Musical February : Day 24

As a big music fan I’m much enjoying taking part in Bee’s ” Love is in Da Blog” Challenge for the month of February.

Today’s prompt is for a spiritual love song and the first to come to mind was Amazing Grace which has been recorded by many artists but I had no idea about the song’s history.

It’s a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly as it’s used for both religious and secular purposes.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience; he grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by others’ reactions to what they took as his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed (navally conscripted) into service with the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, so severely that he called out to God for mercy. While this moment marked his spiritual conversion, he continued slave trading until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether. Newton began studying Christian theology and later became an abolitionist.

By 20th century, Amazing Grace became more closely tied to Black spirituals, and then the civil rights movement. And then in 1970, as antipathy toward the Vietnam War grew, folk singer Judy Collins‘ raw rendition marked a rebirth.

Collins said that she believes the song is one of hope and healing. It has a feeling about surviving terrible things. But it gives you a moment of hope. Sometimes that’s all you need, isn’t it?

(Love Is In Da Blog” Rules/suggestions

1. Join in! No matter where, when and with what. You missed the first day or week? Don’t worry. Just jump in when it suits you.
2. Send us the link! My blog is public again, so ping-backs work. A ping-back is a link from one WP blog to another. If you blog on another platform, please leave your link in the comments.
3. Tag your post either with “Love Is In Da Blog” or “LoIsInDaBl” or “Love Is In Da Blog 23” or #LoIsInDaBl23. You can also use these as hashtags for Twitter and other Social Networks to give your post more exposure.
4. No matter which music the prompt favours, you create with it whatever you please and whatever length you please (no pun intended 😉 ) as long as it is about “LOVE.”
5. I post the prompt post the day before, so you have some time to make up your mind and create your post. There won’t be two different posts, and I hope it’s not too confusing.
6. If you like, use this picture for your readers to find the posts.