Just a Closer Walk With Thee is a popular spiritual whose words and music come from anonymous sources. The melody is taken from a folk song, Closer Walk, which probably dates to the early nineteenth century and likely from the southern United States. The title and text of Just a Closer Walk With Thee are drawn from the Biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7: "We walk by faith, not by sight." There are four verses to the song, though the refrain (second verse), which begins with the title words, is repeated twice, the first time after the third verse and once more after the fifth. The melody is sentimental and will appeal to those with a taste for folk-ish styles of gospel music. It comes in four phrases, the second and third starting higher than the last, the final one closing the melodic contour with a firm sense of resolution and triumph. The melody repeats throughout the song, much in the manner of those in other famous spirituals, such as He's Got the Whole World in His Hands and When the Saints Go Marching In. The text speaks of human weakness and asks Jesus for strength via "just a closer walk with thee."

© Robert Cummings, Rovi