“Stand by Me” is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who used the pseudonym Elmo Glick. According to King, the title is derived from, and was inspired by, a spiritual written by Sam Cooke and J. W. Alexander called “Stand by Me Father,” recorded by the Soul Stirrers with Johnnie Taylor singing lead. The third line of the second verse of the former work derives from Psalm 46:1-3.
That spiritual song goes like this:
Oh, Father You’ve been my friend
Now that I’m in trouble
Stand by me to the end, oh, oh
I want You to stand by, stand by
Well, all of my money and my friends are gone
God, I’m in a mean world
And I’m so all alone, oh, oh
I need You Jesus, stand by, stand by
Well, they tell me that
Samson killed in ancient times
I know that You helped
Him kill 10, 000 Philistines, oh
Whoa I need You, stand by, stand by
When I’m sick, Father, stand by
When they doctor walk away from my bedside
Stand by me father
When it seem like I don’t have a friend
I wonder would You be my friend
Stand closer, stand by
The secular, “Stand by Me,” made a lot of money and many of my generation still tear up at its playing today, some sixty years later. However, it’s too bad, though, the spiritual that it spring from didn’t have a similar influence to cause folks to acknowledge their need of God.
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
Think about it. (Selah)
Gary