Down by the Riverside

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For the film, see Down by the Riverside (film).
For the short story by Richard Wright, see Uncle Tom's Children.
"Down by the Riverside" (also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" and "Gonna
lay down my burden") is a Negro spiritual song. 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 University
Jubilee 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-
war protest song, especially during the Vietnam War.[1]

Contents
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1Lyrics
2Meaning
3Recordings
4Soundtrack appearances
5Parodies and alternate lyrics
6References

Lyrics[edit]
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 sleepy head
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 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 upon that mountain
Gonna climb the road to heaven
Meaning[edit]
The song's central image is of casting off negativity and aggression, and putting on spiritual
garb, at the side of a river before crossing it. The image has several meanings: it refers
to baptism, which in the Southern Baptist tradition usually involves wearing a white robe
and being submerged in a body of water. It also refers to ascending to heaven after death,
using the metaphor of the River Jordan, which in the Old Testament was the final passage
before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land after their years in the desert.[4] As with
many Negro spirituals, the biblical imagery can also be read as a hidden allusion to
escaping slavery, with the river representing the Ohio River, which was a border between
states where slavery was allowed and prohibited before the American Civil War.[5]
The refrain of "ain't gonna study war no more" is a reference to a quotation found in the Old
Testament: "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more."[1] This quote occurs twice in the Bible, in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3, and is part of
the swords to ploughshares motif.

Recordings[edit]
Artists who have recorded the song include:

Al Hirt released a version on his 1961 album, He's the King and His Band[6] and a live
version on his 1965 album, Live at Carnegie Hall[7]
American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer Little Willie Littlefield recorded a
version for his 1997 album The Red One.
Arty Hall & His Radio Rubes, 1937
Benjamin Luxton & David Willison, 1924
Big Bill Broonzy, 1952
Bill Haley & His Comets performed a live twist version on the 1962 album Twistin'
Knights at the Roundtable.
Bing Crosby and Gary Crosby (recorded November 4, 1953[8] - reached No. 28 in the
UK charts).[9]
The Blind Boys of Alabama (on Amazing Grace and Down in New Orleans)
Bunk Johnson, 1942
Cedarmont Kids
Chimne Badi, 2011 (Gospel & Soul album)
Chris Barbers Jazz Band, 1954
Clara Ward
Cliff Holland
C. Mae Frierson Moore, 1925
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dixie Jubilee Singers, 1928
Dorothy Love Coates
The Dustbowl Revival, 2014[10]
Elvis Presley (on Frankie and Jo