2 Gospel songs

GOSPEL MUSIC

GOSPEL IS ONE of the most fecund branches of music, with numerous new recordings each year. It's hard to imagine a bad Gospel CD because no Gospel singer would record unless the Spirit possessed them. No Gospel singer records to make money, though they don't mind money if it comes.
    There are superstars in Gospel music as in other genres. Today's superstars include The Winans, Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, and dozens of others.
    Most soul singers come from a Gospel background (Whitney Houston's mom is the great Gospel singer, Cissy Houston; they sang together in The Preacher's Wife). Some started out as superstars of Gospels and switched to Soul, where the money is. Sam Cooke, in fact, almost invented Soul music after leaving his Gospel group, The  Soul Stirrers. Aretha Franklin was raised in the church, sang in the church, but later became probably the greatest female Soul singer of all time.
    Besides a large canon of traditional Gospel songs and Afro-American spirtuals, which must rank among the world's greatest folk music, new Gospel songs are written continuously. It's a very rich field of music with some of the world's greatest voices and greatest vocal harmonies. It's a field worth exploring. Among the older Gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson is still considered the greatest Gospel singer of all time. Marian Williams had one of the greatest Gospel voices. Clara Ward was another legend. The list is huge. Just explore the music as much as possible.

DIDN'T IT RAIN?

A famous Gospel song that has appeared in countless versions, with the same melody but different lyrics. Gospel music is fecund. Much of it is similar to the oral tradition in literature, where each singer changes the words to suit a new purpose and sometimes words from one Gospel song are added to another. This version of "Didn't It Rain?" is in the Country style, by the Oak Ridge Boys. It sings of the Flood and Noah's Ark. The lyrics have no relationship with lyrics to other versions of this song, though the melody is usually the same. There are many songs on the Flood and Noah. Check my former blog, EPIPHANY and click on "Bible Songs" for some lyrics to these songs. You may be able to locate versions on youtube. The difficulty of referring these songs is that no Gospel record is the same as another, with rare exceptions, such as "Peace in the Valley." Most Gospel records, as I said above, are created anew by each singer based on an earlier or other versions. The lyrics would be hard to track down and I don't have time to do it myself.

DIDN'T IT RAIN?

The good Lord went to Noah
And he told him about the flood
He said Noah build me a vessel and make it out of gopher wood
Build it big tall and strong so it won't be torn apart
Old Noah built him a masterpiece and he called it Noah's ark.

Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)

He had a moose and a goose and gander, alligator and a big hippo
A monkey and an ape a couple of snakes around a sheep and a goat
He had a possum and a coon and a black baboon
An eagle and red tailhorn
A buck and a doe a turkey and a crow and a donkey trying to balk
He had leopards lions a bull and a buffalo
Orangatangs and little things all lined up in a row.
He had a dog and a gopher rat a great big grizzly bear
A mule and a cow a boar and a sow, he had two of everything there.

Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)

He had apples peaches plums and pears, grapes and apricots.
Peas and beans and turnip greens
He had corn and baby squah
He had a pumpkin and a big watermelon, he had every kind of wheat
And just before he closed that door he had a hand of mustard seed.

Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)

NEVER GIVE UP

This is an example of modern Gospel. Strictly speaking it's not really Gospel since it doesn't mention God, Jesus, or a biblical event or person. It falls into the class of Inspirational Music. Presumably the goal of Inspirational Music is to reach a wider market by NOT mentioning God! Yet the song is sung by one of today's greatest Gospel singers, Yolanda Adams, which makes the song Gospel just by having her vocal attached to it. This is one of the great vocals in contemporary Gospel music. Notice that Adams prefixes words from the minor prophet Habakkuk to the song, to insure that it's heard as a Gospel song and not just an inspirational song! Another example of an Inspirational song is "When You Believe." Probably the most famous Inspirational song is Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic, "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel. Notice these songs never mention God or biblical ideas, so everyone, including atheists, will take comfort from them. But Yolanda Adams is certainly a Christian. Whether religious or not, sit back and enjoy this superb vocal.

NEVER GIVE UP

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come; it will not tarry."
Habakkuk, 2:3

Visions that can change the world
Trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me
To afraid to dream out loud

And though it's set for your idea
It won't make sense to everybody
You need courage now
If you're going to persevere

To fulfill your life's purpose
You've gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world
Against all odds

Keep the dream alive don't let it die, if something deep inside
Keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you
Don't give up

Every victory comes in time
Work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier
Who's to say that you can't fly?

Every step you take you gets
Closer to your destination
You can feel it now
Don't you know you're almost there?

To fulfill your life's purpose
You've gotta' answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world
Against all odds

Keep the dream alive don't let it die, if something deep inside
Keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you...

Sometimes life can place a stubborn block in your way
But you've gotta keep the faith
Reap what deep inside your heart
To fly

And never give up
Don't ever give up on you,
Don't give up

Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle?
The answer that can solve the mystery
The key that can unlock your understanding
It's all inside of you
You have everything you need

So, keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try
Don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you...

Sometimes life can place a stubborn block on your way
But you've gotta keep the faith
Bring what's deep inside your heart
To the light

And never give up
Don't ever give up on you
No.don't give up
No, no, no, no

Don't give up
Don't give up
Don't give up
Oh, don't, no, no, no, no
Don't...give...up

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