Now Jesus One Day

This song was really popular with the fives and under at Christ Church Clifton in the late 1980s. The simplicity of the melody and words and the repetition of the last line, a simple observation about the waves, give the whole song a meditative, timeless quality. A classic by a nun who produced songs for children in a volume titled “Let God’s Children Sing”.

I hope this musical arrangement, by a then younger Gnu, provides a suitable style for our younger friends. Someone recently commented that it was in the Teletubbies genre, and would be most appropriate at the end of the programme when we reach the point of Teletubby Bye Byes. Old Gnu takes that as the highest of compliments. Yes on reflection, I can see that the musical style might calm down Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po after all the frenetic running around they do.

Now Jesus one day
Went down to the shore,
And hundreds of people
Who’d heard Him before
Followed Him to listen,
Followed Him to listen,
And the waves all went splash,
Splash, splash, splash.

He got in a boat
And put out to sea
Where people could see Him
As plain as could be.
They settled down to listen,
Settled down to listen,
And the waves all went splash,
Splash, splash, splash.

Then He sent them home
To village and town,
And he said to Peter:
“now, let your net down.”
Peter started fishing,
Peter started fishing,
And the waves all went splash,
Splash, splash, splash.

The fishes swarmed in;
The net nearly broke.
Then Jesus said to him
“Come fishing for folk.
Come and follow me,
Come and follow me.”
And the waves all went splash,
Splash, splash, splash, SPLASH.

Sister Mary Oswin (1900-1978)