Amazing Grace: How Sweet the Sound

Amazing Grace is a song that has inspired millions. From its inception, the words of this beloved hymn have struck a chord across cultures and generations. The author, John Newton, could not have known the impact his words would have. This book highlights the journey Amazing Grace has taken to becoming a modern-day pop-culture phenomenon. When written, Newtons intent was to combine a new song with his New Year’s Day sermon, Faith’s Review and Expectation. Subsequently, Amazing Grace was refined and adjusted to fit the more nuanced contexts of the individual communities who adopted it as their own. Refining the tune into today’s most recognized cadence was a process that took over one hundred years. Blues, gospel, jazz, folk, and eventually rock and pop music all adopted the song into their respective genres. It also reached beyond church walls and religious gatherings, and moved to streets filled with marchers for civil rights or onto stages of concerts pleading for peace, and into recording studios looking for something new to make a buck.