Song of the Day 3/28: Louis Armstrong, “When the Saints Go Marching In”

Among the songs the Library of Congress added to its National Recording Registry last week is Louis Armstrong’s first recording of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the gospel spiritual based on the Book of Revelations that Armstrong turned into a New Orleans jazz standard, helping usher gospel music traditions into popular music. Armstrong had been singing the song since childhood, when it was performed at a more stately pace, commensurate with its use at funerals.

The roots of the song are unknown, but it’s similar to other folk spirituals with the same theme that evolved around the turn of the century. This is the first recording of the song, by the Paramount Jubilee Singers in 1923. It has since been recorded by more than 1,000 other artists.

Among them was the Fats Domino, who gave it an early rock ‘n’ roll treatment.