Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924, Shelby, North Carolina-died Marc… Read Full Bio ↴Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924, Shelby, North Carolina-died March 28, 2012, Nashville, Tennessee) was a musician noted for creating a banjo style (now called Scruggs style and also formerly known as the three-finger style) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music.

Scruggs joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in late 1945 and his syncopated, three-finger picking style quickly became a sensation. In 1948 Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt left Monroe's band and formed Flatt and Scruggs. In 1969, Flatt and Scruggs broke up and Scruggs started a new band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, featuring several of his sons.
Flatt and Scruggs won a Grammy Award in 1969 for Scruggs' instrumental Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Scruggs was an inaugural inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1991.
In 2002 Scruggs won a second Grammy award for the 2001 recording of Foggy Mountain Breakdown, which featured artists such as Steve Martin on 2nd banjo solo (Martin played the banjo tune on his 1970s stand-up comic acts), Vince Gill and Albert Lee on electric guitar solos, Paul Shaffer on piano, Leon Russell on organ, and Marty Stuart on mandolin. The album, Earl Scruggs and Friends, also featured artists such as Elton John, Sting, Johnny Cash, Don Henley, Travis Tritt, and Billy Bob Thornton. Earl Scruggs and Friends (MCA Nashville, 2001).
On February 13, 2003, Scruggs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On September 13, 2006, Scruggs was honored at Turner Field in Atlanta as part of the pre-game show for an Atlanta Braves home game. Organizers set a world record (239) for the most banjo players playing one song together (Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Breakdown).
Scruggs' wife and manager Louise Scruggs died on February 2, 2006 at the age of 78 at Nashville, TN's Baptist Hospital following a lengthy illness.

I Saw The Light
Earl Scruggs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight

Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

Just like the blind man, I wandered along
Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I was a fool to wander and stray
For straight is the gate and narrow the way
Now I have traded, the wrong for the right
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

Just like the blind man, I wandered along
Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
No more darkness, no more night

Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the Light

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Earl Scruggs's song "I Saw The Light" depict a transformation from a life of sin to one of redemption through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the savior. The singer begins by admitting to a life without direction, filled with sin and not open to the teachings of the Christian faith. It is only when Jesus appears "like a stranger in the night" that the singer sees the light and accepts salvation. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer sees the light after facing darkness and now experiences happiness without sorrow.

The second stanza draws a parallel to the story of the blind man that Jesus healed, equating the physical sight given back to the blind man with the spiritual sight given to the singer. The third stanza contains a declaration of gratitude for having found the correct path after being lost and confused. Finally, the song ends with a repetition of the chorus to reinforce the idea of seeing the light and praise for the Lord.

Overall, the song provides a celebration of the power of faith, a reminder of the need for repentance and transformation, and an acknowledgment of the happiness found through acceptance of Christ.

Line by Line Meaning

I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin
I lived my life carelessly without a purpose, indulging in sinful activities

I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
I didn't allow Jesus to become a part of my life

Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Suddenly, without warning, Jesus came into my life

Praise the Lord, I saw the Light
Thank God, I saw the truth and found the way to salvation

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
I finally discovered the truth and found the way to eternal life

No more darkness, no more night
I am no longer in the darkness of sin, no longer confused or lost

Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
I now have true joy and peace, and no longer feel sorrow or despair

Just like the blind man, I wandered along
Like the blind man who wandered lost, I too was lost and unaware

Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
I allowed myself to be consumed by my own worries and fears

Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Just as God restored the sight of the once-blind man, God restored my faith and opened my eyes

I was a fool to wander and stray
I was foolish to live a life of sin and wander aimlessly without direction

For straight is the gate and narrow the way
The path to salvation is narrow and difficult to navigate

Now I have traded, the wrong for the right
I have exchanged my sinful ways for a life devoted to righteousness

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
I finally discovered the truth and found the way to eternal life

Praise the Lord, I saw the Light
Thank God, I saw the truth and found the way to salvation

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
I finally discovered the truth and found the way to eternal life

No more darkness, no more night
I am no longer in the darkness of sin, no longer confused or lost

Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
I now have true joy and peace, and no longer feel sorrow or despair

Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Thank God, I saw the truth and found the way to salvation

I saw the Light, I saw the Light
I finally discovered the truth and found the way to eternal life

No more darkness, no more night
I am no longer in the darkness of sin, no longer confused or lost

Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
I now have true joy and peace, and no longer feel sorrow or despair

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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