Hope
Bill & Gloria Gaither Lyrics

It was a wide spot out in the country
The location of the preacher's tent was far from any bustling city.

Away from the lights of the city
The area where the tent was set up was not illuminated at night.

Where an old time preacher pitched a ragged old tent
A preacher set up a worn-out tent at the remote location to deliver his message.

Looked like it was a hundred years old
The old preacher's tent had been used for some time, giving the impression it was a century old.

He started out preaching to no one
At first, the preacher was alone and had no audience.

But pretty soon a crowd started gathering
People started showing up to listen to the preacher's message.

And he preached the gospel
The preacher conveyed the teachings of the Bible and the word of God.

At the corner of Heartbreak Ridge and New Hope Road
The location of the preacher's tent was at the intersection of two roads, one called Heartbreak Ridge and the other, New Hope Road.

I turned into a wild man
The songwriter changed dramatically, either in mindset or behavior.

Some people said I'd gone crazy
Some people thought the songwriter was not of sound mind.

But all too soon came the harvest
Eventually, the songwriter started to see the effects of their actions.

Of the wild seeds that I had sown
The songwriter's actions had resulted in unexpected consequences.

Well I stumbled into that meeting
The songwriter attended a gathering with difficulty and in a state of disarray.

I was looking like death warmed over
The songwriter appeared very ill, almost like they were at death's door.

But then I heard the gospel
The songwriter was presented with the teachings of the Bible and the plan of salvation.

When they sing come ye sinners lost and hopeless
The preacher and congregation sang a hymn with the line inviting sinners who are lost and hopeless.

Lord I was hopeless heaven knows
The songwriter was in an utterly hopeless state, known only to God.

Something got a hold of me something got a hold hallelujah
The songwriter felt like something had taken them over, leading them to rejoice with hallelujahs.

It's still a wide spot out in the country
The location of the old tent still had an open space and was far from any city.

I pitched that old tent he gave me
The songwriter used the old tent that had been given to them by the preacher for their own ministry.

The day that he died and went home
The preacher passed away, going to be with the Lord.

Some times I start preaching to no one
Occasionally, the songwriter starts preaching with no one there to hear them.

But pretty soon a crowd starts gathering
As the songwriter delivers their message, a gathering of people begins to form.

And I now preach the gospel
The songwriter is now sharing the message of salvation found in the gospel.

Glory hallelujah I'm saying glory glory hallelujah
The songwriter expresses their praise with the words 'glory hallelujah'.

Hey hey glory glory hallelujah glory glory glory
The songwriter repeats their expression of praise, adding more emphasis.

When I heard the gospel
The songwriter was moved by the message of the gospel that they heard at the intersection of Heartbreak Ridge and New Hope Road.