ABOUT AMAZING GRACE: What is si special about this song?

Lieven,

For safety blank shells are used for a gun salute and not live rounds.

Roger

What is so amazing about Amazing Grace is that it describes wonderfully the transforming power of God.  Once you put your faith in Him*, He goes about making incredible changed in your life.  The power of that redemption is a gift - i.e., grace.  "Saved by grace" is the phrase.  It describes the life (true account) of a wretched man whose heart is transformed when he begins to believe in the Lord.  He was a pirate, slaver, mutineer, thief, fraud, and a number of other things.  His own crew mutineed against him (on a stolen ship- so saying it was 'his own crew' is a little strong), trussed him up and put him in the cargo hold with the slaves, and left him there for several trips.  But before they put him in the hold, they put out both his eyes.  Then, when they remembered he was there, they abandoned him on an island where he had to defend for himself, scurvy, covered in sores, blind, and weak.  He at some point came to the realization that living life on his terms wasn't getting him anywhere.  Then he remembered the hymns his mother used to sing, and remembered what his mother had taught him about Jesus and put his faith there.  He was rescued shortly after and returned to health and home (but still blinded).  Knowing the history puts some real meaning into the song "was blind, but now I see" "saved a wretch like me" etc. 

As far as why the song gets played at cop funerals, I don't know.  Maybe because the song usually used is the Scots Highland bagpipe version, a lot of American cops have Irish heritage, and movie writers don't know the difference between Scots and Irish.  That's my wild guess about it's use.  But it is absolutely my favorite hymn by a long, long distance, so I hope I at least partially answered the "what's so special about Amazing Grace" some.

- Zurf

* Masculine gender used for grammatic purposes only.  I am not attempting to ascribe a sex to God.

the writer of this song was John Newton. one of the things which John Newton felt strongly on his redemption was that people should show kindness to other including slaves and he was well able to talk about the subject having been a slaver. he wrote the lyrics at a time that slavery was being debated in England and it was abolished soon after. given its history the song was taken to heart by human rights activists and black gospel choirs.

the link with the police is rather different and I will speculate. The original tune to amazing grace has probably changed since it was written and there are various versions in existance. The most popular is based on the pentatonic scale and was possibly used by bagpipe players at or around the time it became associated with the song

it is also used by bugle players and has become part of the bugle repetoir. Bugles are associated with funerals. The military play "taps" but that is probably not fitting at a civilian funeral.  this may be one of the reason why the song which is not quite so military but evokes similar feelings is traditionally played at police funerals.

as I mentioned the tune is pentatonic which makes it ideal for arpeggios and for embellishment so its a nice tune for acoustic guitar

One of the most powerful songs ever written and/or recorded. That's what is so special. I don't know anyone who isn't moved by that song. Musically and lyrically just so ethereal, profound and beautiful.