Wayfaring Stranger
Emmylou Harris · The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & High [2005]
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
While traveling through this world of woe
Yet there's no sickness, toil or danger
in that bright world to which I go.
I'm going there to see my father
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home.
--- Instrumental ---
I know dark clouds were headin' around me
I know my way is tough and steep
Yet beautious fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep.
I'm going there to see my mother
She said she'd meet me when I come
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home...
Wayfaring Stranger - Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris delivers a masterful rendition of the spiritual classic Wayfaring Stranger on her 2005 anthology, The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & High. As a defining voice of Americana and country folk, Harris interprets this traditional hymn with her signature acoustic clarity and emotive delivery, transforming a centuries-old prayer into a contemporary statement on faith and resilience. Her rendition exemplifies her career-long commitment to preserving and revitalizing traditional American songwriting, blending raw vocal power with subtle instrumental textures. This recording stands as a testament to her ability to honor the source material while infusing it with her unique artistic identity, making it a standout track within her extensive discography of heartache and high.