Psalm 23: "I Know the Lord's My Shepherd"


Here’s an upbeat paraphrase of the 23rd psalm, written by Frank Burch Brown (as a parody, I think!). The paraphrase can be sung to the tune of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

I believe Burch Brown meant it as an extreme example of how not to match texts and tunes, but speaking as a mother, I think I would have happily used it with my children when they were young!

Psalm 23 Paraphrase
(suggested tune: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

I know the Lord's my shepherd;
I won't ever need a thing.
He gives me grass that's greenest;
takes me to the coolest spring.

When I am sad he cheers me;
when I'm bad he makes me good.
Wherever he will lead me,
I will follow as I should.

Though I walk through deep valleys
dark as death and sin,
nothing there can frighten me;
with your staff you're my true friend.

People can see I'm fed well;
I could hardly ask for more.
I'm going to stay forever
with the one who's really Lord!

—written by Frank Burch Brown
posted on Sunrise on the Marsh.

For more paraphrases of Psalm 23,
click on Psalm 23 in the list of “Labels”
at the lower right side of the page.

For more worship resources for Good Shepherd Sunday,
(the fourth Sunday of Easter),
click on Easter 4 at the right side of the page.


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