Darwin Hobbs is especially popular for his spirit moving song 'He's able' which has taken the breath of Nigerians away. The song indeed has been an inspiration for many, many, many gospel singers.
- Sheffieldhottie
His debut solo project (Mercy) was characterized by an anointing pieced together in soulful song with the help of producers Fred Hammond and Victor and Cedric Caldwell (see review).
Darwin Hobbs turns around swiftly on Vertical, his sophomore project with EMI Gospel, by combining both some of the same, and some fresh twists too.
Production mainstays Victor and Cedric Caldwell return to the fold, and join forces with Tommy Sims, whose Positive Movement production house has blown notorious in recent years. A fascinating choice of guest artists also marks this effort.
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Crucial to the album is the groovified "Cast All Your Cares", which harnesses the writing hooks of Angie Winans and the brothers Caldwell, is powered by the guitar finesse of Paul Jackson Jr., and features a strong chorus supporting Hobb's soulful delivery on lead.
The familiar voice of Donna Summer graces "When I Look Up". It's a softly soaring AC ballad about the liberty that Jesus brings, with Hobbs intertwining his pipes with Summer's exquisite phrasing over subtle bird twittering effects and a soft rhythm track. Written by the Caldwells with up-and-comer Hallerin Hill, it's a quiet full force gale, complete with backing vocals from Angie Winans.
Continuing on the guest artist theme, former Doobie Brother turned solo artist Michael McDonald joins his husky soul with Hobbs' rich tones on the head-bob track, Everyday. Fueled by musical elements of the Gap Band's "Outstanding", the Tommy Sims composition is an urban delight. Check these lines:
Surely the mercy of your love is in this place
I know that every day, come rain or shine
That it's mine all mine.
—from "Everyday"
On "So Amazing", Hobbs turns the tables on those who can't refrain from constantly comparing his vocal vibe to that of Luther Vandross. With his Gospel cover of this Vandross hit, Hobbs boldly tackles this comparison issue head on. No doubt he could easily be mistaken for the crooner, but with Hobbs' spirit of sensitivity infused throughout, there's no comparison on the deeper level. Virtue softly provides sweet backing vocals.
Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald contributed vocals to a couple of The Winans' projects (Decision and Back 2 Back) back when.
He's primarily known for his work with The Dobbie Brothers and Steely Dan, plus his own solo work.
Other hits have come in collaborations with James Ingram, Aretha Franklin, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Donna Summer (who also appears with Darwin Hobbs on this Vertical project).
Hobbs has stated that on this project, "every song was written strategically to represent some aspect of our relationship to God and His relationship to us" —hence the title Vertical, indicating that relationship.
So it's no surprise then, that the jewel in this CD jewel case is the medley of praise and worship ("Praise Medley"). It's on this soft, 8-minute, vocals-focused cut that Hobbs truly astounds with his range and selection of expression. The fact that he doesn't need vocal dramatics to do this speaks volumes to his gift. Holy praise tunes included are "El Shaddai", "You Are Holy", "You Are My Hiding Place" and "Great Is Your Mercy".
Set your alarm clock now, because you certainly don't want to sleep on this project. There's so much to love on this disk that you may not be able to handle it in one listen.
I'm still reeling.
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Unexplainable
Darwin Hobbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't explain it, something's deep inside,
I can't contain it, why should I try to hide?
What I feel about You, oh it's just too much,
I know that these words are not enough,
So I'm gonna live mine as expressions of my love,
There's somethin' 'bout Your love.
Can I take a moment, I'm gonna try to say
What's on my heart and on my mind,
I even tried to write a song,
But the words are too contrived,
I just had to let it lie;
Singing oh my Adonai, to the Most High.
(Then like a river, emotion sings Your song),
(I shiver, these are the words I can't deliver);
(I come undone because I just can't find a way),
You're unexplainable.
[Chorus]
[Verse 2:]
I get up in the morning
And the sun's already testified to a brand new day;
So I guess I better get this smile and be on my way,
And did I forget to say, "oh what a lovely day".
(And in the dawning, somehow the newness is reborn),
(and somehow the news comes like a storm),
(and I come undone because I just can't find a way),
You're unexplainable...
[Chorus]
[Vamp:]
Holy, holy, that won't do it.
Glory in the highest, that won't do it.
Doctor in the sick bed, that won't do it.
Lawyer in the trial room,
But that won't do it, won't do it.
Rock and a strong tower,
But that didn't quite do it.
Lily of the valley,
But now that won't do it.
Nothing I can find
Will ever quite do it, do it, and do it.
My heart, my soul, my mind,
Still that won't do it, won't do it.
[Ending:]
I can't explain it, something's deep inside,
I can't contain it, why should I try to hide?
What I feel about You, oh no, it's just too much,
These words are not enough,
So I'm gonna live it, expressions of my love.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
Mamma can't live it,
Daddy can't live it,
You can't live it,
Ooh, ooh,
Ooh, ooh.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
I'm gonna live it.
Yes, I'll live it.
Yes, I'll live it.
Yes, I'll live it.
