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One
of the old gospel/hymns that we do in our church praise band is Leaning on
the Everlasting Arms. I especially like it because it's one of our songs
that I get to play on my banjo. I decided to include Hymn 142, to the tune of Leaning
on the Everlasting Arms, on my CD for its uplifting feel and the opportunity
to feature my old Gibson banjo on the CD (I've had it for going on 60 years). The
tune was written by Anthony J. Showalter and the original English lyrics by
Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. It was
first published in 1887. Showalter said that he was writing letters of
condolence to two of his former students whose wives had recently passed, when
he was inspired by a phrase from Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy
refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms". From
the Cherokee Hymn Book, the lyrics of Hymn 142 are those of a temperance song,
proclaiming the dangers of alcohol. Each verse begins with the phrase "un
ne la gi na sgi u li squi di" (Let it be...) followed by a warning. Each
verse and chorus ends with a variation of the admonition "tle sdi tsa sv ne
lv gi gi v." (Don't touch it!) As you listen to this track, you will hear
these phrases over and over, and may even feel like singing along. Go ahead!
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Hymn
142