Songfacts®:

• This traditional spiritual tune talks about the importance of unity in the face of adversity. It sings of the light in each individual and how, whether standing up alone or joining together, each little bit of light can break the darkness. The song has since been applied to many struggles, but was an anthem of the civil rights movement at the time. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Bertrand - Paris, France
• Some of the artists to record this include Aretha Franklin, Son House, Brenda Lee, Raffi and Bruce Springsteen.
• Christina Ricci sings this in the movie Black Snake Moan. Blues music and spirituals play a big part in the movie, and Ricci uses the song to comfort her boyfriend, played by Justin Timberlake.
• In 2010 a hip-hop version by Manchester based quintet LZ7 became the first ever Christian-rap track to make the UK Top 40 under the title of "This Little Light." LZ7 are part of the work of the evangelical charity The Message Trust, which promotes the work of various groups who reach out to schoolchildren in the Manchester area. Their version was originally circulated in 2008 and after gradually gathering interest via YouTube a remixed version was recorded, which is the one that charted.
  
  The LZ7 version also marked the first time this classic gospel children's song had ever entered the UK singles chart.