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Be a Daniel/ Dare To Be A Daniel
Public Domain Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel Words and Music by Philip P. Bliss 1873;
ARTIST: The Deal Family recorded "Be A Daniel" in 1927; Philip Bliss 1873
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1873 Bliss; First Recorded by Deal Family 1927 Columbia
RECORDING INFO: Dare To Be A Daniel
Deal Family 1927 Columbia
OTHER NAMES: "Dare To Be A Daniel"
SOURCES: Meade
NOTES: The Gospel song, "Dare To Be A Daniel" was written by Phillip P. Bliss in 1873.
The song was recorded by Deal Family for Columbia records in 1927. It's also an upbeat southern gospel standard, popular in children's bible classes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7JilOv8hbw&feature=related
Here are lyrics typically sung for the chorus:
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone,
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known.
Salvation Army Songbook No: 847
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself..." (Dan. 1.8)
Philip Paul Bliss was born in Clearfield County, PA on 9 July 1838 to the parents of Isaac Bliss (1757-1864) and Lydia Dolittle. He had three sisters: Phoebe, Reliance, and Elizabeth; and one brother: James D. He married on 1 June 1859 to Lucy J. Young and they had two children. He died, in a train wreck with his wife, on 29 December 1876 in Ashtabula, OH, at the age of 38. He occasionaly used the pseudonym of Pro Phundo Basso. He was a contemporary of, and fellow Normal Musical Institute singer with, George Frederick Root, Frederic Woodman Root, and Thomas Martin Towne.
His most popular song was Hold the Fort! (1870) which was based on the events of a Civil War battle in October 1864 near Atlanta, GA. He is especially noted for his hymns and character songs. Among his most popular hymns were I Am So Glad, Daniel's Band, More to Follow, Free From the Law, Whosoever Will, Man of Sorrows, Almost Persuaded, I Know Not the Hour, and Meet Me at the Fountain.
"Dare to Be a Daniel" is a song which exhorts us to be faithful unto Jesus all of our lives in the same way that Daniel purposed not to defile himself. The text was written and the tune (Daniel) was composed both by Philip Paul Bliss (1838-1876). The song was produced for Bliss's Sunday school class at the First Congregational Church of Chicago, IL. It was copyrighted in 1873 by John C. Church Co. and appeared in Ira D. Sankey's 1894 Gospel Hymns Nos. 1-6 Complete. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 edited by E. L. Jorgenson. Today, so far as I know, it may be found only in the 1977 Special Sacred Selections edited by Ellis J. Crum.
Dare to Be a Daniel- Philip Bliss 1873
1. Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God's command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel's band!
Chorus: Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.
2. Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel's band.
3. Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel's band.
4. Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict'ry grand!
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel's band.
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