Born Amanda Carol Barnett, the only child of Betty and Dan Barnett (who worked respectively as a bookkeeper and contractor), she was named after Amanda Blake, the husky-voiced actress who played Miss Kitty on the long-running television western โGunsmoke." Barnett began her musical career by singing in church at the age of five. Members of the congregation noticed her perfect pitch, and that her vocal performance had star quality. Her mother encouraged her by booking singing engagements wherever people would listen: bowling alleys, VFW halls and political rallies (notably for Lamar Alexander and future Vice President Al Gore, Jr.. When there was no venue, she would perform in parking lots. By age nine, her father financed a professionally recorded gospel music album. The following summer, she had joined a summer theatre cast at Dollywood and shared the stage with Dolly Parton herself. It was during her two years at Dollywood that she won a talent contest that included making a demo in Nashville, just a two-hour drive from her home.
During the trip to Nashville, Betty Barnett worked to get her talented daughter a spot on the well-known "Midnight Jamboree" radio show, which aired after the Grand Ole Opry program on WSM-AM. Opry star George Hamilton IV was also a guest on the program, and was so impressed he commented, "If there are any producers out there, you better call." One did indeed, and she was soon signed by producer Jimmy Bowen. The then 12-year-old Barnett earned a lot of industry buzz after her debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, covering Patsy Cline's "Crazy." It would prove to be a foreshadowing moment of her professional career.
Bowen's career transitioned from label to label at the time. Each time, he took young Barnett with him, and despite constant training and development funding, no album ever resulted. Barnett graduated from high school in 1993 and headed back to Nashville full-time to seek her fortune. Ironically, her label, Capitol Records dropped her that December.
A stroke of luck finally came her way early in 1994, when she heard about auditions for a stage show that very day, much to her surprise. Called Always... Patsy Cline, she felt she was a natural to play the legendary country chanteuse, and she beat out all the others who tried out for the part. It played nightly at the Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry where Cline herself had sung, and Barnett performed to sold-out crowds for two years. Thanks to reviews that constantly compared her favorably to Cline, Barnett was a hot property on Music Row again, finally putting out self-titled album on Asylum Records in 1996. Three singles from the album charted on the Billboard country charts.
Working with the country glitterati, including Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill and Trisha Yearwood, Barnett's star was rising. A nationwide tour in 1997 was met with good reviews. She reprised her role in Always... Patsy Cline (this time with above-the-title billing) for a short time and she contributed performances to two film soundtracks before releasing her next album in 1999 on Sire Records, I've Got A Right to Cry, produced by the man who had made Patsy Cline herself a star, studio legend Owen Bradley. He died mid-way through the project and his brother Harold Bradley took over production duties. It would be released soon after Bradley's death.
Reviews of I've Got A Right To Cry were strong, including raves in Rolling Stone, but sales disappointed, and Barnett was dropped from Sire. Press interviews constantly compare her to Patsy Cline, which may have resulted in a musical form of typecasting and negatively impacted her career. Barnett maintains that Cline is an influence, but that she is not a Patsy Cline impersonator.
Having learned from Music Row veterans, she began working herself as a record producer in 2000, working with gospel and country artists. Barnett keeps her intimate life very private, and currently resides in Nashville. She continues to sing in concerts around the city and works as a producer.
Wayfaring Stranger
Mandy Barnett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travelin' through a world of woe
Where there's no sickness toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go
I'm goin' there to see my mother
She said she'd meet me when I come
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
I know dark clouds are gonna gather 'round me
I know my way will be rough and steep
But beautiful fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep
I'm going there to see my loved ones
Gone on before me one by one
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
I'll soon be free from earthly trials
This body rest in the old churchyard
I'll drop this cross of self denial
Then I'll go singin' on to God
I'm going there to see my savior
I'll dwell with Him and I'll never roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
The lyrics of "Wayfaring Stranger" by Mandy Barnett describe the journey of a traveler through a difficult and perilous world. The traveler is on his way to a peaceful and joyful place where he will be reunited with his loved ones who have passed before him. The song also alludes to a spiritual journey towards God and salvation.
The first two lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The traveler is called a "Wayfaring Stranger" - a wanderer through life without a permanent home. The world in which he is traveling is full of "woe" - pain, sorrow, and grief. The third line, however, offers a glimmer of hope. The bright land to which the traveler is going is a place where there is no sickness, toil, or danger. This land is a symbol of heaven or salvation in Christian theology.
The traveler is not alone on his journey. He is going to see his mother, who has promised to meet him when he arrives. The line "I'm only goin' over Jordan" refers to the River Jordan which leads to the promised land in the Bible. The traveler is looking forward to being reunited with his loved ones who have passed before him. The song's narrator also acknowledges that the journey will be difficult and that dark clouds will gather around him. However, there is hope and comfort in the knowledge that beautiful fields lie ahead, where God's redeemed wait.
Overall, "Wayfaring Stranger" is a deeply spiritual and introspective song that reflects on the pilgrim's journey through life. It acknowledges the hardships and suffering that we endure on earth, but also the hope and promise of eternal life with God.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a poor Wayfaring Stranger
I am a traveler who has nothing in this world
Travelin' through a world of woe
I am traveling in a world of misery and sadness
Where there's no sickness toil or danger
The world I am traveling to is free from sickness, hard work, or danger
In that bright land to which I go
The world I am traveling to is full of light and hope
I'm goin' there to see my mother
I am going to that world to reunite with my mother
She said she'd meet me when I come
My mother promised to welcome me when I arrive
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I am only crossing the river Jordan, which symbolizes the boundary between life and death
I'm only goin' over home
I am going back to my true home, which is in the afterlife
I know dark clouds are gonna gather 'round me
I am aware that difficult times will come my way
I know my way will be rough and steep
I know that my journey will be tough and challenging
But beautiful fields lie just before me
Despite the challenges, I know that there is beauty ahead of me
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep
In that world, people who have been saved by God are waiting for me
I'm going there to see my loved ones
Apart from my mother, I am going to reunite with other loved ones who have passed away
Gone on before me one by one
These loved ones have already made the journey before me, one by one
I'll soon be free from earthly trials
I know that soon I will be free from all the difficulties of this world
This body rest in the old churchyard
My physical body will be buried in the cemetery
I'll drop this cross of self denial
I will let go of all the burdens and hardships that I have carried in this world
Then I'll go singin' on to God
I will joyfully continue my journey to God, with a song in my heart
I'm going there to see my savior
Above all, I am going to that world to see my savior, Jesus Christ
I'll dwell with Him and I'll never roam
I will live with Him in eternal peace, and never wander again
I'm only goin' over Jordan
Once again, I am only crossing the boundary between life and death
I'm only goin' over home
I am going back to my true and eternal home
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDY GRIFFITH, DAVID LEE HUNTSINGER, STEVE TYRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind