As the Olympic games in Atlanta came to a close on Aug. 4, 1996, proud Georgian Trisha Yearwood put the finishing vocal touches on an event that placed the Peach State at the center of the sports world for 17 humid days.
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Five years into her mainstream run, the "She's in Love With the Boy" singer performed "The Flame" at the closing ceremonies with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Morehouse College Glee Club.
"The feeling wasn't nervousness. It was more of an awe. It was just unbelievable," Yearwood told County Weekly at the time (as quoted by the Associated Press). "When I was walking up those steps, I was still trying to memorize the words."
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John Barlow Jarvis, the tender heart whose co-writing credits include The Judds' "Love Can Build a Bridge" and Vince Gill's "I Still Believe in You," penned the song along with Joe Henry. Yearwood's studio cut appears on both the international version of Songbook: A Collection of Hits and Your Love Amazes Me, a various artists compilation of inspirational country songs.
"The Flame" Lyrics
Oh come ye now unto the flame
Keep it through the night
Nourish it and share it's warmth
And spend it's precious light
The torch is passed among us all
To help us understand
A covenant a brotherhood
That joins our open hand
Oh come ye now unto the flame
Keep it through the night
Nourish it and share it's warmth
And spend it's precious light
Eager souls arising now
Hungry for the wind
Each heart knows eternal love
Will bring us home again
Will bring us home again
Eager souls arising now
Hungry for the wind
Each heart knows eternal love
Will bring us home again
Will bring us home again
