This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
Who could this stranger be?
Who could this stranger be?
Who could this stranger be?
Drawing beside us as we walk along,
hearing us talk of the things that went wrong.
Failure of hopes in the city we've left,
sadness and loneliness now we're bereft.
What right has this man to intrude?
Don't even ask us! How rude!
Who could this stranger be?
How can he ask us to tell him the news?
How would he like it, to be in our shoes?
Follow the man who we felt was the king,
Then see him crucified, lose everything?
How can we begin to explain?
Why should we tell of our pain?
Why can't this stranger see?
He was a prophet in both word and deed,
taught all the people and healed those in need.
He was the man whom the scriptures foretold:
how could they kill him and let him go cold?
They crucified Jesus our friend!
This is the bitterest end!
Leave us alone! Let be!
Friday they killed him, this King of the Jews:
early this morning our women brought news.
Down at his tomb at the break of the day,
Jesus was gone, he'd been taken away.
They spoke to some angels who said
Jesus was living, not dead!
What did they really see?
Who can this stranger be?
What can this stranger say?
How can he speak today?
How does he have the cheek?
What right has he to speak?
Who's this who tells us we're slow to receive
all that the prophets would have us believe?
Who's this who opens the scriptures and shows
things that were hidden, that God only knows?
How can he stand there and explain?
Why are our hearts warm again?
Who can this stranger be?
Breaking the bread like our Lord used to do,
suddenly, deep in our hearts we just knew!
Then he was gone, but we had to return
tell all our friends how he'd made our hearts burn:
Jesus is risen again!
Jesus is risen again!
Jesus is risen again!
Jesus is risen again!
Risen! Risen! Risen! Risen again!
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2008.
Based on Luke 24:13-31.
Story behind the song
When I put the song "He's alive" on the Christian Songwriting Organisation e-mail list for critique, one of the members responded by saying that it shared a title with a very famous and well-written song by Don Fransisco, which I should look up and listen to. So I did! (It can be found at this link.)
Don Fransisco's song is a classic of the story-song genre. It maintains its suspense by not telling you exactly who's singing until the story gradually unfolds, and saves its climax of realizing Jesus is alive until right at the end. (Obviously it needs an excellent singer to make the most of it.) I immediately wondered if the narrative I was working on - the resurrection appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, could be worked into a similar song. And this is the result.
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.