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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Worshipper's Medley
Darwin Hobbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How I lift high my voice, with your praise
Holy Spirit, I implore thee
Drench my heart as my lips part your praise
[repeat]
I am persuaded, Lord to love you
I have been changed, to bless your name
Forever to worship you
[repeat]
Bless the Lord
Oh my soul
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name
[repeat]
Hallelu, Hallelujah
Oh Lord we praise your name
All the Glory, All the praise
All the glory, all the praise
All the glory, All the praise
Oh Lord we praise your name
Oh Lord we praise your name
The Lord is here, the lord is here
He has established his name
And it shall reign forever
[repeat, and modulate as directed]
And it shall reign forever [x3]
The lyrics of Darwin Hobbs's song Worshipper's Medley express the singer's deep love and reverence for Jesus Christ. In the first verse, Hobbs sings about how he lifts his voice to praise Jesus and implores the Holy Spirit to drench his heart with even more love and devotion. He repeats this plea in the second verse, saying that he has been changed by the gospel and is forever constrained to worship Jesus. In the final verse, Hobbs encourages others to join him in praising the Lord, blesses God's holy name, and exclaims "Hallelu, Hallelujah" in joyful adoration.
Line by Line Meaning
Precious Jesus, now I love you
I have developed a strong affection for you, Jesus
How I lift high my voice, with your praise
I express my adoration for you by singing loudly in praise of you
Holy Spirit, I implore thee
I humbly request for the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance
Drench my heart as my lips part your praise
May the Holy Spirit fill me with feelings of love and devotion as I sing your praises
I am persuaded, Lord to love you
I have come to the decision to love you, Lord
I have been changed, to bless your name
I have undergone a transformation to honor and glorify your name
I am constrained by this great gospel
I feel obligated to follow the teachings of the gospel
Forever to worship you
I will continue to worship and praise you for all eternity
Bless the Lord
May the Lord be blessed
Oh my soul
The artist is addressing their own soul
And all that is within me
Everything within the singer will bless the Lord
Bless His holy name
May the Lord's holy name be blessed
Hallelu, Hallelujah
Expressing praise and joy to the Lord
Oh Lord we praise your name
The singer is directly praising the Lord
All the Glory, All the praise
The Lord deserves all glory and praise
Oh Lord we praise your name
The artist is directly praising the Lord
The Lord is here, the lord is here
The Lord's presence is currently with us
He has established his name
The Lord has made his name known and recognized
And it shall reign forever
The Lord's name will continue to be influential and powerful for eternity
And it shall reign forever [x3]
Reiterating the long-lasting, eternal reign of the Lord's name
Contributed by Violet N. 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