

The song has been featured in several movies, including "Crazy Heart" and "The Homesman." Dolly Parton's version of the song was recorded in 2003 for her album "Halos & Horns."



The tune of the song is believed to be derived from an English folk song named "The Sweet Trinity." The song has been recorded by numerous artists, including Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Jack White. "Wayfaring Stranger" is a traditional American folk song dating back to the 19th century. If you find inaccuracies, you can request we run a fact check here or highlight specific content to report it. The song suggests that there is something greater beyond our current existence, and although the journey may be difficult, it is worth continuing towards a brighter and more peaceful world. The singer is aware that their way will be rough and steep, but the beauty of the fields before them, where God's redeemed keep their vigils, gives them the courage to continue. The lyrics suggest a profound element of hope and faith in the unknown journey beyond. The song suggests that the journey is not taken alone, as the singer is going to see their father and mother who await their arrival. However, the singer is not afraid because this journey only leads to a brighter world where there is no sickness, toil, or danger. The song describes the singer as a "poor wayfaring stranger" who is traveling through a harsh world. From ancient ballads at the heart of the tradition to instruments that express this dynamic music, Ritchie and Orr chronicle the details of an epic journey.The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Wayfaring Stranger" speaks about a journey towards a brighter world, beyond this world of difficulty and woe. In Wayfaring Strangers, Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr guide readers on a musical voyage across oceans, linking people and songs through centuries of adaptation and change. Their enduring legacy of music flows today from Appalachia back to Ireland and Scotland and around the globe. They brought with them a wealth of traditional ballads and tunes from the British Isles and Ireland, a carrying stream that merged with sounds and songs of English, German, Welsh, African American, French, and Cherokee origin. Many of these Scots-Irish immigrants made their way into the mountains of the southern Appalachian region. Summary: Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a steady stream of Scots migrated to Ulster and eventually onward across the Atlantic to resettle in the United States.
