"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,[1] 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.[2] 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 Universityjubilee quartet in 1920 (published by Columbia in 1922), and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II.[3]
Because of its pacifistic imagery, "Down by the Riverside" has also been used as an anti-warprotest song, especially during the Vietnam War.[1] The song is also included in collections of socialist and labor songs.[4]
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:
Gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside (3×)
Gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside
With the chorus:
I ain't gonna study war no more
Study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
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
Gonna walk down that road of peace
Gonna take all of my brethren
Themes
Much of this spiritual contains Biblical imagery.[5] In general, the song is focused on the concept of leaving the feelings of anger and pessimism behind, as to have a new spiritual dress, in the setting of a riverside, prior to going across it.[6]
The song suggests baptism in water, using the metaphor of crossing the River Jordan to enter the Promised Land in the Old Testament.[7] 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."[1] One of the lines also references Jesus Christ, specifically, "Gonna talk with the Prince of Peace," as the "Prince of Peace" is a common title for Jesus. In "Gonna climb the road to heaven," the road is a metaphor for the difficult journey of life, as a road and travel can be dangerous and full of trial. This sentiment is similar to the line, "Gonna climb up on that mountain," which again is symbolic of the arduous journey of life.
It was played in Ted Lasso episode "208 ('Man City')" as Isaac MacAdoo gives a haircut to Sam Obisanya with the team in the AFC Richmond locker room.
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!").[18]
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.
^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 was on the group's 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. 60–62. Noted as Negro Spiritual.
Deas, E. C. 1928: Songs and spirituals of Negro composition:
^Blues and Gospel Records 1890–1943, 4th ed., OUP, 1997
^Morgan, Elizabeth (2014). Socialist and Labor Songs: An International Revolutionary Songbook. Oakland, California: PM Press & Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company. p. 38. ISBN978-1-60486-392-5.
