Savior, Lead Me -- Frank Marion Davis

One of his contemporaries might have asked him ‘Are you afraid of losing your faith?’ What problems might have bothered Frank Marion Davis when he chose to make himself vulnerable and record the words to “Savior, Lead Me” in 1880? He travelled a lot, and evidently carried a good reputation and led many groups wherever he went, so maybe he just tried to reflect the human condition as he encountered it among the various people he came to know. Or was it the travel itself that made him uneasy, or at least reminded him of the hazards of this earth, and the analogous relationship of accidents while travelling and a believer’s path of faith?  See what you think might have made Frank M. Davis share a little bit of who he was in the late 19^th Century.

Whether there was a specific circumstance or instead a collection of many conditions in Davis’ life that crystallized in August 1880 on a boat in the Chesapeake Bay

(perhaps not too unlike the scene in the picture here) – where “Savior, Lead Me” came to life -- is an open question. He certainly had a lot going on, and was often on the move, from New York, to Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, or Michigan. Davis was a teacher of voice and instrumental music, and reportedly led many choir groups, while also singing many solos. He wrote hundreds of songs, and published at least seven musical collections, so we can imagine his reputation was probably well-known and appreciated. But, on a steamship in the Chesapeake Bay when he was 41 years old, apparently he didn’t feel secure on the strength of his abilities, accomplishments, or relationships. He was unmarried throughout his 57 years, so a family of his own was not the root of his disquiet. Alternatively, perhaps he’d encountered others whose troubles weighed on him. How was his health, or that of siblings or parents? Whatever the cause, he wrote in all three of the song’s brief verses and its refrain of a tempest, evidently some trouble that caused him anxiety. A frequent traveler, including by boat on this trip, may also have been reminded of storms while in transit; was the Chesapeake Bay a rough ride that day? Could it have been mid-life crisis for this 40-something? Short answer: Unknown.

Everyone has good days and bad ones. And, what bothers one may not affect another. The only universal truth is the muck I make of something cannot ever be clean, and your missteps do the same to you. Frank Davis was an honest guy, and wasn’t afraid to admit he was a screwup. He’d undoubtedly had some troubles – how could he write of ‘stormy billows’ otherwise? He was on a ship, and felt the need to reestablish the connection, to firm up the bond that he knew was crucial. He knew enough about music’s effect too, that it helps remind one what sometimes might be forgotten in the day’s tedium. If I hum to myself what Frank wrote, you suppose God will help me dodge a few more potholes?        

See following site for playing of the song, and some very brief background on its history: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/m/s/lmsavior.htm   

See following site for brief biography on the composer: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/d/a/v/davis_fm.htm