Amazing Grace
(John Newton)
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I’m found;
Was blind but now I see.
‘Twas 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.
‘Tis grace that brought us safe this far,
And grace will lead us home.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now, I’m found;
Was blind, but now I see.
Almost all of the old blues guys that I know play some gospel music, and this collection closes with a hymn that I have been performing since 1986. Amazing Grace is included here as a sort of coda to satisfy various promises I have made over the years (none at a crossroads, by the way), While gospel music often sets its sights on the great hereafter, the blues never seem to be able to get past the grave. This version seems to have a foot in both places, which I’m sure is part of why I like it.