I’ve Got Peace Like a River is an African-American spiritual. Spirituals began on the fields and the slaves would sing to pass the time of day. It was also a great way to pass messages along and share the gospel. This song uses water “as a simile” to describe peace, joy and love. Love, joy and peace are the first three fruits mentioned in the fruits of the spirit {Galatians 5:22}. Hymnary.org says “This spiritual compares the peace of God to a placidly flowing river, the joy of Christ to a merrily bubbling fountain, and the love of God to a deep, wide ocean.” The earliest appearance in a hymnal appears to be in 1975. This was really a surprise, as I thought it would be much earlier. William J. Reynolds is credited with arranging this spiritual.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
