Nearer, My God, to Thee Sarah F. Adams, 1841
4 verses, sung to Bethany (Mason) (6.4.6.4.6.6.6.4), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee;
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee,—
Nearer to thee.
Verse 2. Though like the wanderer
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet, in my dreams, I’d be
Nearer, my God! to thee,—
Nearer to thee.
Verse 3. There let the way appear,
Steps unto heaven;
All that thou send’st to me,
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God! to thee,—
Nearer to thee.
Verse 4. Or if, on joyful wing,
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God! to thee,—
Nearer to thee.
Words copied from The Otterbein Hymnal (1892). They were published in 1841, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind Nearer, My God, to Thee
Sarah Flower Adams wrote the words, which appeared in Hymns and Anthems, a book her pastor William J. Fox compiled for his Unitarian congregation in London. Hymnary.org gives the date as 1840 on one page and 1841 on another, and the United Methodist account dates the book to 1840 and 1841. She gave thirteen hymns to the book.
The hymn retells Jacob's dream at Bethel in Genesis 28:10-22. Adams turns Jacob's vow into a personal longing for heaven. She played Lady Macbeth at the Richmond Theatre in London before she gave up acting for writing. She died of tuberculosis in 1848, two years after her sister, who died of the same disease.
American churches sing it to BETHANY, which Lowell Mason arranged. Hymnary.org dates the tune to 1856 on most pages, and one hymnal gives 1859. The United Methodist account says British churches have not sung the text to Mason's tune.
The hymn was played at President James Garfield's burial in 1881. Many people say a band played it as the Titanic sank in 1912. The United Methodist account says the claim about Mason's tune on the Titanic cannot be proved.
Sarah F. Adams
1805-02-22 to 1848-08-14
Sarah Flower Adams was born in Harlow, Essex, the younger daughter of Benjamin Flower, a newspaper editor. She married the civil engineer William B. Adams in 1834. She acted for a time, including a Lady Macbeth at the Richmond Theatre, and then turned to writing. She attended the London Unitarian congregation of William J. Fox and gave thirteen hymns to his Hymns and Anthems. Her best known hymn is Nearer, My God, to Thee. She died of tuberculosis in London in 1848, two years after her sister Eliza.
Lowell Mason
1792-01-08 to 1872-08-11
Lowell Mason was born in Medfield, Massachusetts, on January 8, 1792. He worked as a bank clerk in Savannah, Georgia, before turning to music. His first major collection of church music came out in 1822 through the Boston Handel and Haydn Society, and he became the society's president and conductor in 1827. He moved to Boston in 1826 and founded the Boston Academy of Music. Hymnary calls him the father of American church music. He left Boston for New York in 1851 and died on August 11, 1872, at his home on Orange Mountain, New Jersey. He left his music library to Yale College.
- UM Discipleship, History of Hymns: Nearer, My God, to Thee , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Sarah F. Adams , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Nearer, my God, to Thee (text and BETHANY) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Baptist Hymnal 1975, hymn 333 (key) , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Nearer, My God, to Thee
The Bible passages behind the words.
- Genesis 28:10-22
Nearer, My God, to Thee videos
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Nearer My God to Thee First-Plymouth Church Lincoln Nebraska (FirstPVideos), Congregation
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Nearer, My God, to Thee - The Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Choir
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Nearer, My God, to Thee - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Nearer My God to Thee - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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Nearer, My God, To Thee - Libera | Songs of Praise Songs Of Praise, Choir
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Nearer, My God, to Thee (a capella) - DOXOLOGY [4K] Southern Seminary, A cappella
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 107 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 90 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 52 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 2 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
For Sunday
- Slides for Nearer, My God, to Thee All 4 verses. Full screen, or a PowerPoint file that ProPresenter and Keynote open.
- Add it to a bulletin Opens the bulletin maker with Nearer, My God, to Thee in the order of service.
- Add it to a funeral program Opens the funeral program maker with this hymn in the order of service.
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in G.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Nearer, My God, to Thee?
Sarah Flower Adams wrote the words for a hymn book compiled by her pastor William J. Fox. It appeared in 1840 or 1841, depending on the source.
What Bible story is Nearer, My God, to Thee based on?
It follows Jacob's dream of a ladder to heaven at Bethel in Genesis 28:10-22.
Is Nearer, My God, to Thee appropriate for a funeral?
It was played at President James Garfield's burial in 1881, and the United Methodist hymn history describes it as a longing for heaven. Many families choose it for that reason.
Did the band play Nearer, My God, to Thee on the Titanic?
A popular story says so, but the United Methodist hymn history says it cannot be proved.
Is Nearer, My God, to Thee in the public domain?
The words are public domain in the United States. Adams's text was first published in 1841. Mason's tune BETHANY dates to 1856 or 1859.
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