What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Encyclopedia
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" is a Christian
hymn
originally written by Joseph M. Scriven
as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland
while he was in Canada
. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, and only received full credit for it in the 1880s. The tune to the hymn was composed by Charles Crozat Converse
in 1868. William Bolcom
composed a setting
of the hymn. The hymn also has many versions with different lyrics in multiple languages, such as the Japanese version , or a version sung during World War I
with the line "When this bloody war is over" in place of the original title. The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal notes, "In spite of the fact that this hymn, with its tune, has been criticized as being too much on the order of the sentimental gospel type, its popularity remains strong, and the hymn retains a place in modern hymnals."
and changed the title to . Another version was written by Ryūkō Kawaji with the title . It is also known by the title . The hymn is popular at wedding
ceremonies in Japan. The tune of the hymn was used as a basis for two songs from the Japanese visual novel
Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume produced by Key
.
In Indonesia
, the hymn is known as "Yesus Kawan Sejati" and is sung in Indonesian
or Batak
(the indigenous language of North Sumatra
) in Protestant churches (around 6% of the population). The majority of Indonesians are Muslim
(around 86%) and consequently the hymn is not widely known. However, many years ago (prior to when Suharto seized power in 1967) the same music was adopted for a popular patriotic song entitled "Ibu Pertiwi
".
In India
, the hymn is a very important song and is sung as "Yeshu kaisa dost pyara". The song is common during solemn
services (Passion week
and burial
).
recorded a live version the song for her album Amazing Grace
(1972). The John Tesh Project
covered the song from the album Pure Hymns. Ronnie Milsap
did a cover for his album Then Sings My Soul
(2009). Alan Price
used the tune for his song "Changes" in the 1973 film O Lucky Man!
, which was reused in a Volkswagen
commercial with Paula Hamilton
in the 1980s.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
originally written by Joseph M. Scriven
Joseph M. Scriven
Joseph Medlicott Scriven, was an Irish poet, best known as the writer of the poem which became the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".-Life:...
as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
while he was in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, and only received full credit for it in the 1880s. The tune to the hymn was composed by Charles Crozat Converse
Charles Crozat Converse
Charles Crozat Converse was a United States attorney who also worked as a composer of church songs. He was born in Warren, Massachusetts. He is notable for setting to music the words of Joseph Scriven to become the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Converse also published an arrangement of...
in 1868. William Bolcom
William Bolcom
William Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
composed a setting
Set (music)
A set in music theory, as in mathematics and general parlance, is a collection of objects...
of the hymn. The hymn also has many versions with different lyrics in multiple languages, such as the Japanese version , or a version sung during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the line "When this bloody war is over" in place of the original title. The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal notes, "In spite of the fact that this hymn, with its tune, has been criticized as being too much on the order of the sentimental gospel type, its popularity remains strong, and the hymn retains a place in modern hymnals."
In Asia
In Japan, the hymn's title was originally translated as , which is what it is best known by. In 1910, Daisui Sugitani re-wrote the lyrics in JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and changed the title to . Another version was written by Ryūkō Kawaji with the title . It is also known by the title . The hymn is popular at wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
ceremonies in Japan. The tune of the hymn was used as a basis for two songs from the Japanese visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume produced by Key
Key (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...
.
In Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the hymn is known as "Yesus Kawan Sejati" and is sung in Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
or Batak
Batak languages
The Batak languages are spoken by Batak and Alas people of North Sumatra, Indonesia.Historically they were written using Batak script but the Latin alphabet is now used for most writing....
(the indigenous language of North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
) in Protestant churches (around 6% of the population). The majority of Indonesians are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
(around 86%) and consequently the hymn is not widely known. However, many years ago (prior to when Suharto seized power in 1967) the same music was adopted for a popular patriotic song entitled "Ibu Pertiwi
Ibu Pertiwi (song)
Ibu Pertiwi is a popular Indonesian patriotic song composed by unknown composer around the 1950s to 1960s. The song's lyrics is about Ibu Pertiwi, national personification of Indonesia...
".
In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the hymn is a very important song and is sung as "Yeshu kaisa dost pyara". The song is common during solemn
Solemnity
A Solemnity of the Roman Catholic Church is a principal holy day in the liturgical calendar, usually commemorating an event in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, or other important saints. The observance begins with the vigil on the evening before the actual date of the feast...
services (Passion week
Passion Week
Passion Week is a name for the week beginning on Passion Sunday, as the Fifth Sunday of Lent was once called in the Roman Rite.However, even before Pope John XXIII's Code of Rubrics changed the name of this Sunday from "Passion Sunday" to "First Sunday of the Passion" , the liturgical books gave...
and burial
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
).
Other versions
Aretha FranklinAretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
recorded a live version the song for her album Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace (Aretha Franklin album)
-Disc 1:#"Mary Don't You Weep" #"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" /"You've Got a Friend" / #"Old Landmark"#"Give Yourself to Jesus" #"How I Got Over"...
(1972). The John Tesh Project
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
covered the song from the album Pure Hymns. Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
did a cover for his album Then Sings My Soul
Then Sings My Soul (Ronnie Milsap album)
Then Sings My Soul is a 2009 inspirational double CD album recorded by country music singer Ronnie Milsap. To date, it is his first and only gospel recording ever. It features several traditional hymns along with Christian-altered hit singles, including Milsap's "What a Difference You've Made in My...
(2009). Alan Price
Alan Price
Alan Price is an English musician, best known as the original keyboardist for the English band The Animals, and for his subsequent solo work....
used the tune for his song "Changes" in the 1973 film O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
, which was reused in a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
commercial with Paula Hamilton
Paula Hamilton
Paula Hamilton is an English model, best known for her appearance in the classic 1987 Mk II Volkswagen Golf TV advert "Changes"...
in the 1980s.