* Gonna cross the river Jordan
* Gonna climb up on that mountain
* Gonna climb the road to heaven
Themes
The song suggests baptism in water, using the metaphor of crossing the River Jordan to enter the Promised Land in the Old Testament. The refrain of "ain't gonna study war no more" is a reference to a quotation found in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 2, verse 4 (KJV): "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Recordings
Artists who have recorded the song include:
*Al Hirt released a version on his 1961 album, 'He's the King and His Band'.[http://www.discogs.com/Al-Hes-The-King-Hirt-And-His-Band-Al-Hes-The-King-Hirt-And-His-Band/release/2681491 Al Hirt, 'He's the King and His Band'] Retrieved April 6, 2013. and a live version on his 1965 album, 'Live at Carnegie Hall'[http://www.discogs.com/Al-Hirt-Live-At-Carnegie-Hall/release/2325952 Al Hirt, 'Live at Carnegie Hall'] Retrieved April 11, 2013.
* American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer Little Willie Littlefield recorded a version for his 1997 album 'The Red One'.
* Arty Hall & His Radio Rubes, 1937
* Benjamin Luxton & David Willison, 1924
* Sister Rosetta Tharpe, 1944
* Big Bill Broonzy, 1952
* Bill Haley & His Comets performed a live twist version on the 1962 album 'Twistin' Knights at the Roundtable'.
* Bing Crosby and Gary Crosby (recorded November 4, 1953 reached No. 28 in the UK charts).
* The Blind Boys of Alabama (on 'Amazing Grace' and 'Down in New Orleans')
* Bunk Johnson, 1942
* Chimne Badi, 2011 (Gospel & Soul album)
* Chris Barber's Jazz Band, 1954
* Clara Ward
* Cliff Holland
* C. Mae Frierson Moore, 1925
* Les Compagnons de la chanson (under the title 'Qu'il fait bon vivre')
* The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* Dixie Jubilee Singers, 1928
* Dorothy Love Coates
* The Dustbowl Revival, 2014Second Story Garage. "The Dustbowl Revival perform 'Down by the Riverside'". Posted: 11:41 PM; Wednesday, December 17, 2014. [http://secondstorygarage.com/dustbowl-revival-down-by-riverside-music-video/]
* Elvis Presley (on 'Frankie and Johnny' and 'Million Dollar Quartet')
* Etta James
* The Four Knights
* The Four Lads, 1953
* Frederic Rzewski (a classical piano version)
* The Golden Echo Boys [Of God's Bible School], 1930
* Golden Gate Quartet
* Grandpa Elliott and other artists (Playing for Change project), 2014
* Jimmy Durante
* Jimmie Lunceford & his Orchestra, 1940
* Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, 1966
* The Kingpins
* Louis Armstrong (on 'Hello Louis!' and 'Louis and the Good Book')
* Lead Belly
* Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, 1927
* Magomayev Muslim, Soviet Union, 1972 [https://music.yandex.ru/album/3532364/track/29375624]
* Mahalia Jackson
* 'Million Dollar Quartet', Broadway musical and original cast recordingZielinski, Peter James. "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway". Posted: 12:04 PM; Monday, April 12, 2010. [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_MDQ_CurtainParty_20000101]
* Michael Penn (on Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947)
* Dr. Michael White, on his album 'Dancing in the Sky', 2004
* Missouri Pacific Diamond Jubilee Quartette, 1927
*Moon Mullican and the Plainsmen, early 1960s.
* Morehouse College Quartet, 1923
* Mustard & Gravy 'Dixie's Tastiest Combination', 1938
* Nat King Cole
* Norfolk Jazz & Jubilee Quartets, 1927
* Oscar Celestine, 1928
* Paul Anka (on his 1958 album "Paul Anka")
* Pete Seeger
* Peter, Paul and Mary (on 'Around the Campfire')
* Raffi (on 'Bananaphone')
* The Ramblin' Riversiders
* The Real Ale and Thunder Band "At Vespers", recorded at St. Laurence's Parish Church, Downton by BBC Radio Solent, 18 November 1984.
* Roy Hamilton
* Sam Morgan's Jazz Band, 1927
* The Seekers
* Sister Rosetta Tharpe (included in the U.S. National Recording Registry)
* Snooks Eaglin, 1960
* Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
* Sweet Honey in the Rock (on 'We All...Everyone Of Us')
* Taj Mahal, 2013 (on Divided & United, ATO Records)
* Trini Lopez as part of a medley with "Gotta Travel On", "Marianne", "When the Saints Go Marching In", and "Volare".
* Van Morrison (on the CD reissue of 'Tupelo Honey')
* Vaughan Quartet, 1924
* Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis on their 2008 live album, 'Two Men with the Blues'
Soundtrack appearances
The song was featured as a DLC in the Nintendo Wii game Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3
It was used as background music in two episodes of 'SpongeBob SquarePants' known as "Survival of the Idiots" and "Selling Out."
It was played in the 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode "The Next Phase".
Parodies and alternative lyrics
The song was the basis of an Allan Sherman parody called "Don't Buy the Liverwurst". The tune of "Down by the Riverside" was also used in a McDonald's's 1960s jingle, "McDonald's Is My Kind of Place". In episode 72 of the animated television series 'Animaniacs', this song was parodied as "U.N. Me" about the United Nations Headquarters and was later released on their 2nd album, 'Yakko's World'.
In the UK, "Down by the Riverside" was parodied for use by a radio commercial on some local radio stations (namely Mix 107) about eco-friendly travel choices (i.e. leaving the car for one day a week).
JibJab also used the melody in a song about the year 2012 in review (called "2012: The End Is Here!").[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zf7EWZET0 "2012: The End Is Here!"]. JibJab. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
An episode of 'Liv & Maddie' had Liv singing a song about her musical group with senior citizens, "The Golden Chords, " at a retirement home, to the tune of this song.
See also
* List of anti-war songs
References
Category:Gospel songs
Category:African-American spiritual songs
Category:Anti-war songs
Category:Elvis Presley songs
Category:Van Morrison songs
Category:Al Hirt songs
Category:Peter, Paul and Mary songs
Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings
Category:1918 songs
Category:Public domain music
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