Farther Along
Hurt Mississippi John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.
Farther along we'll know more about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
When there are many living in comfort,
Giving no heed to all I can do.
Tempted and tried, how often we question
Why we must suffer year after year,
Being accused by those of our loved ones,
E'en though we've walked in God's holy fear.
When death has come and taken our loved ones,
Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living so wicked year after year.
'Faithful till death' said our loving Master;
Short is our time to labor and wait;
Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
When we shall pass that beautiful gate.
Soon we will see our dear, loving Master,
Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
Then we will meet those gone on before us,
Then we shall know and understand why.
"Farther Along" by Mississippi John is a gospel song that questions why some people seem to suffer more than others, despite leading a righteous life. The lyrics talk about how the singer wonders why they must suffer, while others around them lead a comfortable life, even when they are in the wrong. The song tries to reassure the listener that eventually, they will understand why they must suffer, and they should continue to live in the sunshine and have faith in God.
The lyrics also talk about losing loved ones to death and questioning why the wicked prosper while living a life of sin. The singer reminds the listener to remain faithful until death and wait for God's judgment. The song ends on an optimistic note, promising that those who have passed on will meet again, and everything will be made clear.
Line by Line Meaning
Tempted and tried, we're oft made to wonder
We are often tempted and tested, causing us to question why.
Why it should be thus all the day long;
Why does our suffering seem to persist every day?
While there are others living about us,
Meanwhile, there are others around us
Never molested, though in the wrong.
who are not held accountable despite doing wrong.
Farther along we'll know more about it,
As time progresses, we will gain deeper insight about our situation
Farther along we'll understand why;
Eventually, we will comprehend and make sense of our suffering
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
Stay positive, my friend! Find happiness in the present
We'll understand it all by and by.
We will eventually comprehend the meaning behind everything
Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
I often question why I must endure hardship
Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
Facing challenging weather conditions alongside hardship
When there are many living in comfort,
While others live in luxury and ease
Giving no heed to all I can do.
Ignoring all of my efforts to improve my own situation
Tempted and tried, how often we question
We frequently ask ourselves why we are being tested
Why we must suffer year after year,
Why we continuously suffer over the years
Being accused by those of our loved ones,
Our own loved ones sometimes accuse us of wrongdoing
E'en though we've walked in God's holy fear.
Even though we have respected God and his teachings
When death has come and taken our loved ones,
When our loved ones pass away
Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
Making our surroundings feel empty and sad
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
We start to question why others are succeeding
Living so wicked year after year.
Despite living immorally year-round.
'Faithful till death' said our loving Master;
Our Master commanded us to remain loyal until death
Short is our time to labor and wait;
Our time on earth is brief and limited
Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
At that point, all of our hard work will seem insignificant
When we shall pass that beautiful gate.
When we finally cross over to the other side
Soon we will see our dear, loving Master,
We will soon be reunited with our kind and loving Master
Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
Hear the final blast of the trumpet in the heavens
Then we will meet those gone on before us,
We will reunite with those who have already passed before us
Then we shall know and understand why.
At that moment everything will come to make sense
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN S HURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kathleen Hannan
Mississipi John Hurt's voice is one of the truest and gentlest I have ever heard.
Thanks so much for posting this, and how lucky all are that he was recorded.
Joe Giardina
He was awesome 🇺🇸💪
Robert Munyard
This particular song and playing is absolutely brilliant, the picture of the little girl tells a whole story of the lifestyle, happiness and heartbreaking at the same time.
Allen
This song is overwhelmingly pleasant for the subject matter and It holds a dear place in me heart wipes tear from beard
grant smythe
There is great wisdom in this song's lyrics but there is also a great emotional wisdom in this particular performance by Mississippi John Hurt.
William Hutcheson
As a boy I sang this. It never quite left me. "Through a glass darkly" rings truer and truer.
'
Grace Bowers
His voice is haunting! It’s so amazing!
Made Right America
A man with a Godly soul, a great voice, and an old guitar. The power of his message in a song is is in it's simplicity. Mr. Hurt passed away when I was only 7 years old. I wish I could have gotten to know this fine gentleman. I will look up Mr. Hurt when and if God allows me to enter His Kingdom. When I find him, the first thing I will do is introduce myself and then ask if he brought his old guitar with him and can we sit a spell and sing a few of his songs. Thank you TheBJWJohnson Recordings for posting this song.
Nathaniel Rossi
My life changed when i found John Hurt back in august or september i think it was. I love this man.
ibrake4butterflies
A song to live in.