Scripture Verse

Cast all your care on Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Introduction

Words: Ada J. Blenk­horn, in Bright Me­lo­dies, ed­it­ed by John R. Swe­ney & How­ard Ent­wisle (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1899) num­ber 128.

Music: J. How­ard Ent­wisle (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ent­wisle (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Ada J. Blenkhorn (1858–1927)

Origin of the Hymn

This song was in­spired by Ada’s dis­abled ne­phew, who loved to have his wheel­chair pushed down the sun­ny side of the street.

The Car­ter fa­mi­ly, of coun­try mu­sic fame, learned of the song from Al­vin P. Car­ter’s un­cle, a mu­sic teach­er. They re­cord­ed it in Cam­den, New Jer­sey, in 1928, and it be­came their theme song on the ra­dio in lat­er years.

Alvin Car­ter’s tomb­stone in the Mount Ver­non Me­tho­dist Church Ce­me­te­ry, Hil­tons, Vir­gin­ia, has a gold re­cord of the song em­bedd­ed in it.

The Whites sang the song in the 2000 film O Bro­ther, Where Art Thou?

Lyrics

There’s a dark and a trou­bled side of life;
There’s a bright and a sun­ny side, too;
Tho’ we meet with the dark­ness and strife,
The sun­ny side we al­so may view.

Refrain

Keep on the sun­ny side,
Always on the sun­ny side,
Keep on the sun­ny side of life;
It will help us ev­ery day,
It will bright­en all the way,
If we keep on the sun­ny side of life.

Tho’ the storm in its fu­ry break to­day,
Crushing hopes that we cher­ished so dear;
Storm and cloud will in time pass away,
The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Refrain

Let us greet with a song of hope each day,
Tho’ the moments be cloudy or fair;
Let us trust in our Sav­ior alway,
Who keep­eth ev­ery one in His care.

Refrain