Thomas A. Dorsey Follow

Peace in the Valley
Words and Music: Thomas A. Dorsey 1937

Well I’m tired and so weary, but I must go along
Till the Lord comes and calls me away, oh yes
And the morning is bright and the lamb is the light
And the night, night is as fair as the day.

CHORUS:

There will be peace in the valley for me someday
There will be peace in the valley for me, Oh Lord, I pray
There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me.

Interlude:

Oh, the bear will be gentle and the wolf will be tame
And the lion shall lay down with the lamb, oh yes
And the beast from the wild will be led by a little child
And I will be changed,
Changed from this creature that I am, oh yes

Repeat Chorus:

Tag:
There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

ThomasAndrewDorsey1899-1993

With a music teacher for a mother, and a Baptist minister for a father, it seems only natural that Thomas Dorsey would be likely to write sacred music. He started, however, playing piano in Chicago speakeasies with historic jazz and blues figures like Ma Rainey and Tampa Red Whitaker. He wrote over 400 jazz and rhythm and blues tunes, including the blues hit, "Tight Like That" in 1928. Becoming dissatisfied with his life, he turned to the Lord's will. Dorsey became a publisher of black Gospel music and established the Dorsey House of Music in 1932 in Chicago.

He wrote Peace in the Valley for Mahalia Jackson in 1932. In October 1979 he was the first black elected to the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame. In 1981 he was elected to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Summing up his life, he says all his work has been from God, for God, and for his people.