This gentle and loving piece of mourning was written by Dan Forrest as a response to the death of a four month old girl in Ethiopia who was about to be adopted by the composer’s brother and sister-in-law.
He wrote, on his website:
“They had been making plans for her, staring endlessly at her picture, and loving her from across the ocean, so the news was devastating. God’s plans were not for her to ever see the people who had loved her from halfway around the world, but for her to be taken instead to His loving arms.”
The text of the song is from the tombstone of American author Mark Twain’s daughter Susy. The lines were adapted from a poem titled “Annette” written by Australian writer Robert Richardson.
Warm summer sun, shine kindly here
Warm southern wind, blow softly here
Green sod above lie light, lie light
Good night, dear heart
Good night, good night
Warm summer sun (Warm summer sun)
Shine kindly here (Shine kindly here)
Warm southern wind, blow softly here (Softly here)
Green sod above lie light, lie light
Good night, dear heart
Good night, good night
Ooo...
Good night, dear heart
Good night, good night
