Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
Will L. Thompson · 1880 · tune THOMPSON
Key of G · public domain
Words
Calling for you and for me
See, on the portals He's waiting and watching
Watching for you and for me
Ye who are weary, come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling, O sinner, come home
Pleading for you and for me
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies
Mercies for you and for me
Promised for you and for me
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon
Pardon for you and for me
The story
Will Lamartine Thompson was an Ohio songwriter and music publisher who wrote popular secular songs before turning to hymns, and he wrote both words and tune for this one, published in 1880. The hymn takes Matthew 11 and refuses to raise its voice. Where a lot of nineteenth century invitation hymns shout, this one describes Jesus calling softly, watching, waiting, pleading. The line come home, come home, ye who are weary, come home does the work by repetition rather than threat. There is a well repeated story that Dwight Moody, near the end of his life, told Thompson he would rather have written this hymn than anything he had accomplished. It is widely repeated, but no account from his lifetime records it, and the most rigorous hymn reference declines to print it at all.
Chords in G
In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.
Common questions
Who wrote Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling? Will L. Thompson wrote the words in 1880.
What tune is it sung to? THOMPSON, set here in the key of G.
What scripture is it built on? Matthew 11:28.
Is Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.
Themes
Invitation · Mercy · Coming Home