Gospel Song – When the Saints Go Marching In

November 4, 2020

Gospel Song – When the Saints Go Marching In.

This gospel classic has uncertain origins, but we do know it is a part of the early African American folk tradition. The song has become universal in terms of its presence in musical history, and it’s probably the most covered gospel song of all time. “When the Saints” was first recorded in 1923, with many more renditions soon following throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s. It has long been associated within the New Orleans tradition because of the appeal of Louis Armstrong’s version in 1938. Armstrong’s version became the jazz standard and is an indelible part of New Orleans culture. Many other renditions have been produced, from folk to rock to roots music. Van Morrison even fashioned the song as a beautiful, slow-moving ballad. There is no “official” version of the lyrics, since it would be so easy to write one’s own lyrics as one stayed within the basic structure of the song. It is often song in the African American tradition of call and response. “When the Saints” expresses the joy of anticipating heaven, the strong desire to march through the pearly gates with all the other believers.