Wayfaring Stranger
"Wayfaring Stranger" is a 19th-century American song about a weary traveller heading for a better home beyond the river Jordan. It was first printed in 1858, and every generation since has found a new singer for it.
- Also known as
- Poor Wayfaring Stranger; I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger
- Origin
- United States, probably early 19th century
- First printed
- 1858, Joseph Bever's Christian Songster
- Roud number
- 3339
- Copyright
- Traditional, public domain
Traditional lyrics
I am a poor wayfaring stranger,
While travelling through this world of woe,
Yet there's no sickness, toil or danger
In that bright world to which I go.
I'm going there to see my father,
I'm going there no more to roam;
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over home.
I know dark clouds will gather round me,
I know my way is rough and steep,
Yet beauteous fields lie just before me,
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep.
I'm going there to see my mother,
She said she'd meet me when I come;
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over home.
Singers often add verses naming other family members ("I'm going there to see my brother"), which is part of how the song grows.
Meaning and roots
The singer is a traveller through a hard life, looking forward to rest and reunion on the other side of death, pictured as crossing the Jordan. Its origins are unclear. Researchers have pointed to African American spirituals, where crossing the Jordan could also mean escape to freedom, to Scottish border ballads, and to German hymns. It may draw on all three.
Recordings
| Year | Artist | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Burl Ives | Became his signature song |
| 1945, 1947 | Paul Robeson | New York concerts |
| 1950 | Jo Stafford | |
| 1969 | Joan Baez | |
| 1980 | Emmylou Harris | No. 7 on Billboard Hot Country Singles |
| 1998 | Eva Cassidy | Released after her death |
| 2000 | Johnny Cash | |
| 2003 | Jack White | Cold Mountain soundtrack |
The song also appears in the film 1917 (2019) and the video game The Last of Us Part II (2020).
Chords in E minor
Verse:
| Em | Em | Am | Em |
| Em | Em | B7 | Em |
Chorus ("I'm going there..."):
| G | C | G | B7 |
| Em | Am | Em B7 | Em |
Slow and steady suits it best. For a darker sound, try it in D minor (Dm, Gm, A7, F, Bb).
More songs: Shenandoah · The Water Is Wide · all folk songs