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Title: Amazing Grace

General Information about Item: 

• Verbal: Lullaby, Hymn
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: England
• Date and Place of Collection: 11/1/16

Informant Data:

Kate Griffiths was born on March 29th, 1995 in London England. She in an only child, and she has divorced parents, so lives with her mom half oft the time, and her dad and stepmom the other half of the time. She went to Latymer Upper School, and decided to come to the US for college on a whim! She is on the Women’s Heavyweight Rowing Team, where she excels in all of her races and has a strong leadership role.

Contextual Data:

When I asked Kate what her favorite lullaby was as a child, she told me that her mum used to sing “Amazing Grace” to her when she couldn’t sleep. She had trouble falling asleep as a child, so Ms. Griffiths ended up singing Amazing Grace a few times per week until Kate was about 10 years old.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

 

Transcription of Associated File:

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found.

Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear,

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come.

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun.

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,

Than when we first begun.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found.

Was blind, but now I see.

Amazing grace, oh amazing grace,

That saved a wretch like me.

Oh amazing grace, amazing grace.”

 

Informant’s Comments: 

Kate said that this lullaby was very calming and it also reminded her of church (her family is Catholic) as Amazing Grace is often sung as an offertory or concluding hymn in Catholic masses.

 

Collector’s Comments:

The religious aspect of this lullaby struck me the most. As a member of the Catholic church myself, I always associated Amazing Grace with mass and as a hymn, but it is in fact a commonly used lullaby. It rhymes, it has a soothing melody, and many adults grow up to know it by heart, so they are able to sing it to their children.

 

Collector’s Name: Addie Chabot ’18

Tags/Keywords: lullaby, hymn, rhyme, soothing