In 1963, David Houston rose to national stardom with the single "Mountain of Love"; the song, which was different from the tune made famous by composer Harold Dorman, Johnny Rivers and Charley Pride, rose to No. 2 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart. Another song, 1965's "Livin' in a House Full of Love" did just as well.
1966 brought Houston's breakthrough smash, "Almost Persuaded". Having nothing to do with the Philip Paul Bliss hymn of the same title (based on Acts 26:28 (KJV)), the tale of a married man managing to fight off a temptress he had just met in a tavern quickly rocketed to No. 1 that August, eventually spending nine weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. In the 40 years since "Almost Persuaded" became a country standard, no song has equaled or bettered this feat. However, two country songs have spent eight weeks at No. 1: Lonestar's "Amazed," which topped the chart from July 17 to September 4, 1999; and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, from August 9 to September 20 and then October 4, 2003 (in between "Somewhere's" seventh and eighth weeks at #1, on September 27, 2003, Dierks Bentley's "What Was I Thinkin' " topped the chart).
Houston was awarded 2 Grammy Awards for Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Performance, Male in 1967 for "Almost Persuaded."
"Almost Persuaded" began a string of Top 5 David Houston singles that lasted through 1973. Included in the bunch were six more No. 1's – "With One Exception" and "You Mean the World to Me" (1967); "Have a Little Faith" and "Already It's Heaven" (1968); "Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)" (1970); and 1967's "My Elusive Dreams" duet with Tammy Wynette.
In later years, Houston dueted with Barbara Mandrell on several of her early hits, most notably 1970's "After Closing Time" and 1974's "I Love You, I Love You."
David's last Top 10 country hit came in 1974 with "Can't You Feel It".
David Houston died of a brain aneurysm on November 30, 1993, less than two weeks before his 58th birthday.
When They Ring Those Golden Bells
David Houston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a land beyond the river that we call the sweet forever
And we only reach that shore by fate's decree
One by one we'll gain the portals then to dwell with thing immortals
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
Don't you hear the bells now ringing don't you hear the angels singing
This glory hallelujah jubilee
In that far off sweet forever just beyond the shining river
[ steel ]
When our days shall know the number when in death we'll sweetly slumber
When the king commands the spirit to be free
Never more with anguish laidin' we shall reach that lovely aimin'
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
Don't you hear the bells now ringing...
The lyrics to David Houston's "When They Ring Those Golden Bells" describe a land beyond the river that is referred to as the sweet forever. The song talks about how we can only reach that shore by fate's decree and we'll gain the portals one by one to dwell with immortal beings. The song describes a beautiful scene where bells are ringing and angels are singing glory hallelujah jubilee. The heavenly bells are being rung for the singer and the listener to reach that beautiful place. The song talks about how one day we will reach the aim of being with God and the angels in that place beyond the shining river.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a land beyond the river that we call the sweet forever
There exists a heavenly place beyond the river that we refer to as the sweet forever
And we only reach that shore by fate's decree
Our fate determines whether or not we get to that place beyond the river
One by one we'll gain the portals then to dwell with thing immortals
We will access the heavenly portals one by one and reside with the immortal beings
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
We will be summoned to the heavenly portals by the ringing of golden bells
Don't you hear the bells now ringing don't you hear the angels singing
Can't you already hear the bells ringing and the angels singing?
This glory hallelujah jubilee
It's a glorious and joyful occasion, a hallelujah jubilee
In that far off sweet forever just beyond the shining river
The sweet forever is located past a shining river, far away
When our days shall know the number when in death we'll sweetly slumber
When we've lived our allotted time on earth and we pass away, we'll rest in eternal peace
When the king commands the spirit to be free
When the king of heaven commands our spirits to be free
Never more with anguish laidin' we shall reach that lovely aimin'
We will arrive at our lovely destination without any pain or distress
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
We will be summoned to the heavenly portals by the ringing of golden bells
Don't you hear the bells now ringing...
Can't you already hear the bells ringing?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERNEST J. FORD, JACK FASCINATO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
1956lakota
Ringing loud and clear when I enter into glory...Amen
kerron mcsween
finally found the singer👍