There’s something sacred about the songs that aren’t written for the spotlight, but for the soul. “Family Bible” is one of those songs.
Willie Nelson wrote it in the late 1950s—back when he was just another struggling songwriter in Houston, selling songs for a few dollars to keep the lights on. Legend has it he sold “Family Bible” for a mere $50 and the price of a meal. Can you imagine? One of the most quietly powerful gospel-country songs of all time, handed off for pocket change. But that’s how things went in those early days. Willie was broke—but never empty. His heart was full of stories, faith, and memory.
“Family Bible” is more than just a song. It’s a gentle echo of Willie’s childhood—the sound of his mother singing hymns, the image of a worn Bible resting on the dinner table, the feeling of calm that came with hearing grace spoken aloud before meals. It doesn’t try to impress. It doesn’t shout. It simply remembers.
Though Willie didn’t record the first hit version himself—that went to Claude Gray in 1960—it was the song that gave Willie his first real step into the music world. And over the years, he reclaimed it in his own voice, turning it into a cherished piece of his live shows and gospel albums. Every time he sings it, you can feel the reverence. You can tell this one still lives close to his heart.
What makes “Family Bible” special isn’t just its melody or its words. It’s the way it makes you feel like you’ve stepped back into a quieter moment in time. A time when family gathered close, prayers were spoken aloud, and love was shown in the simplest ways—like holding hands before supper or singing hymns at dusk.
If you’ve ever had a moment like that—or longed for one—this song will feel like coming home.
Video
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
There’s a family Bible on the table
It’s pages worn and hard to read
But the family Bible on the table
Will ever be my key to memories
[Verse 2]
At the end of day when work was over
And when the evening meal was done
Dad would read to us from the family Bible
And we’d count our many blessings one by one
[Chorus]
I can see us sitting ’round the table
When from the family Bible dad would read
And I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of ages, rock of ages, cleft for me
[Verse 3]
Now this old world of ours is full of trouble
This old world would also better be
If we found more Bibles on the table
And mothers singing rock of ages, cleft for me
[Chorus]
I can see us sitting ’round the table
When from the family Bible dad would read
And I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of ages, rock of ages, cleft for me
Rock of ages, rock of ages, cleft for me