A simple ditty
A simple little singing rhyme my little light of mine lyrics is typically done in a slow rhythmic style of traditional folk music. This is easy an easy to learn song, having only one change per verse. It is a great song for connecting with people through singing in groups. The lyrics are open ended and can be altered easily to add verses and extend the time for singing this song.
Rumors and writers
This song is rumored to have a history extending back past the civil war as a spiritual song. There are no written historical siting to back up these rumors. Harry Dixon Loes is credited with composing this song in the 1920’s. Mr. Loes was born in 1892 in Michigan and lived until 1965. He studied music at the American Institute and Moody Bible Institute. Mr Loes was a music teacher at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago until his death in 1965. Mr Loes is attributed with writing several christian hymns including “Blessed redeemer” and “Love found a way”. The inspiration for the song This little light is said by some to be from the biblical verses in Mathew 5 and Luke 11.
Versions and uses
Appearing in Church hymnals and popular music, there are many renditions of this folk song. In the past singing in church was likely the first contact a person would have with this song, but today it will most likely first be encountered on television or through the internet. During the civil unrest of the 1950’s and 1960’s, this song was often used as an anthem to personal and racial freedom. In the commercial rendition of this song, it is used to attempt to describe whatever the product being sold as if it is shining brightly over all competitors. The American folk artist Odetta Holmes released her version of the song in 2005 on an album titled “Let it shine” which may be the most popular version of this song in the modern era. The popularity of the album caused it to rank somewhere near the top 7 percent of all albums in history in 1985. Other artists who have released the song include: Marty Stuart, Peter, Paul and Mary and Jerry Reed. The song has also been used as a base for other song lyrics, for example Ray Charles released a song called This little girl of mine in 1957 based on this melody.
Meaning
The meaning of the light in this song is goodness or strength shining through to the world. Many Christians believe it is symbolic of the goodness of god shining through them. The overall implied meaning is a positive message that a person should believe in their ability to do good in the world with strength and confidence. This little light of mine. I am going to let it shine.