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See Me Through Part II Lyrics
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it Jesus if you please
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee
I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee
See me through days of wine and roses
By and by when the morning comes
Jazz and blues and folk, poetry and jazz
Voice and music, music and no music
Silence and then voice
Music and writing, words
Memories, memories way back
Take me way back, Hyndford Street and Hank Williams
Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet on Sunday afternoons in winter
Sidney Bechet, Sunday afternoons in winter
And the tuning in of stations in Europe on the wireless
Before, yes before it was the way it was
More silence, more breathing together
Not rushing, being
Before rock `n' roll, before television
Previous, previous, previous
See me through, just a closer walk with Thee
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it Jesus if you please
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee
I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee.
This song is built around the traditional gospel song, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" (circa 1941) that has been covered by many artists and is perhaps the most frequently played number in the hymn and dirge section of traditional New Orleans jazz funerals. It alludes to the biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7 which states, "We walk by faith, not by sight."
That background is important because a young Van growing up in Hyndford Street in the early 50s would have been surrounded by gospel influences in the culture of that time and nearby churches and Gospel Halls. See link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_a_Closer_Walk_with_Thee
Van uses the original tune to form the opening and closing stanzas and in the middle he narrates what is clearly his experiences of growing up of what was going on around him and this is accompanied with gospelesque backing vocals to the original tune. His timing is immaculate and precise as he finishes just in time for the final chorus. There are parallels with this song and 'On Hyndford Street' and I love the line which epitomises that period, "Not rushing, being". Fabulous to reminisce and take us all back to the days when the world made more sense. I could go on and on and on.