Down By The Riverside (song)

"Down by the Riverside" (also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" and "Gonna lay down my burden") is a gospel song. It was first published in “Plantation Melodies: A Collection of Modern, Popular and Old-time Negro-Songs of the Southland”, Chicago, the Rodeheaver Company, 1918. Alternative titles: “Ain' go'n' to study war no mo'”, “Ain't gonna grieve my Lord no more”, “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 is 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.

Lyrics
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.
 * 1) Gonna lay down my burden,

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna lay down my sword and shield

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna try on my long white robe

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna try on my starry crown

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna put on my golden shoes

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna talk with the Prince of Peace

Down by the riverside... Chorus
 * 1) Gonna shake hands around the world

Recordings
Artists who have recorded the song include


 * Al Hirt released a version on his 1961 album, He's the King and His Band and a live version on his 1965 album, Live at Carnegie Hall
 * 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
 * Big Bill Broonzy, 1952
 * Chris Barber´s Jazz Band, 1954
 * Benjamin Luxton & David Willison, 1924
 * C. Mae Frierson Moore, 1925
 * Dixie Jubilee Singers, 1928
 * Dorothy Love Coates
 * Elvis Presley (on Frankie and Johnny and Million Dollar Quartet)
 * Frederic Rzewski (a classical piano version)
 * Golden Gate Quartet
 * James Francis "Jimmy" Durante
 * Jimmie Lunceford & his Orchestra, 1940
 * Louis Armstrong (on Hello Louis! and Louis and the Good Book)
 * Lead Belly
 * Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, 1927
 * Mahalia Jackson
 * Million Dollar Quartet, Broadway musical and original cast recording
 * Michael Penn (on Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947)
 * Missouri Pacific Diamond Jubilee Quartette, 1927
 * Morehouse College Quartet, 1923
 * Mustard & Gravy 'Dixie's Tastiest Combination', 1938
 * Nat King Cole
 * Norfolk Jazz & Jubilee Quartets, 1927
 * Oscar Celestine, 1928
 * Pete Seeger
 * Peter, Paul & Mary (on Around the Campfire)
 * Raffi (on Bananaphone)
 * Sam Morgan´s Jazz Band, 1927
 * Sister Rosetta Tharpe (included in the U.S. National Recording Registry)
 * Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
 * The Blind Boys of Alabama (on Amazing Grace and Down in New Orleans)
 * The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
 * The Golden Echo Boys [Of God's Bible School] 1930.
 * The Kingpins
 * The Seekers
 * Trini Lopez
 * Van Morrison (on the CD reissue of Tupelo Honey)
 * Vaughan Quartet, 1924

Media
The song was featured as a DLC in the Nintendo Wii game Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3

Parodies
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 on some local radio stations (namely Mix 107), a song about eco friendly travel choices (i.e. leaving the car for one day a week) would air during commercial breaks which would be a parody of Down By The Riverside. JibJab also parodied the song about the year 2012 in review (called "2012: The End Is Here!"), which was posted coincidentally on December 20, 2012, the day before the supposed "Mayan Apocalypse".