Tenderly
Chet Atkins Lyrics
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Calling the wachmen angels on walls
To come sing with us
Sing Halleluja.//
Instrumental
Come and sing that The Lord Is Good
Come and sing that The Lord Is Good
Halleluja...//
Spontaneous Song
We worhip you...//
The song "Tenderly" by Chet Atkins features a beautiful instrumental melody that conveys a sense of intimacy and tenderness. However, the lyrics, which come in towards the end of the song, add a layer of religious devotion to the melody. The singer begins by "calling the watchmen angels on walls" to come and join in the song of praise to God, urging them to "sing Hallelujah". This imagery of watchmen on walls is a reference to the biblical book of Isaiah which describes watchmen guarding the city walls and alerting people to danger. Here, the singer is invoking these angels to come and stand guard as they worship God.
As the song progresses, the singer urges the congregation to join in and sing about God's goodness and love. The repetition of the phrase "come and sing" reinforces the communal aspect of worship, inviting everyone to participate. The spontaneous song that follows is a moment of pure worship, where the singer simply repeats the phrase "we worship you" over and over again. This simplicity and repetition create a sense of reverence and awe, as the singers allow themselves to be fully immersed in their worship of God. Overall, the song "Tenderly" is a beautiful ode to both music and religion, reminding us of the power of both to bring people together and uplift our spirits.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling the angels
Invoking the presence of celestial beings.
Calling the watchmen angels on walls
Summoning guardian angels to protect and oversee us.
To come sing with us
Asking the angels to join us in vocal harmony.
Sing Hallelujah
Singing praises to God in jubilation.
Come and sing that The Lord Is Good
Encouraging others to proclaim that God is benevolent.
Come and sing that His Love Is Endore
Prompting others to vocalize that God's love is everlasting.
Come and sing that The Lord Is Good
Reiterating previous line to emphasize God's goodness.
Hallelujah
Repeating the term used to express praise to God.
We worship you
Declaring our expression of adoration and reverence to God.
Contributed by Zachary F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve Folkes
What can you say? When you listen to Chet, you're in the presence of genius.
D S
This is absolutely masterful control of notes and timbre of the guitar. I can't imagine putting together an arrangement like this. Not sure why we get into best ever nonsense with any of these talents. They are ALL different and unique in their own abilities, that's the beauty of MUSIC.
Rick Rodrigues
Very true we love em all but though a difficult choice, some we place above all the rest &... only one can be King!
Jack Baker
So great! Chet is unmistakable in his sound and his incredible genius...There will never be another...Jack Baker NYC
wtailhunter1
How could anyone dislike this. I wish I could have met Chet. I believe he was an awesome individual. daffydoug, thank you so much for posting all these wonderful Chet Atkins songs.
Marco Di Maggio
You right man, great words, i've always thought the same, Chet was and he's still the best, great technique, innovative sound for that time, a great mix of taste, talent, between Fingerstyle, Jazz, Country, Blues and many more styles...the king of strings!
musket 0402
Marvelous playing of a beautiful song! The tremolo run near the end sparkles like a going-away treat.
Falx_
I couldn't believe it when my uncle told me he occasionally had dinner with Chet... he said it like as if it was nothing! How cool!
brigidpower22
I met the composer of Tenderly when in Jamaica back in the early 50s. A very lovely song and beautifully played by Chet.
JOHN MENUIS
Has anyone ever perfected the use of the Bigsby tremolo like Chet. He utilized it perfectly on slow tunes to get a "sweet" vibrant sounds and he did it while playing complex passages to boot. This is not easy. I have tried it and it is difficult to do. He had total command of the instrument but would be the last to admit it in his true humility.