Why I can't watch English rugby

English rugby fans are known for singing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" as one of their 'victory' songs. But, as a Black American and rugby supporter, I just can't stomach the sound of it. When I hear it I recoil in the same way as when people have hurled racial abuse at me on the bus.

The Fisk Singers were the first to perform "Swing Low"

I've felt this way about the song for a long time but hadn't been able to articulate why it incensced me so much. Then I read a great article about 'Spirituals are the songs of slavery - here's why it's important who sings them' and it helped me crystalise my ideas on the subject and why.

What is "Swing Low"?

Elijah getting raptured like a boss

Swing Low Sweet Chariot is an African-American spiritual based on the biblical story of Elijah.
"2 Kings 2:11 - And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Then he dropped his mantle back down to Elisha - the first mic drop of history

The song is believed to have been originally sung by Wallace Willis when he was still a slave and transcribed for the the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The group then brought the song, as well as some of Willis' other songs, to prominence. As with many spirituals, Willis' songs were likely learned while at church or working in the fields. 

Why slaves sang

Slaves weren't allowed to congregate outside of church on Sunday. In fact, when African slaves were first brought to America they were deliberately split up from people who spoke the same language so that they couldn't communicate or remember practices and traditions from their homeland. Children of slaves were often taken from their parents and sold as well.

However, songs and melodies transcended this lack of common background and music soon developed as a way of communicating, and new aural traditions were born. Singing not only helped pass the time while enduring inhuman work conditions, it allowed them to communicate feelings, beliefs, and later pass on secret messages. 

Better off dead

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot" is a song about belief in the after life and deliverance from the horrors of slavery. It exclaims "I looked over Jordan and what did I see? A band of angels coming after me (coming for to a carry me home)." The song, as in many spirituals, is about the unshakeable belief in a better after life. It's a plea to be taken "home" to heaven - a plea for death.

Spirituals are songs charged with history. My enslaved ancestors' dichotomous spirit of defiance and despair; hope and hopelessness still shakes me to my core. To know that they still had hope despite the horrific conditions they lived under shows a fortitude of character and spirit that I don't think most of us could muster today.

Most spirituals have a common thread of the after life being a promise of something better - a reward for the pain suffered in life. It's pretty grim, but impressive that they managed to stay alive (and sane) through it.

So what's my beef with English rugby

It's not that 'other people' can't sing the song. But, it should be sung with the understanding of what it means and in tribute to the people who created it. It's not a rugby chant for a bit of levity to be sung by a bunch of people who's ancestors were responsible for people needing to create the song in the first place. It'd be like the ex who cheated on you reading your mournful break up poetry as a toast to their new bride.

Better yet, imagine your mopey teen daughter singing "soon I will be done with the troubles of the world" - another actual spiritual. You'd be pretty worried wouldn't you? Then if she actually died, imagine they start singing the song down the pub as part of a drinking game?

A song that encompasses the hope and horror of slavery, a period in history who's affects are still being felt in our culture, can't really be divorced from the context because a bunch of people want it to.

Conversation with actual English rugby fan
"We're proud of our song," - It's not your song.
"It's not about slavery," - Oh yes it is.
"But that's not what we're singing about," - My point exactly
"It's just a song," - Yeah? And a hijab is technically just a piece of cloth. But y'all are still mad about people trying to wear them. Other people's culture is either meaningful or not. You can't have it both ways?
"But we started singing it to celebrate a black guy who scored tries," - What the actual f**k? (seriously, look up Chris Oti). That kind of makes it worse.

Apparently, the Oti thing is only part of the story. It's reported that a group of fans from Market Bosworth in England helped kick it off in 1988 and it's stuck ever since.

"No body really knew what it was or where it came from. It just sort of became the anthem for the supporters of the England team." Well, I do know where it came from and it's not about your team "being under the cosh".

I'm not saying there's ever been any ill-intention. But, that doesn't make me less sad to hear it misappropriated. A bunch of white dudes trying to win at sports ball isn't at all equal to the desire of a repressed race deciding being dead will be a relief from life.

Cultural imperialism

You can't just have it because you want it. Some things come with baggage. It's not that you can't appreciate it or celebrate it. But sometimes it's not appropriate to use. For example, even though the 'N' word is used by black rappers and Eminem grew up in mostly black neighbourhoods and is a rapper, he still won't use the 'N' word. Why? Because it's not appropriate. It's not his word to reclaim.

England's history of colonisation and cultural appropriation is obvious to anyone who's read a history book. And, guess what? The original Americans were English. Americans are your bratty long lost cousin. They went to American, murdered the natives, then came back across the water, kidnapped a bunch of other folks, then put them to work as slaves.

So much of our culture in both American and Britain are infact parts that we've absorbed through our multicultural heritage. The problem is the refusal to acknowledge and respect the backgrounds that bring them to us, or a lack of understanding of and an inability to own up to the places where that history caused hurt.

Sadly, Brexit for some was a demonstration of the overwhelming lack of understanding. Everybody loves curry and shampoo. But some people still have issue with Indian neighbours. Well, the sad news is all the brown people you want gone are here because you took over their countries and were forced to have reciprocal immigration policies. They're not going to go away because of the European Union.

What to do with English rugby?

I don't think anything's going to change because some opinionated Black guy writes a blog about it. I either don't watch England matches or watch with the sound off (don't get me started on the crazy biased commentary as well). Because when I hear a big ol' group of English fans sing "Swing low" it's like hearing them use the 'N' word. Cutlture was stolen from my ancestors. But, despite the worst odds and conditions, they continued to hope and dream and be creative and stay strong. They carried bits of their heritage inside of them. Then they took the words and worship that were available to them and assembled something new and amazing.

And now someone has stolen that.