When I was a teenager, my family spent summers at Lake Blaine, Montana. We came from Lethbridge, Alberta. One year this song came out. I still remember listening to it and wanting a record of it. My parents insisted it was just a flash in the pan but they bought it and gave it to me in my Christmas stocking. I have owned it on record, tape, CD and DVD.
This song reminds me of my late husband. He was raised Christian but he fell away. I just.pray that he found Jesus again before he died. He had been a very good kind man until he lost his way.
In the early 60s in south Arkansas, my mother went to a club to see/hear the Browns. She said "Jim Ed Brown is the most handsome man I've ever seen." (And they can all sing!)
Why would you take such a beautiful song and excise twelve lines from its narration? Listen to Édith Piaf and the Compagnons de la Chanson, who after all made the first recording of the song using the copy provided by its author (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VGvq9zbPGkk.html&ab_channel=InaChansons, here in a tribute to Gilbert Bécaud), and you will note that each verse has eight, nor four lines; the extra lines carry heartwarming imagery that shoulld not have been cut out.
My mother played this song for me when I was a very little girl. It was one of her very favorite songs. Over 50 years have past since then and so has my dear mother but this song is still a true blessing for me.
