He heard my cry: Follow up

On February 10th, I wrote about a song for which I was searching: I was lost: He heard my cry. The “lost” has been found!

The song was written by William Burton Walbert (1886-1959). He wrote the words and music. He Heard My Cry was song number 48 in some songbook – book title, publisher, & year are presently unknown. Vaughan Music Company probably published it in one of their convention books. Walbert was a son-in-law of James David Vaughan, and took over the business after his father-in-law’s death. Below are the words as they appear in the published copy. The words in parentheses in the chorus represent the words repeated by the bass, alto, and tenor. (Actually the alto and tenor use only part of those words, while the bass uses all. For example, the alto and tenor sing “I was lost” while the bass sings “I in sin was lost.” Again the alto and tenor sing “doomed to die” while the bass sings “doomed at last to die.”) The chorus is repeated after each stanza.

1. Once my soul was lost in sin, and the tempter ruled within,

Hope was gone and all was dark despair;

I had sought in vain for peace, but my soul found no relief

Till I took it to the Lord in prayer.

Chorus:

I was lost (I in sin was lost), doomed to die (doomed at last to die),

Not a ray of hope shone out for me;

But the Lord (But the blessed Lord) heard my cry (heard my feeble cry),

Saved my soul and gave me liberty.

2. Now the heavy load is gone and my life is filled with song,

Jesus keeps me happy, glad and free.

Some glad day on wings of love, I shall reach my home above,

There to live with Him eternally.

3. What a meeting that will be when that blood-washed throng we see

Marching down the streets of shining gold;

Singing, all with one accord, “Holiness unto the Lord,”

Heaven’s glories then will all unfold.