Scripture Verse

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 5:16

Introduction

portrait
Eliza E. Hewitt (1851–1920)

Words: Eli­za E. Hew­itt, in Ra­di­ant Songs, ed­it­ed by John R. Swe­ney, Will­iam Kirkpatrick & Hen­ry L. Gil­mour (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­va­nia: John J. Hood, 1891), num­ber 72.

Some hym­nals show the au­thor as Li­die H. Ed­munds, Hew­itt’s pseu­donym. Ho­wever, the lyr­ics reap­peared se­ver­al years lat­er in The Voice of Me­lo­dy, ed­it­ed by Ed­mund S. Lo­renz (Day­ton, Ohio: E. S. Lo­renz, 1900), num­ber 87, with dif­fer­ent mu­sic, by George M. Evans, and the au­thor giv­en as El­la Hall. Lo­renz does not ex­plain why Hall was cred­it­ed as the ly­ri­cist. Per­haps El­la Hall is an­oth­er pseu­do­nym of Eli­za Hew­itt?

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

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William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)

Lyrics

Let us carry the sunshine
Wherever we go,
It will surely make somebody glad;
For a comforting word,
Like a clear, golden ray,
Will bring help to the weary and sad.

Refrain

Let us carry the sunshine,
The beau­ti­ful, beau­ti­ful sunshine,
Let us carry the sunshine,
The sunshine of heavenly love.

Let us carry the sunshine
Wherever we go,
Let it beam from the bright, cheery face;
There’s a charm in the smile,
There is power in the glance,
That betokens the heart’s tender grace.

Refrain

Let us carry the sunshine
Wherever we go,
’Tis the sunshine that ne­ver grows dim;
When looking to Je­sus,
The Light of the world,
We are living and shining for Him.

Refrain