origin of phrase

[michghetti]

Where did the phrase "lone voice in the darkness" originate?

[Joshua_R]

I don't know about the "lone" part, but Longfellow used the following lines :

Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing,
Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness

I think they came from Tales of a Wayside Inn ( possibly The Theologian's Tale? )

[Quizmonster]

The more usual version of these words is: "A lone voice in the wilderness." I'm not sure who first said it, but it is usually a reference to the prophets - particularly John the Baptist - in the Bible. These were the men who promised what was to come to those who were not interested in listening. Like Jesus himself - according to the Bible - they often spent solitary time in the desert contemplating, before making their beliefs known...hence the idea of their being "a lone voice in the wilderness".