“She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” was written after a spiritual song of African-American origin, “When the Chariot Comes” and also after and old folk song called “The Old Ship of Zion”. When the Chariot Comes is about the second coming of Christ according to the Bible and it first appeared in Old Plantation Hymns collection from 1899.
“She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” also knowns as “Round the Mountain” was published for the first time in Carl Sandburg’s “The American Songbag” in 1927. It appeared among railway workers in the late 19th century, probably about a new railroad line. The song, a cumulative tale is usually sung with each verse as an answer to the previous one.
Some verses like “pink pajamas” were probably incorporated later when it developed as a sing-along rhyme and it became later campfire song.
“She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” Lyrics
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes, when she comes
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain,
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain
She’ll be coming ’round the mountain when she comes.
She’ll be huffin’ and a-puffin’…
Oh, we’ll all come out to meet her …
We will kill the old red rooster…
She’ll be wearing pink pajamas…
(plus some bawdy ones)
Everybody asks her, did she come.
Everybody asks her, did she come.
They wouldn’t have to mention
If they only paid attention.
Everybody asks her, did she come.
She’s got a lovely titillating smile.
She’s got a lovely titillating smile.
She’s got a lovely titi-,
She’s got a lovely titi-,
She’s got a lovely titillating smile.
She’s got a lovely bottom set of teeth.
She’s got a lovely bottom set of teeth.
She’s got a lovely bottom.
She’s got a lovely bottom.
She’s got a lovely bottom set of teeth.