The Lyrics to Amazing Grace
If you've ever been to a Baptist church service, you've no doubt noticed that Baptists always seem to skip the third verse of every hymn. I've even heard it said that we were saving them up so we'd have something to sing in Heaven, i.e. for eternity.
Anyway, I suppose it should be no surprise that older hymnals often list more verses for some songs than do newer ones. For example, I have an old hymnal that lists four verses for the Star Spangled Banner. Still, how many people know of even the second verse?
Similarly, Most people are familiar with the old hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton. It's a classic hymn written by a repentant slave trader. We've all sung it, for all our lives. In fact, even the oldest of our elders have been singing it all of their lives. So we should all know it well. Right?
How many verses do you think Amazing Grace has? Most hymnals today list four verses, but I do have a couple of older hymnals that still list five. Nonetheless, apparently we've been skipping verses for many more years than I thought, because even that isn't the whole song.
I just received a box of song books and sheet music. It contained many old hymnals, and some modern sheet music, a bunch of song books, arrangements for different instruments and groups, even old handwritten notes. As I was going through the contents, sorting it all out, I came across an old typewritten (as in typed on a manual typewriter with an ink ribbon and a bell for a carriage return) page listing all the verses of Amazing Grace.
There are thirteen verses listed on that old typewritten page. On the chance that someone might want them, and in the hope that some will actually read the whole story, I am posting them here. Enjoy.
UPDATE: I've heard from one person (Thanks Keith) who tells me the Methodist Hymnal lists 6 verses (which also tells me that I don't have a Methodist Hymnal yet, something I shall have to remedy). Then, after looking into it a bit further, it appears that John Newton only wrote 4 or 5 verses, depending on who you ask.
I've found a few citations that claim he wrote 5, but without stating which ones. The only documentation I've found which actually attributes specific verses is the Baptist Hymnal. It attributes verses 1 - 4 to John Newton (italicized below) and verse 5 to Anonymous (bold below).
The rest have been added by others over the years, a testament to the degree to which this song is beloved and to the depth at which it touches all who've experienced its subject. And in the end, that is what I find most important.