Amazing Grace
| "Amazing Grace" | |
|---|---|
 Page 53 of Olney Hymns showing the first stanza of the hymn beginning with "Amazing Grace!" | |
| Genre | Christian hymn |
| Text | John Newton |
| Meter | 8.6.8.6 (Common metre) |
| Melody | New Britain |
| Audio sample | |
Rendition by the United States Marine Band (vocalist with band accompaniment) | |
"Amazing Grace" is a poem written in 1772 by Englishman John Newton. The poem named, "Faith's Review and Expectation", was where the song came from. It was set to music. A seventh stanza, by an unknown author, has been added to most versions since 1829, beginning with the words, "When we've been there ten thousand years". In some versions, stanzas five and six to the song are cut and go directly to the seventh.
Original lyrics
[change | change source]Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Other versions
[change | change source]Another verse was first recorded in Harriet Beecher Stowe's influential 1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Three verses were sung by Tom.[1] He sings the sixth and fifth verses in that order, and Stowe included another verse, not written by Newton, that had been passed down orally in African-American communities and churches:[2][3]
Recorded versions
[change | change source]The U.S. Library of Congress has a collection of 3,000 versions of and songs inspired by "Amazing Grace". More contemporary versions include samples from such popular artists as Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers (1963), the Byrds (1970), Elvis Presley (1971), Skeeter Davis (1972), Mighty Clouds of Joy (1972), Amazing Rhythm Aces (1975), Willie Nelson (1976) and the Lemonheads (1992).[6]
Impact
[change | change source]With the message that forgiveness and redemption, "Amazing Grace" is one of the most recognisable songs in the English-speaking world. American historian Gilbert Chase said that it is "without a doubt the most famous of all the folk hymns".[7] Jonathan Aitken, a Newton biographer, estimates that the song is performed about 10 million times annually.[8]
Since 1954, when an organ instrumental of "New Britain" became a best-seller, "Amazing Grace" has been associated with funerals and memorial services.[9]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Stowe, p. 417.
- ↑ "The complicated story behind the famous hymn 'Amazing Grace'". TheWorld.org. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ↑ "Amazing Grace: The slave trade links of the 'most beloved' song in the US". BBC. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ↑ Aitken, p. 235.
- ↑ Watson, p. 216.
- ↑ Amazing Grace: Special Presentation: Amazing Grace Timeline United States Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ↑ Chase, p. 181.
- ↑ Aitken, p. 224.
- ↑ Turner, p. 159.