Stand by Me (Charles Albert Tindley song)

"Stand by Me" should not be confused with "Stand by Me Father", by Sam Cooke and J. W. Alexander.[1]

Stand by Me
by Charles Albert Tindley
GenreHymn
Written1905
Meter8.3.8.3.7.7.8.3

“Stand by Me” is a 1905 gospel song by the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley. Although often thought to be a "traditional spiritual", Tindley copyrighted the song in 1905[3][4] in the first edition of his collection, “Soul Echos” (the second of which was released 4 years later, in 1909). However, although this is the date “Stand by Me” was released, there is no record of when the song was actually written. The meter of the hymn is 8.3.8.3.7.7.8.3. It opens with the line, “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.” It continues to repeat phrases in this form, with different beginning phrases, but most of the lines ending with “stand by me.” The lyrics call on God to stand by your side during difficult times and be there in times of trouble. It ends with the line, “O thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me.” In this lyric, Lily of the valley is a religious symbol for God because of the association between the white color of the flower and the purity of God. “Stand By Me” was part of the first collection of songs released by Soul Echoes Publishing Company, which Tindley formed with three other ministers. Tindley was known for his poetic and relatable writing that captured the experience of low income black Christians during his time. However, he was “musically illiterate,” meaning he could not notate the songs but only keep them “in his head.” “Stand by Me was therefore just “in his head” until he could find a musical scribe to notate it onto paper. Tindley was a pastor at the Bainbridge Street Methodist Church at the time that he wrote this gospel tune. Tindley would perform many of his songs during his sermons in what are called “gospel songfests,” which suggests that he would have performed “Stand by Me during these songfests and Bainbridge Street Methodist Church. Most gospel music concerts today use “Stand by Me in their programs and it has been published in 48 hymnals.


Lyrics

When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.
When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.
When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea,
thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.

In the midst of tribulation, stand by me.
In the midst of tribulation, stand by me.
When the hosts of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,
thou who never lost a battle, stand by me.

In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me.
When I do the best I can, and my friends misunderstand,
thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.

In the midst of persecution, stand by me.
In the midst of persecution, stand by me.
When my foes in battle array, undertake to stop my way,
thou who saved Paul and Silas, stand by me.

When I'm growing old and feeble, stand by me.
When I'm growing old and feeble, stand by me.
When my life becomes a burden, and I'm nearing chilly Jordan,
O thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me.

Recordings

The song has been recorded by artists including:[2]

References
  1. "The Soul-Stirring Gospel Sounds of the Pilgrim Travelers". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  2. Steve Sullivan Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings - Volume 2 -2013 Page 94 "It was inspired by the gospel standard Stand By Me (also known as Stand By Me Father), written in 1905 by Charles Albert Tindley (a Philadelphia-based African Methodist Episcopal minister), and recorded by, among others, the Pace Jubilee Singers (for Victor in 1928), the Norfolk Jubilee Singers (for Decca in 1937), Sister Rosetta Tharpe (for Decca in 1941), and the Staple Singers (for Vee Jay in January 1961 just before King's record was issued). Anthony Heilbut remarks that it “combines the fervor of a Dr. Watts hymn with a terse economy of a spiritual”: “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me, stand by me . . . In the midst of tribulation, stand by me . . .”472 The Tindley song . ...
  3. "Victor 21500–22000". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  4. "Decca 14500 series Numerical Listing". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  5. "The Best Of Gospel Choirs". www.muziekweb.nl. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
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