What do the song lyrics Kumbaya my Lord mean?

"Kumbaya my lord" does not have any definitive or deep literal meaning. The phrase "Kumbaya" (sometimes spelled as "Come by here") may have come from a Gullah phrase which in turn came from the west African Mandinka word "kumm beeya", which means "Come by here". Other sources link the word "kumbaya" with the Bambara languages' word "kuma" which means "Hello" or the Wolof word "kumbaa", used as a form of greeting.

The song began as a spiritual sung by African-Americans in the southern regions of the United States. "Kumbaya my Lord" became popular in the 1960s as part of the folk music revival, where people revived interest in traditional, usually regional, music such as folk, blues, and bluegrass. The song was often used in communal settings to foster harmony, unity, and a sense of belonging. It is usually sung as a call and response, with one person singing a line or verse, and the rest of the group repeating the same.