A version of sheet music for “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” came into my possession in 2020 Lockdown, as I was taking yet another neighborhood stroll. (1/10/22 update: download your own sheet music of this song.) I stopped to look at a Little Free Library. I found an unassuming prayer book (whose name I have since forgotten because I’ve returned the book), and in the back of it were songs with notation, hymnal style. As I spent some time learning “Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” I was intrigued by the somber lyrics and the story they told. The struggle of the character in the song felt very relatable (and still does) compared to what the world has been going through in Pandemic Times.

History of the tune “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” comes from Civil War Era American, folk and gospel. It is possible that the song may have traveled to America with a German immigrant and been adopted into early 19^th Century American folk singing. It is also possible that, given the time frame and the gospel nature of this tune, that “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” morphed into a Negro Spiritual, as it has a strong Christian message and speaks of a troubled world.

Melodically, this folk tune probably traveled by oral tradition, meaning the notation wasn’t written down. The first time words of the song officially show up in America, they were inscribed inside of Libby Prison by a dying Union soldier. For this reason, “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” was also known as “Libby Prison Hymn,” however that name didn’t stick. More commonly, the song is also known as “Wayfaring Stranger,” “The Wayfaring Stranger,” or “I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger.” In the 20^th Century, this song was recorded by musicians Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Jack White, and Eva Cassidy.

“Poor Wayfaring Stranger” speaks to the trying times of the human spirit on the verge of death. The tune is part Christian hymn, part prayer, part woeful song, part ode to Everyman’s journey,

If we look at the lyrics (which also have nuances like the title), the 1^st verse is:

I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world of woe (below)
There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go

The traveler is saying that this world he/she is living in is filled with troubles. Earth is below, filled with woe, and in the bright land of Heaven that await, there is no sickness, toil, or danger.

The chorus looks forward to reuniting with the Creator:

I’m going there to see my Father
I’m going back (there) no more to roam (And all my loved ones who’ve gone on)
I’m only going over Jordan
I’m just going over home

Our Wayfaring Stranger is going to Heaven to see God the Father and stop this roaming on Earth, perhaps seeing dead loved ones. He/She will cross the legendary River Jordan that separates Earth and Heaven, journeying into the Promised Land of salvation.

The Wayfaring Stranger is an Everyman on a solitary journey that only he/she can complete. It is a Hero’s Journey, as Joseph Campbell might say. The lyrics are filled with desperation. The minor key, most often in A minor, gives the song a woeful tone. In the end, our Stranger is dying. Through song, it is a story of giving up, surrender, succumbing to death, mortal injury, desperation, leaving troubles behind, fatal illness, and insurmountable struggle, in order to get to a coming liberation. Everyman could be any one of us. This anonymity of this song’s authorship gives testament to its connective power to all of us, and how relatable these times make it.

To hear more solo harp versions of a variety songs, visit my Harp Escape on YouTube or on Patreon.

To download this and other songs for folk harp, visit Reigning Harps.