Take My Hand, Precious Lord

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Take My Hand, Precious Lord is a gospel song written by Thomas A. Dorsey in 1932. The melody, although credited to Dorsey, was taken from a 1844 hymn entitled, "Maitland," by American composer, George N. Allen (1812-1877).^{[citation needed]}

The song has been recorded by many artists including Mahalia Jackson (for whom the song was written in mind), Aretha Franklin, and Elvis Presley and is included in many Catholic and protestant hymnals and songbooks, often known, simply as "Precious Lord".

[edit] The Story Behind the Song

Before Dorsey became a leading composer of gospel songs, he sang blues numbers under the name of "Georgia Tom". He teamed up for a short time with Tampa Red to write the erotic song "It's Tight Like That" which became a blues sensation, selling over seven million copies in 1928. Dorsey turned to writing gospel songs, however, and penned "Precious Lord" in response to his inconsolable bereavement at the death of his wife, Nettie Harper, in childbirth, and his infant son the day after.^[1]