Released in 1961
The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In)
Written by Traditional
Last updated on March 8, 2025
Released in 1961
Written by Traditional
Last updated on March 8, 2025
Album This song officially appears on the My Bonnie 7" Single.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1961
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
First Beatles recording sessions with Tony Sheridan
June 22nd-23rd 1961
The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 3
Jan 06, 1969
Feb 24, 1981
I don't know a thing about the guitar
October 1964 • From Beat Instrumental
“When the Saints Go Marching In“, often referred to simply as “The Saints“, is a traditional Black spiritual that originated as a Christian hymn. Over time, it became closely associated with jazz, particularly in New Orleans. One of the most famous jazz recordings of The Saints was made by Louis Armstrong and his orchestra on May 13, 1938.
Paul McCartney’s first instrument was a trumpet, given to him by his father when he was 14. The first song he learned to play was “The Saints.” However, he soon decided to sell the trumpet in favor of a guitar.
In 1961, Tony Sheridan recorded a rock and roll version of The Saints, featuring The Beatles — then an unknown band — as his backing group. This arrangement deviated significantly from the traditional lyrics. The recording was originally released as the B-side of the single “My Bonnie.”
During the Beatles’ “Get Back” sessions on January 6, 1969, Paul McCartney played a brief version of “The Saints.“
Decades later, in 2020, McCartney paid tribute to the song again — this time using Louis Armstrong’s own trumpet — to perform “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In” as part of the ‘Round Midnight Preserves benefit concert.
As many people already know, the very first musical instrument I played was a trumpet, a rather battered old thing which was given to me when I was 14 years old. My father says he gave it to me because I’d always seemed interested in music from the time I was a ‘tiddler,’ and he thought it would be a suitable instrument for me to learn to play. ‘Course, I immediately fancied myself as Louis Armstrong, but I only got as far as learning ‘The Saints (When The Saints Go Marching In)’ before I got fed up with it. It used to hurt my lip and I didn’t fancy the thought of walking around like a beat-up boxer, so I decided to buy myself a guitar.
Paul McCartney – Interview with Beat Instrumental – October 1964
Well a-when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Mmm I want to be
I'm gonna be in that number
Ooh, when the saints go marching in
Oh when the sun, yeah, begins to shine
When that old sun above begins to shine,
I tell you something: I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be in that number
When the sun begins to shine
Yeah when my lord, mmm, he calls me there
Ah when my lord calls, yeah ge calls me there
I'll tell you something that I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be in that number
Oh when my old lord calls me there
Yeah, when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching, marching in
I tell you something I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be in that number
Yeah, when the saints go marching in
Well when the sun, yeah, begins to shine.
Whoo, when that sun begins to shine
I tell you something I'm gonna be
I'm a-gonna be in that number, whoo
When that old sun, boy, begins to shine
I say one time
Ah-ha, mmm, ah-ha yeah
Oh, I like it that way baby
Mmm, yeah, ooh
When the saints go marching in
Yeah when the saints go marching in
Yeah when the saints go marching in
I tell you something, that I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be in that number,
Yeah when the saints go marching in
When my lord, he calls me there
Yeah when my lord, he calls me there
I'll tell you something that I'm gonna be
Gonna be, I'm a-gonna be in that number
Yeah, when the saints go marching in
A/B Road Complete Get Back Sessions - Jan 6th, 1969 - 5
Unofficial album • Released in 2004
0:06 • Rehearsal • Jan.06 - D5-13 - When The Saints Go Marching In 6.109
Session Recording: Jan 06, 1969 • Studio Twickenham Film Studios, London, UK
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
0:18 • Alternate take • (Paul playing trumpet)
Concert From "'Take It Away' promotional video filming" in Borehamwood, United Kingdom on Jun 23, 1982
Unofficial live • Released in 2022
Live
Concert From "'Round Midnight Preserves" in , on Jun 20, 2020
“The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In)” has been played in 1 concerts.
Jun 20, 2020 •
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Austin Foster • 2 years ago
A recording of When The Saints Go Marching In is also included as a hidden track on the Archive edition of Wild Life after Africa Yeah Yeah
The PaulMcCartney Project • 2 years ago
Really? I didn't know that, will check it out, Thanks Austin.
Jan • 1 year ago
I played my Wild Life Archive cd but couldn’t find this hidden track. How can you get access to it?
