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