Hymn For My Father

Album: Collective Soul (Rabbit) (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This soft, sad ballad is the closing track from Atlanta-based rock band Collective Soul's second eponymous album, which is also referred to as Rabbit.
  • The song is about the father of vocalist Ed Roland and his rhythm guitarist brother Dean. Lead guitarist Joel Kosche explained to Classic Rock magazine: "That's a very personal song that Ed wrote, and is a tribute to Ed and Dean's father, who died four years ago. Ed grew up singing hymns, so it seemed only natural that he should write a song about it. After all, his father helped develop his early musical career and really encouraged him to take that path artistically."

Comments: 1

  • Jason Delmar Reed from Chattanooga, TnI see your father has been gone for many years now, He used to be my teacher at Stockbridge HS, He was a great guy, I am so blessed to have getting to know him. For my graduate, in 1995. He invited me over to your family home there in stockbridge,ga. I had the chance to meet all of you guys. No one can take that experience away from me, best gift ever!! To see you guys still going strong 30 yr now. Congrat!!!!
    Look me up in the yearbook.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.