Common ground Song 51 ‘How can I keep from singing?’
Words: anonymous / Music: Robert Lowry. Arrangement © Panel on Worship
YouTube recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbJdxaO8Gcw
Featured image: Christians singing. Origin unknown.
This is not a new hymn, but a 19th century one from the USA, first published in 1868 to Lowry’s melody, though the words themselves are older and anonymous. The hymn has its own Wikipedia page, that includes reference to popular versions of it by secular musicians Pete Seeger (1982) and Enya (1991), and indeed the latter is where I first came across it.
The original hymn had three 8-line verses. The Common Ground version mixes these up: the two halves of the first (original) verse, the first half of the second and the second part of the third are set here as four 4-line verses, the second part of Lowry’s tune being used for a chorus that was originally the second half of verse 2 (still with me?) An additional 8-line verse was added by Doris Plenn c.1950, and is not included at all in the Common Ground edition.
The downside of this arrangement is that the line ‘How can I keep from singing?’ which originally formed the last line of every verse, is here found at the end of the chorus, and also the second and fourth half-verses. Musically, it works, but I don’t really see why the publishers have split the verses this way. The video linked above has (almost) the same words as the Common Ground version, and essentially the same melody, but given a much more folksy feel.
The essential message of the hymn is that the love of God is so strong that it causes us to sing his praise in all circumstances, hence the opening lines ‘My life flows on in endless song, above life’s lamentations’. The words acknowledge that life does of course, have its difficulties, described in vague terms (lamentation, storms, tumult, strife, darkness). But the opposite of those are what Christ brings us: new creation, inmost calm, peace, a fountain within the heart. It reminds me of the classic picture of a swan swimming: calm on the surface, paddling frantically beneath. Believing in God, accepting Jesus, does not mean that we experience no stress. But it does enable us to take a long view of our troubles, to remember that God never forgets us or stops loving us, that in the end ‘all manner of things shall be well’ (Julian of Norwich).
And singing does help: even without faith, it is well known medical fact that music making in general, and singing in particular, are good for our mental as well as physical health. Add in that faith in the One ‘through whom and for whom all things were created’ (Colossians 1:16), and singing his praises in all circumstances is one of the best ways to cope with whatever life throws at us.