Music by James McGranahan (1840-1915)

There shall be showers of blessing,

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,

Precious reviving again;

Over the hills and the valleys,

Sounds of abundance of rain.

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,

Send them upon us, O Lord;

Grant to us now a refreshing;

Come, and now honor Thy word.

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,

O that today they might fall,

Now as to God we're confessing,

Now as on Jesus we call!

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

     The words of this favorite gospel song were written by a successful American evangelist of the late nineteenth century, Major Daniel Webster Whittle, who served in the Cival War and lost his right arm. Later he met evangelist D. L. Moody and accepted God's call to devote his life to the winning of souls for God's kingdom. The success of his work was helped along by three of the most talented singers of that time, Philip Bliss, George C. Stebbins, and James McGranahan, wrote wrote the music for this text.

     From childhood, McGranahan showed a great talent for music and a desire to go to the city and study. Because he was needed on the farm, his father rejected that idea. But James offered to hire a man to take his place; he went to town, got a job, and was successful in making enough money to care for his own expenses and pay the hired man. By age 19 James was already teaching singing classes. During his career he conducted musical conventions and singing schools. He had a beautiful voice and was advised by his music teachers to pursue a career in opera.

Upon receipt of a letter from his good friend Philip Bliss, he was considering giving all this up to enter full-time evangelistic singing when word came of Bliss's death in a train wreck. Rushing there to see what he could do, McGranahan met Bliss's partner in work, Major Whittle, whose first thought was: Here stands the man that Mr. Bliss has chosen as his successor. Going back to Chicago together, the two men prayer about it and James agreed to enter this new work. McGranahan was a pioneer in the use of male voices for gospel singing.