This Christopher Walker songs risks a lot in its simplicity. Sheer repetition and unsympathetic voices can harm a song that lacks flash like this one, but try to imagine it sung by Johnny Cash in the last years of his life or Tom Waits and it might revive the piece. Otherwise you could resort to a children’s choir. Obviously a communion song, very accessible for children, but also simply saying what Eucharist is meant to mean for all of us.
It can be purchased for download at OCP.
I’ve never heard the eight verses done at once but my backing does that if you want to sing it all.
* I have put up a corrected backing after Alexandra alerted me to an error (30/4/2016)
Refrain
Jesus, you are bread for us.
Jesus, you are life for us.
In your gift of Eucharist we find love.Verse 1
When we feel we need a friend
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 2
When we feel that we need love
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 3
When we feel that things aren’t fair
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 4
In communion we believe
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 5
Gathered in God’s family
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 6
When we help our families
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 7
When we help the hungry ones
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
Verse 8
When we help the thirsty ones
you are there with us, Jesus.
Thank you for the friend you are.
Thank you for the love we share.Refrain
© Christopher Walker 1990.
Our music director loves this song and so do the children. This electronic rendition is correct except for one note, if you compare what is played here to the sheet music. In measure 3, the last note according to the sheet music (at “are”) should be a G, not an F as played. It still works as played here though. Nice guitar arrangement.
Thank you so much Alexa. I’ve made the correction of the error that my tin ears did not pick up.
For some reasons this BIAB file is buggy in other ways and the melody drops out at times. On the other hand it is one of the early BIAB styles that used digitised real tracks that allow the fingerpicking guitar to sound OK.
Geoff