Written in 1838 by Andrew Young, the lyrics were put to a traditional Hindustani melody by Leonard P. Breedlove in 1850. The song has remained a standard both in the Sacred Harp tradition and in popular culture, appearing frequently in books and movies, including Mark Twain's The American Claimant, the movie Arsenic and Old Lace, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, and George Herriman's classic comic strip, Krazy Kat.