"The Wayfaring Stranger," also known as "Poor Wayfaring Stranger," is a well-known spiritual/folk song about a plaintive soul on the journey through life. The journey the singer speaks of is the trials and tribulations of life. Home is the final reward of reuniting with loved ones in Heaven in the afterlife. ^[1] It was one of Burl Ives's signature songs, included on his 1944 album The Wayfaring Stranger. Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives ( 14 June 1909 &ndash 14 April 1995) was an Academy Award winning American actor and acclaimed Note This article is linked to the discography in the Burl Ives article. Ives used it as the title of his early 1940s CBS radio show and his 1948 autobiography. He became known as "The Wayfaring Stranger. "

The song is often classified as a "white spiritual. " The first known printing of it is in Ananias Davisson's Kentucky Harmony, or, A Choice Collection of Psalm Tunes, Hymns, and Anthems, in Three Parts. Ananias Davisson was a Singing school teacher printer and compiler of Shape note tunebooks The Kentucky Harmony is a Shape note tunebook published in 1816 by Ananias Davisson. ^[2]

Cover Versions

 Music sample:

"The Wayfaring Stranger"

From The Cold Mountain soundtrack. Cold Mountain is the original soundtrack of the 2003 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning film Cold Mountain It was performed by Jack White for the film, in which he played the character Georgia

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

• Kristin Hersh (on the In Shock (EP))
• Strawfoot
• Kristin Asbjørnsen
• Pete Seeger
• Bill Monroe
• Jo Stafford
• Frankie Laine
• Natalie Merchant
• Johnny Cash
• Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
• Peter, Paul and Mary
• Trace Adkins
• Emmylou Harris
• 16 Horsepower
• Neko Case
• Kristin Chenoweth
• Tim Buckley
• Michael Franti
• Jamie Woon
• Blanche
• Joan Baez
• H. P. Lovecraft
• Eva Cassidy
• Andreas Scholl
• The Spizzwinks(?)
• Papa M (under the title "Over Jordan")
• Tom Fox (singer-songwriter)
• Jack White
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Dusty Springfield on the 2007 DVD 'Live At The BBC'. Kristin Hersh (born August 7, 1966) is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts she also has performed as lead singer and guitarist In Shock (EP is the first single from Kristin Hersh 's seventh solo album Learn to Sing Like a Star. Strawfoot is a seven piece alt-country / Gothic Americana band from St Peter "Pete" Seeger (born May 3 1919 is an American folk singer political Activist, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American Jo Elizabeth Stafford ( November 12, 1917  &ndash July 16, 2008) was an American singer of Traditional pop music Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio ( Chicago, March 30, 1913 – San Diego, February 6, 2007) Natalie Anne O'Shea Merchant (born October 26, 1963 in Jamestown, New York, U Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1 1942 &ndash August 9 1995 was a Musician, Songwriter, Artist, and Lead guitarist and David Grisman (born March 23, 1945 in Hackensack New Jersey) is a Jewish bluegrass / newgrass Mandolinist Peter Paul and Mary (often called PP&M) are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the Trace Adkins (born Tracy Darrell Adkins, January 13, 1962 in Springhill Louisiana) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris (born April 2 1947) is an American country, folk, alternative rock, and Alternative country Neko Case (ˈniːkoʊ ˈkeɪs (born September 8, 1970 in Alexandria Virginia) is an American Alternative country Singer-songwriter Kristin Chenoweth (born July 24, 1968) is an American Singer and Musical theatre, Film and Television Actress Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14 1947 – June 29 1975 was an experimental Vocalist and Musician who incorporated Jazz, Psychedelia Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966, in Oakland California) is an American Poet, Musician, and Composer Blanche is an Alternative country band from Detroit Michigan. Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941 in Staten Island, New York) an American Folk singer and Songwriter known HP Lovecraft was an American Psychedelic rock group in the 1960s later resurrected as Lovecraft for two less-acclaimed albums in the 1970s Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2 1963 – November 2 1996 was an American Vocalist known for her interpretations of Jazz, Blues, folk, gospel Andreas Scholl (born November 10 1967) is a German Countertenor, a male classical singer in the Alto vocal range The Spizzwinks(?, whose name includes the parentheses and question mark are an A cappella singing group of Yale University male students David Pajo is an American Alternative rock Musician. He has however played a wide variety of music loosely fitting into several other genres hardcore Tom Fox is a Singer-songwriter from England whose songs have racked up over one million downloads Jack White (born John Anthony Gillis on July 9 1975 is an American musician Record producer, and occasional actor best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a 360 member all-volunteer Choir. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE ( 16 April, 1939 &ndash 2 March, 1999) professionally known as Dusty Springfield
• Mac Davis in the episode of "Let's Keep Going" of 8 Simple Rules
• Dolly Parton
• The Silencers

References

1. ^ Digital Tradition Folk Music Database: link
2. ^ Herbert Haufrecht, ed. Morris Mac Davis, known as Mac Davis (born January 21, 1942) is a Country music Singer and Songwriter originally The Silencers are a Scottish rock band formed in London in 1986 , The Wayfarin' Stranger: A Collection of 21 Folk Songs and Ballads. New York: Leeds Music, 1945, p. 46; Library of Congress Catalogue, LCCN 79770668: link

Further Reading

• John F. Garst, "'Poor Wayfaring Stranger'—Early Publications," The Hymn: [A Publication of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada], vol. The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, founded in 1922 as The Hymn Society of America and renamed in 1991 is a not-for-profit organization for those people who 31, no. 2, 1980, pp. 97-101

External links

Live Performance of Wayfaring Stranger - http://www.tomfox.net/stranger.html

A traditional a capella rendition by Almeda Riddle, recorded in Arkansas on August 21, 1957 - http://www.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/riddlepoor1246.html

Video of Kristin Hersh performing 'Poor Wayfaring Stranger'