The original song was published in "Old Plantation Hymns" in 1899. It ostensibly refers to the Second Coming of Christ and subsequent Rapture, with the "she" referring to the chariot that the returning Christ is depicted as driving. Typically, "she" would refer to the church itself, not a chariot since nowhere in the Bible is Christ on a chariot. Like many spirituals that originated in the African-American community, this was probably a coded anthem for the Underground Railroad. It was also used in labor circles to refer to Mother Jones, who frequently visited far-flung communities with labor issues.