Bible Songs — Special Selections

Solemn Thought

One sweetly solemn thought

No. 1406
Tune SOLEMN THOUGHT.
Words Phœbe Cary.
Music S. W. Straub.
Key D major
Singing key D♭ major
Time 4/4
2 stanzas

Words

One sweetly solemn thoughtComes to me o'er and o'er;I'm nearer to my parting hourThan e'er I've been before.Nearer my Father's house,Where many mansions be;Nearer the throne where Jesus reigns,Nearer the crystal sea.

Chorus.

My home, my homemy home, my home, Mybeautiful heavenly home,I am nearer my home to-day,Than ever I've been before.

Nearer my going home,Laying my burden down,Leaving my cross of heavy grief,Wearing my starry crown.Father, perfect my trust,Strengthen my feeble faith;Support me when at last I standUpon the shore of death.

About this hymn

As printed As printed at the top of p. 617 (PDF 618): hymn number «1406» (large, left), title «SOLEMN THOUGHT.» centred (condensed capitals and small capitals); under the number «PHŒBE CARY.» (the words, capitals and small capitals with the Œ ligature) and at the right «S. W. STRAUB.» (the music). No meter, no epigraph, no remission line; under the music the footnote «From "Anthem Treasures," by permission.». The verse is a chant: in system 1 each stanza is printed on two staggered lines of small type (the first verse line above, the second starting under the reciting chord), in system 2 the two lines are stanzas 1 and 2; given here one verse line per line. Syllables divided under the notes are joined («Lay - ing», «bur-den», «be - fore», «star - ry», «fee- ble», «Near - er», «crys - tal», «Up - on»). «CHORUS.» (bold capitals): its words are printed once; in its first bars the soprano sings the upper line «My home, my home» and the other voices answer on a lower line «my home, my home, My», after which all sing one line — both printed lines are given below as printed, then the rest of the chorus one verse line per line («beau - ti - ful heaven - ly», «near - er», «to - day», «ev - er», «be - fore» joined). Spelling and punctuation are the print's; the thin spaces before «;» are closed up; curly quotes and apostrophes are written straight.