Nearer, My God, To Thee

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.

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

THOUGH LIKE THE WANDERER, THE SUN GONE DOWN,

DARKNESS BE OVER ME, MY REST A STONE,

YET IN MY DREAMS I'D BE,

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

THERE LET THE WAY APPEAR, STEPS UNTO HEAV'N,

ALL THAT THOU SENDEST ME, IN MERCY GIVEN,

ANGELS TO BECKON ME,

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

THEN WITH MY WAKING THOUGHTS,

BRIGHT WITH THY PRAISE,

OUT OF MY STONY GRIEFS, BETHEL I'LL RAISE,

SO BY MY WOES TO BE,

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

OR, IF ON JOYFUL WING, CLEAVING THE SKY,

SUN, MOON, AND STARS FORGET, UPWARD I'LL FLY,

STILL ALL MY SONG SHALL BE,

NEAR, MY GOD, TO THEE.

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

THERE IN MY FATHER'S HOME, SAFE AND AT REST,

THERE IS MY SAVORIOR'S LOVE, PERFECTLY BLEST,

AGE AFTER AGE TO BE,

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.

NEARER, MY GOD , TO THEE,

NEARER TO THEE.

"NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE" WAS A FAVORITE HYMN OF TWO UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS: JAMES GARFIELD AND WILLIAM MCKINLEY.

BOTH WERE ASSASSINATED WHILE IN OFFICE.

'"NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE, E'EN THOUGH IT BE A CROSS," HAS BEEN MY CONSTANT PRAYER", WERE THE LAST WORDS SAID BY PRESIDENT MCKINLEY AS HE DIED. BANDS IN NEW YORK CITY AND WESTMINISTER ABBEY IN LONDON PLAYED THE HYMN

IN HONOR OF THE FALLEN PRESIENT.

AS PRESIDENT JAMES GARFIELD WAS INTERRED IN LAKEVIEW CEMETERY IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, "NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE" WAS PLAYED. HE WAS SHOT ON JULY 2, 1881. HE DIED MORE THAN TWO MONTHS LATER FROM INFECTION AND INTERNAL HEMORRHAGE.

"NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE" WAS PLAYED BY TITANIC'S SHIP ORCHESTRA AS THE LUXERY LINER PLUNGED INTO THE DARK OCEAN. THE TITANIC TOOK 1,513 PEOPLE TO A WATERY GRAVE ON

APRIL 15, 1912. ONLY 711 PEOPLE SURVIVED.

THIS HONORABLE HYMN WAS ALSO PLAYED AS THE HEARSE DROVE UP TO PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN'S LIBRARY AT SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. IT WAS THE FINAL DAY OF HIS FUNERAL, JUNE 9, 2004.

SARAH ADAMS WROTE THE WORDS TO "NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE" IN 1841.

LOWELL MASON COMPOSED THE MUSIC IN 1856.

PHIL COULTER, A NORTHERN IRELAND ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER AND PERFORMER, IS PLAYING HIS PIANO INTRUMENTAL FOR

THIS WEB PAGE.

THE WAV MUSIC IS FULLY ORCHESTRATED WHICH ADDS TO THE BEAUTY OF THIS

OLD HYMN.