And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

—Luke 6:31

A Beautiful Life
Also known as “Each Day I’ll Do a Golden Deed”
By William M. Golden (1918)

Each day I’ll…do a golden deed,…
By helping those…who are in need;…
My life on earth…is but a span,…
And so I’ll do the best I can…the best I can.

Refrain:
Life’s evening sun…is sinking low,…
A few more days, …and I must go…
To meet the deeds…that I have done,…
Where there will be no setting sun…no setting sun.

To be a child…of God each day,…
My light must shine…along the way;…
I’ll sing His praise…while ages roll,…
And strive to help some troubled soul…some troubled soul.
[Refrain]

The only life…that will endure,…
Is one that’s kind…and good and pure;…
And so for God…I’ll take my stand,…
Each day I’ll lend a helping hand…a helping hand.
[Refrain]

I’ll help someone…in time of need,…
And journey on…with rapid speed;…
I’ll help the sick…and poor and weak,…
And words of kindness to them speak…to them speak.
[Refrain]

While going down…life’s weary road,…
I’ll try to lift…some trav’ler’s load;…
I’ll try to turn…the night to day,…
Make flowers bloom along the way…along the way.
[Refrain]

“A Beautiful Life” is a Christian hymn that was written by William M. Golden. It was published in 1918. Golding was born on January 28, 1878, in Webster County, Mississippi. He died on May 13, 1934, in a traffic accident near Eupora, Mississippi. It is said he wrote most of his songs while serving an eight-year sentence in the state penitentiary. In addition to “A Beautiful Life,”  he was also known for the song “Where the Soul Never Dies” and many others.

I used to love to sing this song in church. The congregation had to know what they were doing to sing this song properly. In the video below, you can hear it sung alternating between tenor and bass. The song begins with the tenors singing, and where the ellipses are, it alternates to the basses repeating the phrase before. It always reminds me of the Johnny Cash song, “Daddy Sang Bass.” When done properly, “A Beautiful Life” is a beautiful song.

Not only is it a beautiful song to listen to, but it also has a beautiful message. If each day we’d “do a golden deed by helping those who are in need” and did the best we can, how wonderful would this earth be! We should make the effort to let our light “shine along the way” and “strive to help some troubled soul.” If we do our best to live a life “that’s kind and good and pure,” how can we go wrong? And so, the song goes. It’s just a really good message on how to live one’s life, and if we just strove to do what this song suggests, then we really could make this world a better place.

Many of you may not have ever heard this song before. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll listen to the Statler Brothers’ version below. I looked and listened to a number of versions of this song, but these are closest to how I remember it always being sung sans the instrumental musical accompaniment.  Growing up in the church of Christ, we always sang A Capella. Musical instruments were not allowed.