Words: , cir­ca 1873.

Music: :

He cut this hymn out of some news­pa­per and put it with others in his port­fol­io, in­tend­ing some time when he felt like it to give it a mu­sic­al set­ting. One Sun­day af­ter­noon, he opened his port­fol­io, and turn­ing over the se­lect­ions, found these words, and some­thing seemed to say, “Now’s your time.” He sat down at the org­an, stu­died the hymn in­tent­ly for a few mo­ments, and then, as his fin­gers touched the keys of the in­stru­ment, mel­o­dy and har­mo­ny were in ev­ery move­ment…and “Over There” was born.

O think of the home over there,
By the side of the river of light,
Where the saints, all immortal and fair,
Are robed in their garments of light.
Over there, over there,
O think of the home over there,
Over there, over there,
O think of the home over there.

O think of the friends over there,
Who before us the journey have trod,
Of the songs that they breathe on the air,
In their home in the palace of God.
Over there, over there,
O think of the friends over there,
Over there, over there,
O think of the friends over there.

My Savior is now over there,
There my kindred and friends are at rest,
Then away from my sorrow and care,
Let me fly to the land of the blest.
Over there, over there,
My Savior is now over there,
Over there, over there,
My Savior is now over there.

I’ll soon be at home over there,
For the end of my journey I see;
Many dear to my heart, over there,
Are watching and waiting for me.
Over there, over there,
I’ll soon be at home over there,
Over there, over there,
I’ll soon be at home over there.

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