Whenever I hear it, I always think the beginning sounds like a prayer. I just looked it up and realized it is from a prayer, called "It is Well with My Soul" [Check out the long version of info and full text of hymn here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul]. The hymn was written by a guy who had lost all of his children to tragedy. His wife survived a shipwreck which his daughters did not, and he wrote the hymn in surrender to God's will, despite his horrible loss. He is saying that no matter what God...
Whenever I hear it, I always think the beginning sounds like a prayer. I just looked it up and realized it is from a prayer, called "It is Well with My Soul" [Check out the long version of info and full text of hymn here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul]. The hymn was written by a guy who had lost all of his children to tragedy. His wife survived a shipwreck which his daughters did not, and he wrote the hymn in surrender to God's will, despite his horrible loss. He is saying that no matter what God gives him he will accept because it is God's will.
"When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."
Personally, I believe Paul was raised with a lot of religion around him (from his family, neighbors of different faiths, etc) tho it is just a guess. It seems to me like this song is a nightmare he had- especially due to the last verse. "Nowhere to go but back to sleep, still I'm reconciled I'm going to be up for a while." Between the snippets of a hymn and a dream about slavery and people's right to be free, I hear this song. I'll get off of my soapbox now!
I love Paul Simon. When I hear this song, I have more of an emotional response than a mental one.
Didn't mean to hit send, oops.
Didn't mean to hit send, oops.
Whenever I hear it, I always think the beginning sounds like a prayer. I just looked it up and realized it is from a prayer, called "It is Well with My Soul" [Check out the long version of info and full text of hymn here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul]. The hymn was written by a guy who had lost all of his children to tragedy. His wife survived a shipwreck which his daughters did not, and he wrote the hymn in surrender to God's will, despite his horrible loss. He is saying that no matter what God...
Whenever I hear it, I always think the beginning sounds like a prayer. I just looked it up and realized it is from a prayer, called "It is Well with My Soul" [Check out the long version of info and full text of hymn here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul]. The hymn was written by a guy who had lost all of his children to tragedy. His wife survived a shipwreck which his daughters did not, and he wrote the hymn in surrender to God's will, despite his horrible loss. He is saying that no matter what God gives him he will accept because it is God's will.
"When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul."
Personally, I believe Paul was raised with a lot of religion around him (from his family, neighbors of different faiths, etc) tho it is just a guess. It seems to me like this song is a nightmare he had- especially due to the last verse. "Nowhere to go but back to sleep, still I'm reconciled I'm going to be up for a while." Between the snippets of a hymn and a dream about slavery and people's right to be free, I hear this song. I'll get off of my soapbox now!