Myra Brooks Welsh wrote the original poem of this title in 1921 and in 1976 John Kemp adapted it and put it to music, which was recorded and sung by Wayne Watson. The poem tells of a battered old violin that is about to be sold as the last item at an auction for a pittance, until a violinist steps out of the audience and plays the instrument, demonstrating its beauty and true value. The violin then sells for $3,000 instead of a mere $3, comparing it to the value of a lost soul in God's eyes.