"Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone" is gospelsong made famous by Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers.
Indirectly it was also the inspiration for Thomas Dorsey to write his song "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" (SEE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE)
"Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone" started life as a poem in 1693. It was adapted from Shall Simon Bear the Cross Alone, whose words were originally written by Thomas Shepherd in 1693.
Thomas Shepherd (1665-1739) wrote this poem about Simon of
Cyrene who, according to Matthew 27:32, was compelled to carry Jesus' cross on
the way to Golgotha.
Here's the lyrics of the original hymn:
Shall Simon bear thy cross alone,
And other
saints be free?
Each saint of thine shall find his own
And there is one
for me.
Whene'er it falls unto my lot,
Let it not drive me from
My God,
let me ne'er be forgot
‘Till thou hast lov'd me home.
Shepherd's poem appeared in a collection entitled Penitential Cries
(1693), a collection of thirty-two hymns that was authored by John Mason
(1646?-1694). The subtitle states that the collection was "Begun by the author
of the Songs of praise and Midnight cry; and carried on by another hand." The
"other hand" was apparently Thomas Shepherd. His hymn appears as number III. under section "XXVII. For Universal Obedience".
Here's the online 1859 edition
The poem was highly
modified over centuries to such a degree that Shepherd might be considered the
inspiration for the hymn rather than the author.
Here's a publication of the poem (now called "The Cross") from 1843:
Published by N. Stevens and H.B. Skinner in Boston 1843
Many sources suggest that in 1844-1846 the tune of "Maitland" was linked to this hymn by George N. Allen in his Oberlin Social and Sabbath School Hymn Book, which Allen edited, but in this collection the hymn was called "Bearing The Cross".
This hymn does not contain music, at the most the meter (C.M.= Common Metre) is mentioned.
The name "Maitland" appears as early as 1850, in "The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book".
In the Plymouth Collection (1855) the hymn has yet another title ("Cross And Crown") and shows that Allen was the author/adapter of the text, not the composer of the tune, and the tune itself was printed without attribution for many years.
In "Songs Of Praise" (Lewis Ward Mudge 1890) it is suggested that the tune of "Maitland" was written by Amzi Chapin around 1820.
It also says Thomas Shepherd (1665-1739) wrote the 1st verse in 1692.
Prof George Nelson Allen (1812-1877) wrote the 2nd and 3rd verse in 1849. (this is not true as we see in the 1843 publication by Stevens and Skinner (see above))
And the Plymouth Collection (1855) delivered the 4th verse (which also isn't true, because the 1855 Plymouth Collection has only 3 verses (see above))
So, was the tune actually written by George Nelson Allen around 1846, or was it written by Amzi Chapin around 1820 ??
Could there be a third possibilty it was adapted from "Amazing Grace" ??
"Amazing Grace" was written in 1779 by John Newton, probably as a poem, until 1835 when William Walker assigned Newton's words to a traditional song named "New Britain", which was itself an amalgamation of two melodies ("Gallaher" and "St. Mary") first published in the Columbian Harmony by Charles H. Spilman and Benjamin Shaw (Cincinnati, 1829). Spilman and Shaw, both students at Kentucky's Centre College, compiled their tunebook both for public worship and revivals, to satisfy "the wants of the Church in her triumphal march." Most of the tunes had been previously published, but "Gallaher" and "St. Mary" had not. As neither tune is attributed and both show elements of oral transmission, scholars can only speculate that they are possibly of British origin.
Further on in this post I have included some versions of "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone", containing a part of "Amazing Grace".
For the story behind "Amazing Grace:
The first recorded version of "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" was titled differently though.
The Wiseman Sextet recorded it as "Shine On Me", because it also contained some verses of another popular African-American spiritual “Let The Light From The Lighthouse Shine On Me” that was recorded many times during the last century.
"Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" melodically is very similar to "Shine On Me"
SEE NEXT LINK: Shine on Me (1923) / Let Your Light Shine On Me (1929)
This double-rooted gospel starts with "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" and after 2 min and 30 sec flows over into "Shine On Me", using the same meter.
(o) Wiseman Sextet (1923) (as "Shine on Me")
Recorded July 1923 in New York City.
Released on Rainbow 1093
Listen here:
Or here: shine-on-me-wiseman-sextette.mp3
(c) Rev S.J. Worell "Steamboat Bill" (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone?")
Recorded December 17, 1926
Released on Vocalion 1071 and Supertone S2239
Listen here:
Or here:
In 1928 Ernest Stoneman recorded a different song, which contained the "Must Jesus Bear The Cross" verses
(c) Ernest Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers (1928) (as "There's a Light Lit Up In Galilee")
Recorded October 31, 1928 in Bristol, TN
Recorded during the famous Bristol Sessions
Released on Victor V-40078
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Welling and Shannon (1928) (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone")
(c) Ernest Phipps and his Holiness Singers (1928) (as "Shine On Me")
This version also contained some verses of "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone".
A.G. Baker, Minnie Phipps, Nora Byrley, unidentified others, voc group; Ernest Phipps, Roland N. Johnson, f; Ethel Baker, p; Ancil L. McVay, md; Eula Johnson, bj; Shirley Jones, g; Alfred G. Karnes, unidentified others, clapping
Recorded October 29, 1928 in Bristol, TN
Released on Bluebird B-5540
This version was also contained on Harry Smith's "Anthology Of American Folk Music"
(c) Soul Stirrers (1956) (as "Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone")
Included is one chorus from "Amazing Grace"
Featuring Sam Cooke and Paul Foster.
Recorded February 2, 1956 at Master Recorders in Hollywood.
Released in 1962 on the SAR-label (SAR 124)
Re-released in 1969 on Specialty 921.
Listen here:
(c) Caravans (1963) (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone")
Recorded ca December 1962
Listen here:
(c) Brother Joe May (1965) (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross")
(c) Solomon Grant And The Dixieland Blind Boys (1968) (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone")
Listen here:
(c) Clarence Fountain (1971) (as "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone")
In a medley with "Amazing Grace".
Listen here:
And on the B-side is "Precious Lord", which has a tune, that was derived from "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" and so from "Amazing Grace" ??
As I just said and in the beginning of this post Thomas A. Dorsey would use "Must Jesus Bera the Cross Alone" as the setting to his own hymn, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand", which became popular through its association with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.
Sometimes Dorsey is shown as the composer, sometimes as the arranger or adapter of Allen's composition.
Listen here:
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