Lyrics
Verse 1
I am going to a city,
Where the streets with gold are laid;
Where the tree of life is blooming
And the roses never fade.
Chorus
Here they bloom but for a season
Soon their beauty is decayed.
I am going to a city,
Where the roses never fade.
Verse 2
In this world we have our troubles,
Satan snares we must evade.
We'll be free from all temptations;
Where the roses never fade.
Chorus
Here they bloom but for a season
Soon their beauty is decayed.
I am going to a city,
Where the roses never fade.
Verse 3
Loved ones gone to be with Jesus,
In their robes of white arrayed;
Now are waiting for my coming,
Where the roses never fade.
Chorus
Here they bloom but for a season
Soon their beauty is decayed.
I am going to a city,
Where the roses never fade.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This Southern gospel hymn, recorded by The Cathedrals, sets the fading beauty of earth beside the lasting beauty of heaven. The singer says plainly, "I am going to a city," and describes it with images from Revelation: streets "with gold," and the "tree of life" in bloom.
The chorus makes the contrast with a flower. "Here they bloom but for a season / Soon their beauty is decayed," while in the city "the roses never fade." A familiar garden image becomes a quiet argument for hope that outlasts loss.
The second verse is honest about the present, admitting "we have our troubles" and the snares of the enemy, then promises freedom from every temptation. The last verse is the most personal, picturing loved ones "gone to be with Jesus, in their robes of white arrayed" and waiting to greet the singer.
Because of that, the song is often chosen for funerals, memorial services and visits with the grieving, and its steady quartet harmony carries comfort easily.
Related Scripture
- Revelation 21:21 The street of the city is pure gold, as in "the streets with gold are laid".
- Revelation 22:2 The tree of life stands in the city, matching the first verse.
- Isaiah 40:8 The flower fades but the word of God stands, the contrast behind the chorus.
- Revelation 7:9 A multitude in white robes stands before the throne, like the loved ones "in their robes of white arrayed".