I Wonder as I Wander

By

I wonder as I wander
Wonder and wander are two of my favorite words.
Wonder – to marvel, astonishment, awe, to ponder with curiosity
    To live each day with a vision of wonder opens up grand possibilities.
Wander – to meander, stroll, to take one direction without intention or control
   I wandered the world, paying attention to the beauty God alone created.
I have wondered and wandered through Advent this year. Wondered at its varied dimensions, like studying the facets of a priceless diamond. Wandered open to the lessons God chose for me or invited me to explore.
No wonder I wandered into remembering the Christmas song, I Wonder as I Wander. I wondered about its story. (Ok I over did it with that sentence but it was just too tempting….sorry)
I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
 

How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
 

For poor on’ry people like you and like I…
 

I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

 

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall,
 

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
 

But high from God’s heaven a star’s light did fall,
 

And the promise of ages it then did recall.

 

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
 

A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
 

Or all of God’s angels in heav’n for to sing,
 

He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King.

 

The words of this haunting hymn take us to the Appalachian hills of North Carolina.  Folklorist and songwriter John Jacob Niles heard fragments of the tune on a cold December night in 1933 and pieced together this song.
Niles wrote, “I Wonder As I Wander grew out of three lines of music sung for me by a girl who called herself Annie Morgan. 
 

The place was Murphy, North Carolina,and the time was July, 1933. The Morgan family, revivalists all, were about to be ejected by the police, after having camped in the town square for some little time, coking, washing, hanging their wash from the Confederate monument and generally conducting themselves in such a way as to be classed a public nuisance. Preacher Morgan and his wife pled poverty; they had to hold one more meeting in order to buy enough gas to get out of town.

 It was then that Annie Morgan came out–a tousled, unwashed blond, and very lovely. She sang the first three lines of the verse of “I Wonder As I Wander”. At twenty-five cents a performance, I tried to get her to sing all the song. After eight tries, all of which are carefully recorded in my notes, I had only three lines of verse, a garbled fragment of melodic material–and a magnificent idea. 
 
With the writing of additional verses and the development of the original melodic material, “I Wonder As I Wander” came into being. I sang it for five years in my concerts before it caught on. Since then, it has been sung by soloists and choral groups wherever the English language is spoken and sung.”
Niles wandered through Appalachia gathering treasured wonders of folk music.
I wandered through Advent gathering treasured wonders of God – new lessons, preparing my heart of His coming.
The wonders of Advent wait for all of us, even “For poor on’ry people like you and like I.”

We wander through His creation of “a star in the sky, or a bird on the wing.”

And because  Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall”

We bow down in worship “’cause he was the King.”

And still is our King.

Do you wonder as your wander? What have you wondered about during this Advent season? 
 

Share this post:

Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn

Comments

  1. blankJean Wise says

    I appreciate any time you leave a comment, Clella. Neat to hear this song is special to Teresa and you. I think hearing a young girl sing it and then knowing the story behind it really enhances its meaning. love ya Clella

  2. blankClella Camp says

    Jeanie, you know I don’t comment as often as I read, but this brought back such sweet memories. Our daughter, Teresa, sang this song as a contest song when she was quite young.(about 8th grade I think.) I was not familiar with it until then, but it was very meaningful to her. She is now a music minister as you know. thanks for bringing this back to my mind. Beautiful post. Clella

  3. blankJean Wise says

    Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment, Gisela. I always enjoy learning the stories behind the hymns. I think it adds lots to the meaning.

  4. blankGisela P. Dieter says

    Thank you for your post. I love reading about the stories behind songs and this is a really neat one. I didn’t grow up singing hymns, but I sure enjoy them for they are filled with Biblical truth and wisdom. Thank you for sharing. I’m visiting from Faith Filled Friday. Have a blessed day.

  5. blankJohnnie Alexander Donley says

    My grandmother was so secretive — believe it or not we’re not even sure of her last name and have no idea her parents’ names. We only know she was born in Kentucky. Again, Jeanie, thanks for such an interesting post.

  6. blankJean Wise says

    Thanks Johnnie. I thought the story behind this song was interesting. neat wording too to wonder as I wander. Maybe you should do more genealogy in all your space time. LOL

  7. blankJohnnie Alexander Donley says

    I remember this song from my childhood, but didn’t remember the lyrics. The phrase “poor on’ry people” seemed odd until I read the rest of your post. Of course. An Appalachian legacy. I believe, though I have no proof, that my paternal grandmother’s roots lie in those mountains. It’s the only explanation I have for the connection I feel for them though I’ve never lived there. Thanks for sharing the history of this lovely song, Jeanie.