Down by the Riverside
Encyclopedia
"Down by the Riverside" (also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" and "Gonna lay down my burden") is a traditional gospel
song. It was first published in Carl Sandburg
's The American Songbag (1927) and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II.
"Down by the Riverside" has a long history and was known in Civil War
times. It was sung by blacks. The line "I ain't goin' to study war no more" perhaps originated about this time. Slaves from the American South sung this song as a work song and added many lines to it from other spirituals
. It has endured far into modern times with little changes since.
Chorus:
I ain't go study war no more,
study war no more,
ain't go study war no more.
I ain't go study war no more,
study war no more,
ain't go study oh war no more.
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
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".
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
song. It was first published in Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
's The American Songbag (1927) and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II.
"Down by the Riverside" has a long history and was known in Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
times. It was sung by blacks. The line "I ain't goin' to study war no more" perhaps originated about this time. Slaves from the American South sung this song as a work song and added many lines to it from other spirituals
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
. It has endured far into modern times with little changes since.
Lyrics
- Gonna lay down my burden,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.
Gonna lay down my burden,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.
Chorus:
I ain't go study war no more,
study war no more,
ain't go study war no more.
I ain't go study war no more,
study war no more,
ain't go study oh war no more.
- Gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
- Gonna try on my long white robe
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
- Gonna try on my starry crown
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
- Gonna put on my golden shoes
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
- Gonna talk with the Prince of Peace
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
- Gonna shake hands around the world
Down by the riverside...
Chorus
Recordings
Artists who have recorded the song include- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(on Frankie and JohnnyFrankie and Johnny (album)Frankie and Johnny is the twenty-fifth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3553, in March 1966 — the March 1 date is disputed. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on May 12, 13, and 14, 1965. It peaked at #20 on...
and Million Dollar QuartetMillion Dollar Quartet"Million Dollar Quartet" is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. It was arguably the first...
) - Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
(on Hello Louis!) - Lead Belly
- Peter, Paul & Mary (on Around the Campfire)
- Sonny TerrySonny TerrySaunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia...
& Brownie McGheeBrownie McGheeWalter Brown McGhee was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaborations with the harmonica player Sonny Terry.-Life and career:... - Mahalia Jackson
- Sister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta Tharpe was an Amercian pioneering gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll accompaniment...
(included in the U.S. National Recording RegistryNational Recording RegistryThe National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording...
) - The SeekersThe SeekersThe Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
- RaffiRaffi (musician)Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
(on BananaphoneBananaphoneBananawhoa is a popular children's album released by Raffi in 1994. The title track's lyrics describes the bananaphone. The song uses many puns such as "It's a phone with appeal!" and nonce words like "bananular" and "interactive-odular" as Raffi extols the virtues of his unique telephone. The...
) - Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
(on the CD reissue of Tupelo HoneyTupelo HoneyTupelo Honey is the fifth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs on the album in Woodstock, New York before his move to Marin County, California, except for "You're My Woman", which...
) - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
- Frederic RzewskiFrederic RzewskiFrederic Anthony Rzewski is an American composer and virtuoso pianist.- Biography :Rzewski began playing piano at age 5. He attended Phillips Academy, Harvard and Princeton, where his teachers included Randall Thompson, Roger Sessions, Walter Piston and Milton Babbitt...
(a classical piano version) - Jan Jankeje Swingende Weihnachtsmänner (a classical Swing Trio, klarinet, banjo, bass version)
- Million Dollar QuartetMillion Dollar Quartet"Million Dollar Quartet" is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. It was arguably the first...
, Broadway musical and original cast recording
Media
Parodies
The song was the basis of an Allan ShermanAllan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
parody called "Don't Buy the Liverwurst". The tune of "Down by the Riverside" was also used in a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
's 1960s jingle, "McDonald's Is My Kind of Place". In episode 72 of the animated television series Animaniacs
Animaniacs
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
, this song was parodied as "U.N. Me" about the United Nations Headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
and was later released on their 2nd album, "Yakko's World".