Glory to God ‎#228

228. Were You There

1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?)

2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? (Were you there?)

3 Were you there when they pierced him in the side? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side? (Were you there?)

4 Were you there when the sun refused to shine? (Were you there?)
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine? (Were you there?)

5 Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? (Were you there?)

Opt. 6 Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

Text Information

• First Line: Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
• Title: Were You There
• Refrain First Line: O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble
• Meter: Irregular
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2013
• Scripture:
  Isaiah 53:3
  ;
  Matthew 27:35-60
  ;
  Mark 15:24-25
  ;
  Mark 15:46
  ;
  Luke 23:33
  ;
  Luke 23:50-53
  ;
  John 19:16-18
  ;
  John 19:34
  ;
  John 19:41-42
  ;
  Philippians 2:8
• Topic: Christian Year: Palm Sunday; Christian Year: Maundy Thursday; Christian Year: Good Friday; Jesus Christ: Passion and Death
• Source: African American spiritual

Tune Information

• Name: WERE YOU THERE
• Arranger: Melva Wilson Costen (1987)
• Meter: Irregular
• Key: E♭ Major
• Source: African American spiritual
• Copyright: Arr. © 1990 Melva Wilson Costen

Text Information:

Few hymns from any culture have captured the pathos of Jesus’ crucifixion as movingly as this African American spiritual. Its emotional climax (and highest pitch) comes in the great “O!” at the center of each stanza, a moment that moves beyond anything words can convey.