The lyrics of this song are so beautiful. All of the lyrics are verses, there are no chorus sections of this song, just similar repeating lyrics. The first verse says, "Were you there, when they crucified my Lord? Were you there, when they crucified my Lord? Sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?" The second verse says, "Were you there, when they nailed him to the cross (tree)? Were you there, when they nailed him to the cross (tree)? Sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there, when they nailed him to the cross (tree)?"
Then the third verse says, "Were you there, when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there, when they laid him in the tomb? Sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there, when they laid him in the tomb?" The fourth and final verse says, "Were you there, when the stone was rolled away? Were you there, when the stone was rolled away? Sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there, when the stone was rolled away?"
I love this song so much, because it documents the very basis of my Catholic faith. It illustrates the Passion of Jesus Christ. The lyrics are so beautiful, and the music behind it allows it to build and then recede through the lyrics the same way. The beginning line is very sad, then the second line you sing louder to make it seem more sad, then the third line is sung almost like a remembrance piece, and then the fourth line is then sung like the first one, in a sad tone.
This song only gets sung around Holy Week, and especially on Good Friday a lot. I always was very reverent when this song was sung in Church, when I was altar-serving. I hope to sing this song in Church this week. I will try to link a good version of the song down below, but it is very hard, because it is a church song, and the covers of it by independent artists aren't that great.
I hope you enjoyed the song, and are able to sing it soon!
Did you like the song choice? Do you like the songs place in the Mass? Have you ever sung this song in your Church?
DGS
Quotes of the Day: "The greatest healing therapy, is friendship and love." - 38th Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey
"Everything in the world has been figured out, except how to live!" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"What force is more potent than love?" - Igor Stravinsky