"I'll Be a Sunbeam" (also called "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam") is a popular children's

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

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 ...

composed by Nellie Talbot; it is sung to music composed in 1900 by Edwin O. Excell. Due to its age, the hymn has entered the

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in the

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. Published in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

by Excell as hymn number 137 in his ''Praises'' in 1905, the words and music were anthologized at least three more times in other

hymnal A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chr ...

s before 1923. Virtually nothing is known about lyricist Nellie Talbot; attempts to search

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records suggest that she may have been born in

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in 1874 and was living in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in 1910, but these identifications are speculative.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

has a children's primary program which includes Sunbeams (a class for 3-year-olds). The theme song to this class is, "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam."

Lyrics

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day;
In every way try to please Him,
At home, at school, at play. Refrain A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I'll be a sunbeam for Him. Jesus wants me to be loving,
And kind to all I see;
Showing how pleasant and happy
His little one can be. Refrain I will ask Jesus to help me
To keep my heart from sin,
Ever reflecting His goodness,
And always shine for Him. Refrain I'll be a sunbeam for Jesus;
I can if I but try;
Serving Him moment by moment,
Then live with Him on high. Refrain

Parodies

This song was parodied in 1987 as " Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" by

The Vaselines The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on ...

; shortly thereafter they renamed it "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam". The latter version was covered by

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...

. The hymn was also referenced in the lyrics of the song "Alibi" by

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

("Maybe Jesus wants you for a sunbeam?").

References

Hymn Time

External links

''I'll Be a Sunbeam''
in
"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"
'' Children's Songbook'', The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: words and music to first two verses American Christian hymns Children's songs Primary (LDS Church) Religious works for children 1900 songs Songs about Jesus {{christian-song-stub