The lyric from “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain” is “She’ll be driving six white horses.” The image of a six-horse team is the song’s familiar traditional wording.
The song is an American folk tune adapted from the African-American spiritual “When the Chariot Comes.” Its melody and verses became widely known through oral tradition, children’s singing, and camp or classroom performances. The phrase “coming ’round the mountain” evokes an eagerly anticipated arrival, while the repeated verses invite singers to add new details.
Different versions sometimes substitute lines or add comic verses, so listeners may encounter variations in the vehicle, passengers, or actions. The “six white horses” line remains the standard form in the commonly sung version. “Mules,” “ponies,” and “oxen” fit the general farm-and-frontier imagery but are not the canonical completion.
The song is also frequently associated with a familiar tune shared with “When the Chariot Comes.” That connection helps explain why the piece can sound both like a children’s round and like a spiritual-derived folk song.