Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

written by John Newton (1725-1807)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear,
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far,
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.

When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise,
then when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

The beautiful message delivered by this favorite gospel song is that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins that people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God’s “Amazing Grace.”

Written by Newton in 1772 as a poem to be read at prayer meetings, it was published in 1779. But it took William “Singing Billy” Walker, the creator of the shape-note hymnal Southern Harmony (1835) to bring it to life. Coupling Newton’s soul-searching lyrics with the tune New Britain, Walker created a blend of message and melody that became a popular favorite at camp-meetings and churches across the South.

In the late nineteenth century,  the great evangelist, Dwight Moody and his musical arranger, Ira Sankey, heralded a great religious revival in the cities of the U.S. and Europe, giving the song international exposure.

The first recording of Amazing Grace was an a cappella version in 1922 by the Sacred Harp Choir and it was included from 1926-1939 in the Okeh records catalog, usually a concentration of jazz and blues recordings. Other well-received recordings of this song were by Fiddlin’ John Carson (1930) and Mahalia Jackson (1947).

In the 1960’s Amazing Grace became a symbol of the Vietnam war protest movement and a counter-culture anthem. It could be that it first gained notice and credibility when Arlo Guthrie performed it at Woodstock in 1969. His recent film “Alice’s Restaurant” had left hippies and hippie-wannabees across the country whistling the tune leaving the theater.

The following year, Judy Collins, an ardent war protester and a performer with name recognition, recorded Amazing Grace. Remembering her recording at St. Paul’s cathedral at Columbia University, Collins said, “I didn’t know what else to do about the war in Vietnam. I had marched, I had voted, I had gone to jail on political actions and worked for the candidates I believed in. The war was still raging. There was nothing left to do, I thought...but sing ‘Amazing Grace.’ ” ¹  It rose to number 15 on the Billboard top 100 and remained on the charts for 15 weeks. In the UK it charted 8 times between 1970 and 1972 peaking at number 5 and spending a total of 75 weeks on the popular music charts.

Although Collins employed it as a tool for her opposition to the Vietnam War, two years after her rendition (1972), the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, senior Scottish regiment of the British Army, recorded an instrumental version featuring a bagpipe soloist accompanied by a pipe and drum band. The tempo of their arrangement was slowed to allow for the bagpipes, but it was based on Collins': it began with a bagpipe solo introduction similar to her lone voice, then accompanied by the band of bagpipes and horns, where in her version she is backed up by a chorus. It hit number 1 in the UK singles chart, spending 24 weeks total on the charts (the best-selling single in the UK in 1972) and rose as high as number 11 in the U.S. As of 2002, it was the best-selling instrumental record in British history, and a controversial one, as it combined pipes with a military band. The pipe president of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was summoned to Edinburgh Castle and chastised for demeaning the bagpipes.²

Other notable recordings include Sam Cooke (1963), the Byrds (1970), Elvis Presley (1971), Skeeter Davis (1972), Amazing Rhythm Aces (1975), Willie Nelson (1976), and the Lemonheads (1992).

David Grisman and Jerry Garcia had a longstanding performing relationship beginning with Grisman’s mandolin work on American Beauty and his collaboration on the bluegrass album, Old and In the Way. In February 1993, Grisman and Tony Rice were recording in David’s studio and thought to call Jerry. Unrehearsed, this session has a spontaneity about it with some conversations between songs. During the session, Pam Rice, Tony’s wife, requested Amazing Grace. Simply and spiritually beautiful, this version, performed in Gmaj, with Jerry singing, is Garcia’s only recorded performance of this soul-stirring gospel classic.

1. Collins, Judy (1998). Singing Lessons: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Hope, and Healing , Pocket Books, 165

2. Turner, Steve (2002). Amazing Grace: The Story of America's Most Beloved Song, HarperCollins.