Lyrics
Now when peace like a river attendeth my soul,
And when sorrows like sea billows roll,
Then whatever my lot You have taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul when the storms of winter blow,
And the cares of this world take their toll.
In the heat of the day there is grace enough to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And when satan should tempt me and trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control:
For He sees every weakness and knows every fear,
And has shed His own blood for my soul.
A modern take on the classic hymn
This is a song I wrote with Phil Baggaley. It’s mainly Phil’s melody (I think we tweaked it a bit together), and the verses are pretty close to the original, and we added the refrain, with its imagery of winter and summer.
You’re always slightly nervous when you begin to reinterpret a well-loved hymn, particularly one that has such a profound personal testimony attached to it. But the usual melody is a little dated, so it seemed like an opportunity to present the powerful theme of inner peace in the middle of turmoil to a new generation through a more contemporary melody.