Amazing Grace

“Amazing Grace”  is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807).  Folk singer Judy Collins witnessed Fannie Lou Hamer leading civil rights marchers in Mississippi in 1964, singing “Amazing Grace”.  Collins chose an a cappella arrangement, accompanied by a chorus of amateur singers who were friends of hers.  Collins connected it to the Vietnam War, to which she objected:  “I didn’t know what else to do about the war in Vietnam. . . .  I thought . . . but sing ‘Amazing Grace’.”  It rose to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the charts for 15 weeks.  In the UK, it charted 8 times between 1970 and 1972, peaking at number 5.  (More from Wikipedia)