1. There's a land beyond the river, That we call the sweet forever, And we only reach that shore by faith's decree; One by one we'll gain the portals, There to dwell with the immortals, When they ring the golden bells for you and me. 2. We shall know no sin or sorrow, In that haven of tomorrow, When our barque shall sail beyond the silver sea; We shall only know the blessing Of our Father's sweet caressing, When they ring the golden bells for you and me. 3. When our days shall know their number, And in death we sweetly slumber, When the King commands the spirit to be free; Nevermore with anguish laden, We shall reach that lovely Eden, When they ring the golden bells for you and me. Chorus: Don't you hear the bells now ringing? Don't you hear the angels singing? 'Tis the glory hallelujah Jubilee. In that far off sweet forever, Just beyond the shining river, When they ring the golden bells for you and me.
Lyrics: Daniel de Marbelle
Music: Daniel de Marbelle
Tune: WHEN THEY RING THE GOLDEN BELLS
Daniel de Marbelle (1818–1903)
Daniel (Dion) de Marbelle was a man of many talents. He spent his youth sailing on whaling ships in the Artic. Later, he joined the United States Navy and fought in the Mexican War. During the Civil War, he was a musician in the 6th Michigan Infantry. After the Civil War, he joined an opera troupe and performed across America. He was a gifted entertainer – a clown, magician, ventriloquist, musician, and writer. At age sixty-nine, he was one of the first clowns hired by James A. Bailey. He later worked with Buffalo Bill Cody in the Wild West Show. However, de Marbelle wasn’t a businessman and he lived in poverty in his later years in Elgin, Illinois. He sometimes gave this testimony, “For years I was so busy I didn’t have time for God and so rich I didn’t need Him. God had to slow me down and take away my success so that He could talk to me about the home beyond the river.” This hymn, which describes that home beyond the river, was written in 1887.