Clouds and storms will in time pass away

This week had a few more lows than one would prefer.  Plus, Missouri and Illinois have gotten an unprecedented amount of rain - it seemed like we'd never see the sun again!  Given these circumstances, I thought it would be good to jump-start a positive attitude with a song for the week: Keep on the Sunny Side.  I've always known the chorus to the song, but I've never listened closely enough or taken the time to learn all of the lyrics.

I've always learned best by ear - it's no coincidence that the name Samantha means "God's listener!"  I find it slightly humorous that I also ended up choosing the career of an auditor - for those of you who know your Latin, audit is translated as "he/she/it listens."  One of my favorite ways to learn tunes and songs is to listen to them over and over... and over again!  I imagine my family learned some tunes with me over the years as I listened to albums ad nauseum on the stereo, pausing and rewinding tracks to learn each phrase.  For this week, I burned The Whites recording of "Keep on the Sunny Side" and listened to the song on repeat in my car, picking up a couple words here and there each time until I was able to sing the entire way through.

So... here goes!

There's a dark and a troubled side of life,
But there's a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife,
The sunny side we also may view

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way
If we keep on the sunny side of life

The storms and its furies raged today
Crushing hope that we cherished so dear
The cloud and storm will in time pass away
And the sun again will shine bright and clear

(Chorus)

Let us greet with the song of hope each day
Though the moment be cloudy or fair
Let us trust in our Savior always
Who keepeth everyone in his care

(Chorus)

There's no way to know that I actually wrote out all of the lyrics above from memory... you'll just have to trust me! 

I also looked up a little history courtesty of Wikipedia... the song was originally written in 1899 by Ada Blenkhorn to music composed by J. Howard Entwisle.  The song was first popularized by the Carter Family - it later became their theme song on the radio!  A recording of the song by The Whites was featured in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Ada was inspired to write the hymn by a phrase used by her nephew.  Her nephew was disabled and always asked that his wheelchair be pushed down "the sunny side" of the street.

Looking forward to keeping on the sunny side for the rest of the week!