The_Lord's_Prayer_(Sister_Janet_Mead_song)
The Lord's Prayer (Sister Janet Mead song)
1973 single by Janet Mead
"The Lord's Prayer" is a pop rock setting of the Lord's Prayer with music by Arnold Strals recorded in 1973 by the Australian nun Sister Janet Mead.[1][2] Mead was known for pioneering the use of contemporary rock music in celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass and for her weekly radio programs.[3]
The recording was produced by Martin Erdman and originally released by Festival Records in Australia.[3] After reaching number three on the charts in Australia, it went on to become an international hit, selling nearly three million copies worldwide and making the upper reaches of the pop charts in countries as diverse as Canada, Japan, Brazil, Germany and the United States.[1]
In the United States, "The Lord's Prayer" was picked up for American distribution by A&M Records (catalogue number 1491, b/w "Brother Sun and Sister Moon").[3] It was certified gold for sales of one million copies.[3][4] The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 23 February 1974, charted for 13 weeks and reached a peak of No. 4 during Holy Week in April. The record also reached No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart.[5] It made Mead the first Roman Catholic nun to have a hit record in the United States since Jeanine Deckers ("The Singing Nun"), hit No. 1 with "Dominique" in late 1963.[3] It also became the only song to hit the Top 10 in which the entire lyrical content originated from the words of the Bible. More specifically, it is the only Top 10 hit with words attributed to Jesus Christ.
