Our first song will be:
AMAZING GRACE
(See below the lyrics for the update.)
What better place to start than the "standard-bearer" of all worship songs. The perfect song for most services, from a morning worship service, or a home-going service, ...is the perfect song to start for ASL-WS class! If time permits, we may add on the lyrics for the My Chains Are Gone version (lyrics in red, but skip those for now). For now, please analyze the lyrics and send me an email of how you would explain the meanings of the lyrics. Before we can truly interpret a song into ASL, we must get to the heart of the meaning and break away from the English wording. Please send me an email of this "written interpretation" as soon as possible to the email below. Have fun!
Lyrics:
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
Contact: [email protected]
AMAZING GRACE
(See below the lyrics for the update.)
What better place to start than the "standard-bearer" of all worship songs. The perfect song for most services, from a morning worship service, or a home-going service, ...is the perfect song to start for ASL-WS class! If time permits, we may add on the lyrics for the My Chains Are Gone version (lyrics in red, but skip those for now). For now, please analyze the lyrics and send me an email of how you would explain the meanings of the lyrics. Before we can truly interpret a song into ASL, we must get to the heart of the meaning and break away from the English wording. Please send me an email of this "written interpretation" as soon as possible to the email below. Have fun!
Lyrics:
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
Contact: [email protected]
Now that you have submitted what the lyrics mean to you, let's have a look at an awesome interpretation. This signer is extremely skilled. Although many ASL-interpreted worship songs online are poor (unfortunately), this one is outstanding! Understand, the way she signs each concept is not exactly the same that I would, so it may not match up to what YOU wrote either, however that is the nature of music in general. It means something different to each of us. Let's watch her interpretation, and I'll put a transcript (called GLOSSING in ASL, as it will be in ASL sign-for-sign) below the video, then an English-worded version of that gloss. It will seem overwhelming, but we'll take it one step at a time. Enjoy!
MUSIC [continuous]
AMAZING GRACE
[so] SWEET HIS (referencing God) LOVE
SAVED ENDURED-ENDURED [alternate hands] (me) SINNER [so many] MISTAKES ME [artistic sign]
HE [artistic] FORGIVE FINISH FINISH
BEFORE-BEFORE DEEP-IN (sin)
CL:1 [God came to me] PULLED-ME-OUT (from “deep-in”) CL:1 [God with me (back to God index point)] SAVED
BEFORE-BEFORE CLUELESS REBELLIOUS [God turned my face to his] (now I) SEE
(God’s) GRACE (my) HEART FEAR-FEAR WHAT-TO-DO PARANOID
(God’s) GRACE FEAR [gone-away (reverse fear)] CALMED
[truly (double)]PRECIOUS (my) HEART [heart] OPEN JESUS CL:1 [Jesus came to me]
BELIEVE [heart swells] FROM-HERE-ON
<chorus>
MY SIN SHACKLES/HANDCUFFS [locked tight] [GONE signed as “completely no more”]
MY LIFE FREE
MY GOD JESUS CROSS [put in place]
ENDURED-ENDURED [alternate hands] CRUCIFIED CL:5 [bleeding from hand down wrist] DIED
WILLING [double] EXCHANGE [with me]
[God’s] MERCY HIT SPREAD [throughout]
FOREVER LOVE
[shocking/“eye-popping”] GRACE
MUSIC [continuous]
KNOW-THAT [as a question] LORD GOOD BLESS-BLESS-BLESS NUMEROUS [indexed list, “5” hand] [God] GIVE-to-me [artistic]
HIS [God’s] PROMISE BIBLE READ-READ TRUST CONTINUE
SATAN/EVIL ATTACK [to me] NO [signed as “nothing doing”] JESUS CL:1 [came to me] DEFEAT [SATAN/EVIL indexed point] BLOCK/DEFEND
LIFE FROM-HERE-ON ENDURED [double]
<repeat chorus>
But, change [shocking/“eye-popping”] GRACE to AMAZING [two-handed]
<repeat chorus>
But, change “FOREVER LOVE” to FOREVER [two-handed, left handing going backward (meaning from “forever before to forever more”)]
Change back to [shocking/“eye-popping”] GRACE
MUSIC [continuous]
[FROM-HERE-ON signed as “running-out”] EARTH [sphere-shape] POOF-BLOWN-AWAY [two-hands] DESTROYED
SUNSHINE SUN-SETTING [CL showing sun fading out]
HEY-HEY [getting attention] GOD (my) HEART CALLED-to-God CL:1 [God came to be with me]
WILL HEAVEN FOREVER TOGETHER
WILL FOREVER [two-handed, left going backward (meaning from “forever before to forever more”)] CL:1 [God came to me] RELATIONSHIP
YOU [two-handed artistic, referencing God] CHERISH [two-handed] FROM-HERE-ON TOGETHER TOGETHER [open-palms]
Here is the simplistic, English version of the ASL she used. This is the core. It doesn't sound as beautiful as the ASL makes it look, but it shows the MEANING behind the ASL and why it is important to INTERPRET using ASL, not merely SIGN using ASL signs and structure. And this meaning is just as awesome!
Amazing grace, so sweet is your love,
You saved a sinner like me, who does wrong again and again.
You forgave me when I was deep in sin,
You pulled me up to be with you,
Even when I was clueless and rebellious, you turned my face to you.
Your grace took my fears and worries, when I didn’t know what to do,
And eliminated them completely, leaving me completely calm.
How precious when my heart opened to Jesus,
You came to me and will be with me from now on.
My chains of sin are no more, my life is free.
My God sent Jesus to the cross to be crucified,
Willingly dying and taking my place there.
His mercy spreads throughout the world.
His love is unending, His grace is astounding.
The LORD has promised blessings uncountable for me,
It’s in His word, I can trust it forever.
When the evil one attacks me, Jesus defends me and defeats him.
For as long as life continues.
<repeat chorus>
Soon the Earth will be no more,
The sun will fade into nothingness.
But God called me to be with him in Heaven
Forevermore, together for all of time.
Bonded together, forevermore.
Amazing grace, so sweet is your love,
You saved a sinner like me, who does wrong again and again.
You forgave me when I was deep in sin,
You pulled me up to be with you,
Even when I was clueless and rebellious, you turned my face to you.
Your grace took my fears and worries, when I didn’t know what to do,
And eliminated them completely, leaving me completely calm.
How precious when my heart opened to Jesus,
You came to me and will be with me from now on.
My chains of sin are no more, my life is free.
My God sent Jesus to the cross to be crucified,
Willingly dying and taking my place there.
His mercy spreads throughout the world.
His love is unending, His grace is astounding.
The LORD has promised blessings uncountable for me,
It’s in His word, I can trust it forever.
When the evil one attacks me, Jesus defends me and defeats him.
For as long as life continues.
<repeat chorus>
Soon the Earth will be no more,
The sun will fade into nothingness.
But God called me to be with him in Heaven
Forevermore, together for all of time.
Bonded together, forevermore.