Neil Diamond's "Pretty Amazing Grace"

[Ivan]

I heard a song by Neil Diamond last night while walking through my Wal-Mart's Electronics department. What do you think?

Pretty Amazing Grace​

Pretty amazing grace is what You showed me
pretty amazing grace is who You are
I was an empty vessel
You filled me up inside
and with amazing grace restored my pride

Pretty amazing grace is how You saved me
and with amazing grace reclaimed my heart
love in the midst of chaos
calm in the heat of war
showed with amazing grace what love was for

You forgave my insensitivity
and my attempt to then mislead You
You stood beside a wretch like me
Your pretty amazing grace was all I needed.

Stumbled inside the doorway of Your chapel
humbled in God by everything I found
beauty and love surround me
freed me from what I fear
ask for amazing grace and You appear

You overcame my loss of hope and faith
gave me a truth I could belive in
You led me to a higher place
showed Your amazing grace
when grace was what I needed

look in a mirror I see Your reflection
open a book You live on every page
I fall and You're there to lift me
share every road I climb
and with amazing grace You ease my mind

Came to You with empty pockets first
when I returned I was rich man
didn't believe love could quench my thirst
but with amazing grace You showed me that it can

In Your amazing grace I had a vision
from that amazing place I came to be
into the night I wandered
wandering aimlessly
found Your amazing grace to comfort me.

pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing

You overcame my loss of hope and faith,
gave me a truth I could believe in.
You led me to that higher place
showed me that love and truth and hope and grace were all I needed.​

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

About a woman, not God.

 

[KMK]

I think Neil Diamond is a pretty amazing songwriter. But, its kind of sad that a Jew's love song about a woman is idistinguishable from many of the modern popular worship songs.

 

[shackleton]

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=AKwLMzjL7Ik]YouTube - American Idol 7 (Neil Diamond) "Amazing Grace" 4/30/08[/ame]

I was going to say it sounds like the liberal notion of God, but if it is about a woman it alright.

 

[Barnpreacher]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as being about a woman. Neither would I go so far as to assume that Diamond is a converted Jew. It's an interesting song to say the least, and if it is about conversion then I agree with shackleton that Diamond's view of God is pretty generic and liberal. At least in the song anyway.

On a side note, Neil Diamond is still one of the best singers/performers around.

 

[staythecourse]

You have to keep him in perspective to what he has been for decades: A successful songwriter to the masses. He can make money by taking a uber-famous religious song, make it quasi-religious and sell to a broader market who is often willing to take in "another pop icon" to their fold.

 

[Barnpreacher]

You have to keep him in perspective to what he has been for decades: A successful songwriter to the masses. He can make money by taking a uber-famous religious song, make it quasi-religious and sell to a broader market who is often willing to take in "another pop icon" to their fold.

Exactly! That's why I wouldn't say the song is about a woman nor would I go so far as to call Neil Diamond a brother in Christ just because of this song. It kind of has that liberal, Gnostic flavor to it that the White Horse Inn guys talked about a few weeks ago.

 

[staythecourse]

I didn't catch the White Horse Inn material but that seems accurate.

 

[KMK]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as being about a woman. Neither would I go so far as to assume that Diamond is a converted Jew. It's an interesting song to say the least, and if it is about conversion then I agree with shackleton that Diamond's view of God is pretty generic and liberal. At least in the song anyway.

On a side note, Neil Diamond is still one of the best singers/performers around.

He was born and raised Jewish and married a Jewess (later divorced). As a big fan of his I was always under the impression, despite his Christmas albums, that he was a Jew. If he converted, I don't know when that was.

Regardless, he sure is talented.

What a beautiful noise
Comin up from the street
Got a beautiful sound
Its got a beautiful beat

Its a beautiful noise
Goin on everywhere
Like the clickety-clack
Of a train on a track
Its got a rhythm to spare

Its a beautiful noise
And its sound that I love
And its fit me as well
As a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does

 

[Barnpreacher]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as being about a woman. Neither would I go so far as to assume that Diamond is a converted Jew. It's an interesting song to say the least, and if it is about conversion then I agree with shackleton that Diamond's view of God is pretty generic and liberal. At least in the song anyway.

On a side note, Neil Diamond is still one of the best singers/performers around.

He was born and raised Jewish and married a Jewess (later divorced). As a big fan of his I was always under the impression, despite his Christmas albums, that he was a Jew. If he converted, I don't know when that was.

I wasn't arguing against his Jewishness. I was simply saying I wouldn't assume he was a born again Jew. I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear in how I worded that above. I know he was born a physical Jew. I pray he's been born into that family above where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, only members of the Body of Christ.

 

[KMK]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as being about a woman. Neither would I go so far as to assume that Diamond is a converted Jew. It's an interesting song to say the least, and if it is about conversion then I agree with shackleton that Diamond's view of God is pretty generic and liberal. At least in the song anyway.

On a side note, Neil Diamond is still one of the best singers/performers around.

He was born and raised Jewish and married a Jewess (later divorced). As a big fan of his I was always under the impression, despite his Christmas albums, that he was a Jew. If he converted, I don't know when that was.

I wasn't arguing against his Jewishness. I was simply saying I wouldn't assume he was a born again Jew. I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear in how I worded that above. I know he was born a physical Jew. I pray he's been born into that family above where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, only members of the Body of Christ.

I agree with you. Can you imagine how awesome a Christian songwriter he would be?

I just don't see how this song gives the impression that he has been converted any more than "Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show"

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCgeWUKcumA"]YouTube - Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show[/ame]