You know those songs that just seem to hang in the air long after the music stops? For a lot of people in the LDS community and beyond, Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer is exactly that. It isn't just a track on an old CD. It’s a narrative. A heavy, emotional journey that feels like you’re standing right there in the dust of Jerusalem, watching the most pivotal moment in history unfold.
But here’s the kicker: the man who wrote it almost didn't finish the assignment.
The Procrastination That Led to a Masterpiece
We’ve all been there. You have a deadline, and instead of working, you’re staring at the wall or finding literally anything else to do. Jeff Goodrich was no different. Back when he was just a teenager in seminary, he was tasked with writing a song. Most kids probably would have scribbled a few lines about kindness and called it a day. Jeff, on the other hand, waited until the very last second.
Honestly, he basically wrote his most famous work, I Heard Him Come, and parts of the repertoire that eventually led to Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer, the night before it was due. His wife, Joan, has joked in interviews that he was only able to pull it off because he was living right and the Spirit stepped in to help him beat the clock.
Talk about divine intervention for a procrastinator.
What is Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer Actually About?
If you listen to the lyrics, it doesn't feel like a typical "praise and worship" song. It’s cinematic. It starts with the Roman soldiers laughing. You can almost hear the metallic clink of their armor and the harshness of their taunts. The song places a witness—a woman—at the scene of the Crucifixion.
She isn't a powerful figure. She’s just someone watching a "man so humble" stumble under the weight of his cross. The core of the song is that transition from being a spectator to having a personal, soul-shaking realization of who Jesus Christ actually is.
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- The Narrative Arc: It moves from the mockery of Calvary to the silence of the garden.
- The Emotional Pivot: The moment the witness hears the plea, "Oh Lord, my Redeemer," it stops being a historical event and becomes a personal debt of love.
- The Resolution: It ends with the Resurrection, where the witness finally recognizes His face in the morning light.
It’s a lot to pack into a few minutes, but Goodrich has this way of making the grand scale of the Atonement feel like a quiet conversation between two people.
Why This Version Hits Differently
There are a million songs titled "My Redeemer." Seriously, if you search for it, you’ll find hymns by Philip Paul Bliss or contemporary tracks by Sovereign Grace Music. Those are great, don't get me wrong. But Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer stands out because of its specific storytelling style.
Most hymns are vertical—they go straight from the singer to God. Goodrich’s songs are horizontal—they tell a story to the listener about an experience with God. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s why his music was so popular in the late 80s and 90s.
The Greg Hansen Connection
You can't talk about Jeff Goodrich without mentioning Greg Hansen. Jeff wrote the heart and soul—the words and the melody—but Greg Hansen was the one who often took those raw emotions and dressed them up in beautiful arrangements.
The most famous recording of Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer appeared on the 1989 album I Heard Him Come: And Other Songs About the Savior. Released under the Shadow Mountain (Deseret Book) label, it featured Brett Raymond on vocals. That specific arrangement, with its swelling strings and clear, poignant delivery, is the one that most people have burned into their memories.
A Quick Look at the Tracklist (1989 Release)
If you find the old cassette or CD, it's a bit of a time capsule:
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- Oh Lord, My Redeemer (The powerhouse opener)
- He Loves Me
- The Road to Golgotha
- Follow
- The Galilean Sand
- I Heard Him Come (His other massive hit)
- Be Not Silent Unto Me
- I Am the Resurrection and the Life
The Cultural Impact: More Than Just a Song
For a certain generation, this was the soundtrack to their Sundays. I’ve seen stories of people who played this on loop during their missions or used it as their "go-to" solo for church meetings. There’s even a version performed in American Sign Language (ASL) by Susan Layton that has circulated for years, proving that the song's emotional weight transcends spoken word.
Why does it stick? Kinda hard to say for sure, but I think it’s the vulnerability. It doesn't pretend that the Crucifixion was easy to watch. It acknowledges the hollow feeling of seeing "Him nailed to a tree" before it gets to the "joy beyond compare." It’s honest about the struggle of faith.
The Sheet Music Scramble
If you’re a ward choir director or a pianist, you’ve probably spent time hunting for the Jackman Music Corporation octavos. The SATB arrangement by Greg Hansen is a staple. It’s labeled as "Intermediate," which basically means your choir can probably handle it, but your soprano needs to be able to hit a clean F without sounding like a teakettle.
The song is often used for:
- Easter services (obviously).
- Sacrament meeting musical numbers.
- Personal meditation.
Common Misconceptions
People often get Jeff Goodrich mixed up with other composers of the same era. No, he didn't write Saturday's Warrior (that was Lex de Azevedo). And while his music shares some DNA with the "EFY" (Especially for Youth) sound of the 90s, his work usually feels a bit more grounded in scriptural narrative rather than just "teen struggles."
Also, some folks think Jeff Goodrich Oh Lord My Redeemer is a traditional hymn. It’s not. It’s a contemporary piece of LDS-adjacent Christian music. It won't be in the standard green hymnbook, though it’s certainly earned its place in the "unofficial" hall of fame.
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Actionable Next Steps
If this song has been on your mind lately, there are a few ways to really dive back into it.
First, go find the original 1989 recording. You can find it on YouTube or streaming services. Listen to the way Brett Raymond handles the phrasing—it’s a masterclass in not over-singing a powerful lyric.
If you’re a musician, look for the sheet music through Jackman Music. There are solo versions for medium voice and full SATB arrangements. It’s a great piece to have in your repertoire if you need something that moves people without being overly flashy.
Finally, take a minute to actually read the lyrics as a poem. Sometimes the music distracts us from the story being told. The imagery of the "gentle April breeze" in the garden is a beautiful touch that often gets lost when you’re just humming along to the melody.
The legacy of Jeff Goodrich is one of those quiet success stories. He didn't seek out massive fame, but by being honest about his own faith—and maybe by pulling a few all-nighters—he created something that still resonates decades later.