Yes, I'll live it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The lyrics of Darwin Hobbs's song Unexplainable express the deep emotions and love for a higher power that are difficult to put into words. The chorus encapsulates this idea by stating that "something's deep inside" and that "these words are not enough." The singer cannot contain or hide the overwhelming feelings they have towards the subject of the song - a higher power, whom they refer to as "Adonai" in the first verse. The lyrics continue to assert that these emotions are unexplainable and cannot be expressed through neither vocal nor written words. The bridge of the song lists different titles that the singer attributes to the higher power, such as "doctor in the sick bed" and "rock and a strong tower," but ultimately concludes that none of these titles can fully encapsulate the depth and complexity of their emotions.
In the first verse, the singer attempts to write a song about their feelings but finds the words too "contrived" and ultimately decides not to pursue it. The second verse starts with the morning sun testifying to a "brand new day" and the singer expresses gratitude for this. However, they still struggle to find the words to express their feelings and the idea that their emotions towards the higher power are unexplainable is reiterated.
Overall, the song speaks to the idea that some things are beyond words and that there are emotions and connections that cannot be fully expressed through language. The singer acknowledges this and chooses to live their life as an expression of their love towards the higher power.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't explain it, something's deep inside,
There's a feeling inside me that I can't quite put into words.
I can't contain it, why should I try to hide?
I shouldn't try to suppress this feeling.
What I feel about You, oh it's just too much,
My feelings towards you are overwhelming.
I know that these words are not enough,
No amount of words can accurately express my feelings.
So I'm gonna live mine as expressions of my love,
I will show my love through my actions rather than words.
There's somethin' 'bout Your love.
Your love is indescribable.
Can I take a moment, I'm gonna try to say
Let me try to express my feelings.
What's on my heart and on my mind,
The thoughts and feelings that I've been holding inside.
I even tried to write a song,
I tried to put my feelings into words through music.
But the words are too contrived,
The words felt forced and insincere.
Singing oh my Adonai, to the Most High.
I sing praises to God.
(Then like a river, emotion sings Your song),
My emotions are so strong that it feels like they are singing on their own.
(I shiver, these are the words I can't deliver);
I can't physically express these feelings through words.
(I come undone because I just can't find a way),
I am overwhelmed and don't know how to express these feelings.
You're unexplainable.
Your love is too complex to put into words.
I get up in the morning
I start my day.
And the sun's already testified to a brand new day;
The rising sun is a testament to the start of a new day.
So I guess I better get this smile and be on my way,
I should start my day with a positive attitude.
And did I forget to say, "oh what a lovely day".
I need to remember to appreciate the beauty in each day.
(And in the dawning, somehow the newness is reborn),
Each day feels fresh and new.
(and somehow the news comes like a storm),
News and events can hit me suddenly and powerfully.
(and I come undone because I just can't find a way),
I feel overwhelmed and don't know how to handle everything.
You're unexplainable...
Your love is still indescribable.
Holy, holy, that won't do it.
No amount of holiness can express my feelings.
Glory in the highest, that won't do it.
Even the greatest glory cannot express my feelings.
Doctor in the sick bed, that won't do it.
Even the most skilled doctor cannot help me put my feelings into words.
Lawyer in the trial room,
Even a skilled lawyer cannot help me put my feelings into words.
But that won't do it, won't do it.
None of these things can help me express my incomprehensible feelings.
Rock and a strong tower,
Even the strongest rock or tower cannot help me put my feelings into words.
But that didn't quite do it.
None of these things can help me express my feelings.
Lily of the valley,
Even the most beautiful flower cannot help me put my feelings into words.
But now that won't do it.
None of these things can help me express my feelings.
Nothing I can find
I can't find anything that can help me express my feelings.
Will ever quite do it, do it, and do it.
Nothing will ever be enough to express how I feel.
My heart, my soul, my mind,
Every part of me feels this way.
Still that won't do it, won't do it.
Even with all of me feeling this way, I still can't express it.
Yes, I'll live it.
I will show my love through my actions.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Contributed by Bentley P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
zhanae
on Heal the Land
(Chorus)
(Oh!
If my people
Who are called
By my name would
Humbly pray
Seek my face and change
their ways
I'll heal the land)
Oh!
Let's talk about the problems
Please tell me how we solve them
There has to be a brighter day.
Ohhhh!
On your mark, get set, let's go now
Lights, Camera, Action showed now
Seems like this is what we've become
What do we do, Ohhhhh
(Chorus)
(Oh!
If my people
Who are called
By my name would
Humbly pray
Seek my face and change
their ways
I'll heal the land
Oh!)
We've got to find our way back
To the idea that we first had
Somehow we've gone and lost our way
Ohhhh
Wake up and smell the brew now
Make this our finest hour
All faces turn into the ground
This is the answer!
(Chorus)
(Oh!
If my people
Who are called
By my name would
Humbly pray
Seek my face and change
their ways
I'll heal the land)
Why? Oh Why?
is the question, tell me.
Who will stand?
Wanna know how did we end up here?
Or when will it end?
Lord, tell me where do we go from hereee?
(Chorus)
(Oh!
If my people
Who are called
By my name would
Humbly pray
Seek my face and change
their ways
I'll heal the land)
Oh OH Oh OH Oh OHhhh (8x)
HEAL THE LAND!
Pray, seek my face!
(Chorus)
(Oh!
If my people
Who are called
By my name would
Humbly pray
Seek my face and change
their ways
I'll heal the land)
Paula Carr
on My Promise To You
Why don't they have lyrics to this song