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Child of the King
Public Domain Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel by I. D. Ogdon (words) and John B. Sumner (music) 1877;
NOTE: This is not the popular southern gospel song "Child of the King" by Cindy Walker which is copyrighted. There are other songs with this title.
ARTIST: Mississippi Children's Choir
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1877; First recording Arthur McKee 1928 (unissued)
Frank Welling and John McGhee 1932
RECORDING INFO: Child of the King
Hightower Brothers Child of the King Peacock 1963
Mississippi Children's Choir
Frank Welling and John McGhee 1932
Norfleet Brothers Child of the King Jericho Road c.1956
OTHER NAMES: "A Child of the King" "Child of a King (Meade)" "My Father Is Rich In Houses And Land"
SOURCES: Sankey; Meade
NOTES: "Child of the King" is a hymn written by Harriet E. Buell (words) and
John B. Sumner (music) in 1877. It has been adapted by African-American gospel groups including Hightower Brothers in 1963 and the more recent adaptation by Mississippi Children's Choir. Meade lists the first recording as "My Father Is Rich In Houses And Land" by Frank Welling and John McGhee in 1932.
Ira Sankey, pp. 258-9: The lyrics first appeared in The Northern Christian Advocate, February 1, 1877, as a poem titled “The Child of a King.” John Sumner had been praying for a Gospel song to replace the one that would have been written by his friend and teacher Philip Bliss, who had recently suffered an untimely death. When Sumner saw these words, he knew his prayer had been answered.
Mr. Peter P. Bilhorn relates the following incident in connection with this hymn, which happened when he was engaged in evangelistic work among the cowboys in the West, in 1883. “We had started up the Missouri River for Bismarck, and on Sunday we stopped at a new town, named Blunt, to unload some freight. A crowd of men and boys came down to the wharf. I took my little organ, went on the wharf-boat, and sang a few songs—among others the glorious hymn, ‘I’m a child of of a King.’ I thought nothing more of the occasion until long afterward, when I sang the same song in Mr. Moody’s church in Chicago [Illinois]. Then a man in the back part of the house arose, and said in a trembling voice: ’Two years ago I heard that song at Blunt, Dakota; I was then an unsaved man, but that song set me to thinking, and I decided to accept Christ, and I am now studying for the ministry.’”
Additional notes Child of the King: The words for “Child Of The King” were written by Harriett Buell (1834-1910); the musical score was written earlier. One Sunday morning, Harriet was walking home from church services at her Methodist church. The words for “Child Of The King”came to her that afternoon. She wrote them down and later sent her text to the Northern Christian Advocate. “Child Of The King”was printed in the February 1, 1877 issue of that publication as a poem. The musical score was added as the result of an answered prayer.
John Summer had been praying for lyrics to a religious song for an unfinished musical score written by his dear friend, Philip Bliss. Mr. Bliss had suddenly died and Summer thought his work should be published. When Summer read the words to “Child Of The King,” he instantly knew that the two works should be joined together.
Child of the King- Mississippi Children's Choir
BRIDGE: Everywhere I go, I want the world to know ...
VERSE: My father is rich in houses and lands
He hold's the wealth of the world in His hands
Rubies and diamonds, Silver and Gold
His coffers are full, He has riches untold
CHORUS: I'm a child, child of the king
I'm a child, child of the king
With Jesus as my Savior
I'm a child of the King
BRIDGE: Everywhere I go, I want the world to know
That Jesus leads me, He leads me
Everywhere I go, I want the world to know
That Jesus leads me, He leads me
VAMP 1
I'm a child, child of the King
VAMP 2
I'm a child
A CHILD OF THE KING- Sumner & Buell, 1877
My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.
Refrain: I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.
My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is pleading our pardon on high,
That we may be His when He comes by and by.
Refrain
I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
Refrain
A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.
Refrain
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