"Give to the Winds Thy Fears" is a traditional Christian
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
in
short metre
A hymn metre (''US:'' meter) indicates the number of syllables for the lines in each stanza of a hymn. This provides a means of marrying the hymn's text with an appropriate hymn tune for singing.
Hymn and poetic metre
In the English language p ...
with words written by
John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
.
History and description
Its first verse is:
It is one of two hymns that Wesley published in 1739 that he had translated from "
Befiehl du deine Wege
"Befiehl du deine Wege" is a Lutheran hymn by Paul Gerhardt. It is one of his best known hymns, and was first published in 1653 in Johann Crüger's collection of hymns and popular religious songs ''Praxis pietatis melica''.
Melody and use
The h ...
", a longer 1653 hymn by German hymnwriter
Paul Gerhardt
Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist.
Biography
Gerhardt was born into a middle-class family at Gräfenhainichen, a small town between Halle and Wittenberg. His father died in ...
, the other being "Commit thou all Thy Griefs".
The latter has 8 out of the original 12 verses by Gerhardt, and "Give" has 4 verses.
Wesley encountered Gerhardt's hymn sung by Moravians on his travels in the United States, and compiled it into the hymnal that he compiled for the people in Georgia where he lived for a while.
In his diary for 1737-05-07 he records "translated six hymns from the German while on a journey to another plantation".
In hymnals such as the U.S. ''Armed Forces Hymnal'' (1959) and ''The Presbyterian Hymnal'' (1990) it is set to the tune ''St Bride'' composed by Samuel Howard.
The
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...
adopted the hymn as its "Crusade Hymn"; to be sung at meetings at local, state, and national levels of the organization.
Jars of Clay
Christian rock band
Jars of Clay recorded the hymn, slightly altering Wesley's lyrics, as "God Will Lift Up Your Head", released on its album ''
Redemption Songs
''Redemption Songs'' is the sixth full-length studio album by Jars of Clay. It was released by Essential Records on March 22, 2005.
Overview
''Redemption Songs'' is a collection of reinvented hymns and spiritual songs. As part of a church co ...
''.
The song is the first of two
radio single
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...
s in promotion of the album which hit number one on the Christian CHR radio charts in 2005.
Track listing
#"God Will Lift Up Your Head" - 4:22
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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English Christian hymns
2005 singles
Jars of Clay songs
Songs written by Dan Haseltine
Songs written by Charlie Lowell
Songs written by Stephen Morris (musician)
Songs written by Matt Odmark
Essential Records (Christian) singles