I'LL WALK WITH GOD (Mario Lanza)

I'LL WALK WITH GOD
"He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
MICAH 6:8

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THIS SONG WAS written by Nicholas Brodzsky with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, for the movie, The Student Prince (1954), for which Italian-American tenor, Mario Lanza, was cast to play the lead. As it turned out Lanza had a temper tantrum on the set and left the production. Since the songs had already been recorded, as part of a legal settlement Lanza agreed to allow his singing voice to be dubbed in the movie, and the soundtrack, with Lanza singing, became one of the best-selling albums of the 1950s.

Lanza did not star in another movie until four years later. After two more movies, he died of a heart attack in Rome in 1959 at only 38.

Acclaimed as the next Caruso, Lanza gave up the opera house for the more lucrative media of Hollywood and recordings. He sang in Italian, Spanish, and English and his records continue to sell in the millions.

Top tenors, such as Domingo and Carreras still cite Lanza's influence on their careers and have narrated movies on his life or dedicated albums to songs Lanza made famous, including RCA Victor's first million-selling classical single, "Be My Love."

There are two versions of "I'll Walk with God" on youtube. The first link is from The Student Prince (1954); the second is from Lanza's Christmas album, recorded in 1959; his singing sounds even more impassioned than in the earlier recording, with a ringing clarity to the notes. Note Lanza's characteristically impeccable diction in the phrasing: each word is enunciated for maximum impact, the consonants given as much attention as the vowels ("GoD," etc.). Go here and here. For our Spanish-speaking students, listen to Lanza's popular recording of "Granada," from Lanza's third film, Because You're Mine here.

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I'll walk with God from this day on. His helping hand I'll lean upon. This is my prayer, my humble plea, may the Lord be ever with me.

There is no death though eyes grow dim. There is no fear when I'm near to him. I'll lean on him forever and he'll forsake me never.

He will not fail me as long as my faith is strong, whatever road I may walk along.

I'll walk with God, I'll take his hand. I'll talk with God, he'll understand. I'll pray to him, each day to him, and he'll hear the words that I say. His hand will guide my throne and rod and I'll never walk alone while I walk with God.

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