“Nearer My God To Thee”
Description
"Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee, E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be Nearer my God to thee." Whatever tribulations come, the singer hopes they will cause him/her to come closer to God
Notes
The words of this song date from 1841 (or earlier), and proved popular enough that it soon acquired three different tunes.
The standard tune in America is by Lowell Mason, published in 1859; this often bears the name "Bethany." The tune most often used in the Church of England is "Horbury," said by Johnson to be by John Dykes. British Methodists tend to use the tune "Propior Deo" by Sir Arthur Sullivan. If that weren't confusing enough, I have encountered at least one other attempt by a modern composer to abuse the text.
I do not believe any of the results qualify as true folk songs, but the piece is widespread enough that I chose to include it here.
This seems to be the Official Song of People Dying Under Unfortunate Circumstances in the Absence of Corroborating Witnesses. The story that it was played as the _Titanic_ went down is simply false (a story spread by one Mrs. A. A. Dick; see Wyn Craig Wade, _The Titanic: End of a Dream_ revised edition, Penguin, 1986, pp. 61-62 -- the disproof being that the passengers who claimed they heard the song were British and American both; see Walter Lord, _The Night Lives On_, Avon, 1986, p. 110). Johnson reports that William McKinley's doctor claimed these were the dying president's last words. Interesting how none of these claims are ever capable of verification. In the aftermath of the Johnstown Flood, there were newspaper reports of families singing the song in harmony as they were washed away in the flood; see David McCullough _The Johnstown Flood_ (Simon and Schuster, 1968), p. 221. - RBW
Same tune
- Nero, My Dog, Has Fleas (Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 107)
Recordings
- Climax Quartet, "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (Climax [Columbia] 518, 1900; Harvard 518 [as unidentified Vocal Quartet], 1903-1906)
- Elliott Shaw, "Nearer My God to Thee" (Resona 75016, 1919)
- Spencer, Young & Wheeler, "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (Edison 80074, n.d.)
- Unidentified baritone, "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (Oxford 397, c. 1909)
References
- Silber-FSWB, p. 353, "Nearer My God To Thee" (1 text)
- Fuld-WFM, pp. 387-388, "Nearer, My God, To Thee"
- ADDITIONAL: Charles Johnson, One Hundred and One Famous Hymns (Hallberg, 1982), pp. 92-93, "Nearer, My God To Thee" (1 text, 1 tune)
- BI, FSWB353C