The hymn Nearer My God To Thee was written by Sarah Flower Adams (1805-1848). Adams was a British actress and poet. According to the website Share Faith, Adams wrote the song after leaving the theater due to health issues. The site also details the inspiration for the song: “A pastor from the Unitarian church was visiting with Adams’ family one afternoon. He mentioned that he was having difficulty finding a hymn that represented his next week’s sermon, taken from on Genesis 28:11-19 (The story of Jacob’s dream). Sarah volunteered to write a hymn for the occasion. Within the week, Nearer My God to Thee was born.”
I grew up hearing and singing Nearer My God To Thee. I love the language used in old hymns. The lovely lyrics of praise always make me want to add words like beckon, thee, shall, and thou to my daily conversations.
I hope you liked the song. I especially like Paul’s chiming guitar. As always-Pap and Paul’s harmony is like a lullaby.
Tipper
28 Comments
OkieJammer
February 6, 2022 at 9:17 pmThis arrangement is simply wonderful, different than I’ve heard before and it draws in the listener – right to the heart. Wow. Thank you.
Dave George
April 1, 2014 at 8:04 pmLove how this song is performed! How do I get the lyrics?
kay
August 1, 2013 at 9:25 amThis is just wonderful, they have such good harmony, I will keep this post,and play every day. Thank you very much for sharing this. Kay
Debbie Nixon
August 25, 2019 at 8:36 pmWell done song love to hear paps tenor voice. Nearer my GOD to thee shouldn’t we all want this in our lives. Sometimes our struggles in life we tend to drift away. This song brings great peace and comfort to me
Rev. RB
July 31, 2013 at 8:08 pmLovely, just lovely.
God bless.
RB
<><
Debbie Nixon
August 25, 2019 at 8:35 pmWell done song love to hear paps tenor voice. Nearer my GOD to thee shouldn’t we all want this in our lives. Sometimes our struggles in life we tend to drift away. This song brings great peace and comfort to me.
lynn legge
July 29, 2013 at 3:07 pmtipper this is so beautiful.. sounds like angels right there in your home 🙂 as always many hugs and blessings to you all…
and btw those beans look delicious..
🙂
xox
lynn
Teresa
July 29, 2013 at 11:37 amWhen I was the youth director, we always did contemporary music AND I made them learn the old hymns of the church.
Kerry in GA
July 28, 2013 at 8:28 pmVery, very pretty. I like the chiming guitar too. 🙂
Sue Crane
July 28, 2013 at 7:02 pmI’m very partial to the old gospel tunes and find them soothing. As usual, Paul & Pap own it!!!!
dolores
July 28, 2013 at 5:24 pmSo beautiful! Such a great hymn for my Sunday!
Jackie
July 28, 2013 at 4:28 pmThere’s a lot of theology taught by the older hymns. We don’t get much of that from the ‘praise’ songs. I usually refer to them as 7 11 music. You find 7 words and sing them 11 times. Our church has a blend on Sunday morning. Once in a while we will devote Sunday evening to hymn singing with congregants calling out their favorite. When I go home after one of those evenings I feel like I have been to worship.
Ken
July 28, 2013 at 3:08 pmTipper,
I like it when both guys get to
lead, kinda like the Louvin Bros.
Pap plays rhythm so natural and
he’s always relaxed. It’s hard to
beat the old timey songs of faith.
…Ken
Jane Bolden
July 28, 2013 at 2:09 pmSo pretty!! Love the way their voices blend. You can tell they’re related.
Lola Howard
July 28, 2013 at 12:56 pmJust great as always .love their singing and playing .
It brings back memories when my dad and bros. and friends would get together and play and sing.
Who is the young man ? I new to your web site so I don’t know everyone yet.
Tell them to keep singing and playing. They sure bless me.
Phyllis
July 28, 2013 at 11:26 amPerfect harmony and so inspirational. Thanks once again.
Sherry
July 28, 2013 at 11:04 amHow beautiful. Thank you. My sister, Charline and I just experienced our precious mother’s passing in May, to heaven and that makes heaven even more sweeter and this hymn is a blessing and sung so beautifully,
Shirla
July 28, 2013 at 9:20 amI agree that their harmony is just like a lullaby. That song will be playing in my head all day, helping me to feel Nearer My God To Thee on this beautiful Sunday.
Tamela
July 28, 2013 at 8:59 amA lovely version. It inspires memories of my sister and I snuggling in with our grandparents and great-grandparents while our parents sang in the church choir.
That memory also saddens me since so many churches now discourage small ones in the sanctuary during worship. So far, our church encourages children to be present during worship and for that I am greatful. Nearer to family and nearer to God.
Don Casada
July 28, 2013 at 8:38 amThe words, melody, and Pap and Paul’s singing are all simply lovely – thanks for your Sunday morning hymns, Tipper.
This takes me back over half a century to a summer Sunday morning, a little congregation singing the old tunes from dark crimson-backed hymnals, hand fans made from church bulletins, swatting at wasps flying in through the propped-open stained glass windows (there is an art to the discrete swatting of wasps, by the way), with thoughts of eternity being informed by both the preaching and a young’uns stomach growling in contemplation of his Mama’s drumsticks, fresh tomatoes, fried okra, green beans seasoned with streaked meat, and corn on the cob – all eaten on the screened back porch – followed by a slice of watermelon under the oak tree.
LINDA L. KERLIN
July 28, 2013 at 8:33 amOne of my favorites—you and yours are keeping camp meeting alive for me since we have not had in these past few years since dad fell and no one wants to do all the work that one needs to do to keep it up and running.
Tim Mc
July 28, 2013 at 8:31 amThat has to be in the top 5 favorites of mine, that they do, kinda puts a lump in your throat,, if you know what I mean.. I remember this song as a child,, but for some reason we don’t sing it anymore at Church..
Wanda in NoAla
July 28, 2013 at 8:00 amThank you. I love this song and your family singing it just got my Sunday started in a good way.
Carol Isler
July 28, 2013 at 7:54 amI remember hearing one of my great uncles singing this song as he worked around my grandparents’ farm in Sourhern Greenville Co. He said they sang it in the trenches during World War I.
Gina S
July 28, 2013 at 7:52 amSweet Sunday morning sound; I thank you.
Eva Nell Mull Wike, Ph.D.
July 28, 2013 at 7:39 amTipper: Such a beautiful way to start a SUNDAY MORNING! How many times did I hear my Mother sing this song as she prepared another meal for her ELEVEN children? I suppose the comfort she found in these words got her through her 95 years of living and working hard for her family!
Love and Devotion,
Eva Nell
Sheryl Paul
July 28, 2013 at 7:12 amI love this hymn, in fact most all the older gospel music. My very favorite is Amazing Grace. I could listen to that one all the time.
kat
July 28, 2013 at 6:59 amLoved it as always, their harmony & playing is great.