Songfacts®:

• This quasi-religious ballad was written by Erwin Drake (who also wrote the standards "Good Morning Heartache" for Billie Holiday and "It Was A Very Good Year" for Frank Sinatra), Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stilman.
• This spent a total of 18 weeks at #1 in the UK, a record for most non-consecutive weeks. It was the biggest-selling single of 1953 in the UK.
• Frankie Laine once said of this: "It accomplished an awful lot in its day because it said all the things that need to be said in a prayer and yet it didn't use any of the holy words - Lord, God, Him, His, Thine, Thou. It said it all and it changed the whole spectrum of faith songs." (From 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh)
• Later this was a #2 UK hit for the Irish trio the Bachelors in 1964 and #1 UK hit for Robson & Jerome in 1995.
• Frankie Laine holds the record for most weeks at #1 for an artist in a single year: 27 weeks. This song stayed for 18 weeks, "Hey Joe!" 2 weeks and "Answer Me" 7 weeks. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above