"Let Your Light Shine on Me" is a traditional gospel blues song, having been recorded by The Wiseman Quartet in 1923, by Ernest Phipps in 1928, and by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929.

Johnson's version was released on Columbia 14490-D together with "God Don't Never Change".

The words appear to allude to the Gospel of Matthew at 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven".

"Lighthouse" was a popular metaphor for heavenly light.

[2] The following recordings, which vary widely in character, are by people with Wikipedia articles: Bob Dylan has played the song live, but as of January 2015[update] not recorded it.