From a life scarred by repeated tragedies emerged an anthem of hope known by millions the world over. Mary J. Murphy went to meet songwriter MARIJOHN WILKIN.



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Finally, in the late 1960s, "to clear her head", she took off for Europe. "I was tired of reading nothing but Billboard magazine and Mickey Spillane novels! When I returned home Kris Kristofferson was having great success with "Why Me Lord" but around that time, my mother Mrs Denny and my business partner all died of cancer. I was commuting to Texas, looking after my 85-year-old uncle and was thinking of splitting up with my husband.

"Money too was scarce and I knew I couldn't take much more. I was living on a houseboat and the final straw to snap the camel's back came when the man who looked after the boat died as well. It seems like any man who was ever important to me died. 'Damn this", I said, and sought help, going to see a minister. I was his first counselling case," she laughed, "and I'm sure I frightened him to death! He told me to think about the Lord. That's all, nothin' heavy.

"I remember driving home that day. All the way I kept saying to myself, "Thank you Lord, I think!' When I got into the house, I was drawn to the piano and was humming. Suddenly the next thing I knew I was singing 'One day at a time, sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking from you...'

"Well, I got so excited! I had no recorder so I grabbed an old envelope and jotted it down as fast as it kept coming out of my head! Most of it came out whole and perfectly formed. I called Kris Kristofferson who started out in Cedarwood, because I couldn't get the first lines. He came over with Rita (Coolidge} and that's where "I'm only human, I'm just a woman' came from. That song was always inside me always was down there somewhere...it just took a lot of pain and suffering to get it out. I wouldn't wish it on anybody else."

Of all the cruel ironies it was the singer who had the huge hit with it in America, Marilyn Sellers, who was the other woman in Marijohn's divorce case.

Since then, Marijohn has been writing and singing gospel songs and at times appeared with the recently discredited Jim and Tammy Bakker. "I am a friend of Jim's and I believe he was misled and badly advised by the financial men behind him."

Marijohn Wilkin feels no urge to stand on street corners and shout to the unconverted. "I've not seen the light! Not at all," she smiled. "Anyway, my music has reached more people than I ever could on a street corner."

Maybe she has found peace at last.

This article first appeared in the March 1990 issue of Country Music Round Up magazine. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.