# She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain

“She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain” is an American folk song documented in the 1920s whose melody and refrain pattern are linked to an 1899 spiritual.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | 1924 recording; 1927 print, with an 1899 spiritual precursor |
| Best for ages | 3–8 |
| Mood | playful, dancing, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/shell-be-coming-round-the-mountain/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes,
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes,
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain,
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain,
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes.

She’ll be drivin’ six white horses, when she comes,
She’ll be drivin’ six white horses, when she comes,
She’ll be drivin’ six white horses,
She’ll be drivin’ six white horses,
She’ll be drivin’ six white horses, when she comes.

Oh we’ll all go to meet her, when she comes,
Oh we’ll all go to meet her, when she comes,
We will kill the old red rooster,
We will kill the old red rooster,
And we’ll all have chicken and dumplin’, when she comes.

## How to sing it

1. Begin slowly so everyone can hear the repeated words and the action cue.
2. Circle one arm for the mountain, pretend to hold reins for the horses, and wave while going out to meet her.
3. Repeat the song once and invite a different child to lead the cues.

## Common questions

**Where did She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain come from?**

The familiar folk song was recorded in 1924 and printed by Carl Sandburg in 1927. Its melodic and refrain pattern is connected to the African American spiritual “When the Chariot Comes,” printed in 1899.

**Is every displayed stanza printed in Carl Sandburg’s 1927 version?**

Yes. All three stanzas follow Carl Sandburg’s The American Songbag (1927), including the third, in which everyone goes to meet her, the old red rooster is killed and there is chicken and dumplings when she comes. Sandburg prints the spiritual “When the Chariot Comes” beside it.

## Sources

- [The Traditional Ballad Index — She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain](https://balladindex.org/Ballads/San372.html)
- [Carl Sandburg — The American Songbag (1927)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Carl_Sandburg_-_The_American_Songbag.pdf)
- [Old Plantation Hymns (1899) — “When the Chariot Comes”](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Old_plantation_hymns%3B_a_collection_of_hitherto_unpublished_melodies_of_the_slave_and_the_freedman%2C_with_historical_and_descriptive_notes_%28IA_cu31924066563655%29.pdf)