This folksong-like melody has been appearing in hymnals for many years as “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley.” Its origins are shrouded in obscurity and can be traced to the Appalachian mountains of the southeastern United States.

The refrain of the song includes these words:

Jesus walked this lonesome valley; he had to walk it by himself.
Oh, nobody else could walk it for him; he had to walk it by himself.