Be With Me Jesus

Written by Sam Cooke

Studio Version 1

The Soul Stirrers: 

• Sam Cooke, Paul Foster - leads 
• Senior Roy Crain - first tenor
• Thomas L. Bruster, R.B. Robinson - baritones
• Jesse J. Farley - bass 
• Willie Webb - organ
• Edward Robinson - piano

Recorded February 16, 1955 at Universal Recorders in Chicago

A&R: S.R. Crain

MP3 at Amazon.com

Singles    Specialty 878 b/w Nearer To Thee (1955 - 37,000 sold)

Albums    

• The Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers 
• The Gospel Soul of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirres, Vol. 2 
• Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
• The Soul Stirrers featuring Sam Cooke
• Touch the Hem of His Garment
• Wonderful
• Brothers Of Soul - Early Years Collection

Live Version

Recorded July 22, 1955 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles

Trivia

• At the end of the song Paul Foster sings parts of Psalm 23. 

The Soul Stirrers:      Sam Cooke, Paul Foster - leads     /     Senior Roy Crain - first tenor     /    Bob King, R.B. Robinson - baritones    /    Jesse J. Farley - bass    /    Bob King - guitar

A&R: Bumps Blackwell

Albums   

• The Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
• The Great 1955 Shrine Concert

Lyrics

[Sam Cooke]
Oh Lord, the time is growing nigh
When I must breathe my last breath inside
Lord in my dying hour
Stay with me Lord

Oh Lord, my friends will gather 'round
They're watching me slowly, 
I'm slowly sinking down
Lord in my dying hour
Stay with me Lord

[Paul Foster] [Be with me Jesus as Background]
Now Lord, Lord, now Jesus time has come
When I'm must my earthly home
Friends standing around, tears in their eye
they know that I am about to die
But I'm not worried, I'm not afraid,
I know you do Jesus, what you said
Just what you say follow me and you be right
You will be with me Lord, day and night. I'm not afraid
I said I'm dying. Don't leave me now

[Sam Cooke]
O Lord, I know you'll stand by me
when I'm trouble, when I'm in misery
Lord in my dying hour
Stay with me Lord

O Lord, I know you'll stand by your word,
whenever I call you
I know you always you have already heard
Lord in my dying hour
Stay with me Lord

[Paul Foster]
O Lord, I said farewell
fare thee well, fare thee hell
to my friends down here
I got loves ones
waiting for me up there

[Sam Cooke]
O Lord, others are waiting for me, what a reunion
I know that will be
Lord in my dying hour
Stay with me Lord
 

Covered By   

Angola Group	Angola Prison Spirituals (1960)	MP3 at Amazon.com
Dillard Crume & The New Soul Stirrers	Here I Am (2007)	MP3 at Amazon.com
Al Green	He Is The Light (1985)	MP3 at Amazon.com
Ted Hawkins	Suffer No More (1998)
Doug and Melvin Williams	In Living Color (1992)	MP3 at Amazon.com