Wayfaring Stranger

“Wayfaring Stranger ” –  This song has been around for over 200 hundred years blessing millions of Americans in both the secular and the religious world. It is difficult if not impossible to pinpoint the exact origin of this North American folk song. We have some historians saying that they can trace this song to the 1780s while others trace to the early 1800s.  The jury is still out when it comes to the composer of the Wayfaring Stranger. Some people think that it is a reworked Negro spiritual.  Some think that it could have come the Portuguese colonialists.  Others think that it could be a reworked native song.  The fact is this song has now become one of the most loved gospel folk songs in America.  As with many folk songs, there are so many versions of this hymn floating around in America.   It has been adopted by musicians of all sorts of backgrounds to present their message to the world.  Prominent and famous musicians have made this folk song their own.  In the 1940s Burl Ives made “Wayfaring Stranger” a signature song in his album.  Other musicians such as Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, and Johnny Cash have given their take on this hymn in their albums.  The latest to play around this folk song has been British pop star, Ed Sheeran. He has popularized a near Acappella-and-vocal version of “Wayfaring Stranger” on YouTube.