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This song has been in my mind almost constantly in the last two weeks. What comfort it brings to me. My favorite part? "A constant friend is He."
Just now I wanted to find the writer of the song, so I looked up Wikipedia. There was an amazing amount of information...I've included some of it below.
My favorite version is by Selah. If you have itunes, you may want to download it. It is so so soothing.
I've just this morning figured it out on guitar. A dear "sista" is in the hospital with a scary diagnosis. I'm planning to sing it to her tonight, as she is likely in need of the reminder.
"His Eye Is on the Sparrow" is a Gospel hymn. Although today it is a staple of African-American worship services, the song was originally written in 1905 by two white songwriters, lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. The song is most associated with actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography.
The song has been performed extensively in Gospel music with notable versions by The Soul Stirrers, Shirley Caesar, Crystal Lewis, Marvin Gaye (from In Loving Memory), Kirk Franklin & the Family, Lauryn Hill & Tanya Blount (from Sister Act 2), Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dottie West, and Barbara Mandrell. Jessica Simpson recorded the song for her 2001 album Irresistible. Recent jazz artists who recorded the song include the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet (1984), the Scott Amendola Band (2002), and by Jessi Colter, on her new album, "Out of the Ashes" (2006).
[edit]Inspiration
The theme of the song is inspired by the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, as referenced by Mrs. Doolittle in Elmira, NY .
Chapter 6:26
26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Chapter 10:29-31.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, said this about her inspiration to write the song based in the scriptures outlined above,
Early in the spring of 1905, my hus band and I were so journ ing in El mi ra, New York. We con tract ed a deep friend ship for a cou ple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doo lit tle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doo lit tle had been bed rid den for nigh twen ty years. Her hus band was an in cur a ble crip ple who had to pro pel him self to and from his bus i ness in a wheel chair. De spite their af flict ions, they lived hap py Christ ian lives, bring ing in spir a tion and com fort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doo lit tles, my hus band com ment ed on their bright hope ful ness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doo lit tle’s re ply was sim ple: "His eye is on the spar row, and I know He watch es me." The beau ty of this simple ex press ion of bound less faith gripped the hearts and fired the imag in a tion of Dr. Mar tin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Spar row" was the out come of that ex per i ence.
-- Civilla Martin
