Fort Smith Times

I got excited when I saw that our Offertory this week would be “Poor Wayfaring Stranger.” It’s one of my favorites, and it will be sung by our very own Cody Walls.

This song has many notable versions, like the one from the WWI movie, 1917, or even Burl Ives’ famous rendition from his 1944 album, or maybe you’re like me, and recall the version from the 2020 video game, The Last of Us Part II.

Whether you listen to Burl Ives, Jos Slovick, or Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker’s versions, you probably know just how beautiful this song is, but did you know this song dates as far back as 1816?

Originally sung in the German language as “Ich bin ja nur ein Gast auf Erden” (I am only a guest on Earth) by Isaac Niswander, this war song made its way into Joseph Bever’s Christian Songster in 1858, of popular hymns and spirituals.

Just three years later, the American Civil War broke out. The English version of this song became very popular among the soldiers and was often called the “Libby Prison Hymn” after a Union soldier inscribed the lyrics on the converted warehouse walls in Richmond, Virginia, which was known for its poor conditions and high death rate.

This song was later chosen by the Western Writers of America as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. My favorite version— though I love Jos Slovick’s too— is Natalie Merchant’s version.

Ashleigh Mathews

Original source can be found here.