Donald Lawrence studied at Cincinnati Conservatory, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music. To his credit, Donald's musicality has seen many incarnations, as vocal coach to the R&B group En Vogue, musical director for Stephanie Mills, songwriter for The Clark Sisters, and producer for a host of artists including Peabo Bryson and Kirk Franklin. Lawrence took on The Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated his position as musical director.
The group debuted in 1993 with A Songwriter's Point Of View on a then-brand-new independent record label called GospoCentric Records. The set debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts. The group's follow-up release Bible Stories would top those same charts when it arrived in 1995. It was the first to be billed as Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers and featured black church-ubiquitous hits such as "A Message For The Saints", "I Am God" and "Stranger".
In 1997, Donald Lawrence produced the live portion of Karen Clark Sheard's Grammy-nominated Finally Karen debut. Lawrence & Tri-City also released the seasonal Hello Christmas the same year.
In 2000, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers signed to EMI Gospel. To promote the new album, a maxi CD of the lead single "Testify" to the mainstream. House remixes by Junior Vasquez sent the song to #33 on Billboard's Mainstream Dance Charts. When tri-city4.com was finally released in 2001, the set peaked at #2 on Billboard's Top Gospel Charts and #13 on Billboard's Heatseekers Charts. The album also got a profile boost from the all-star standout "God's Favor", featuring vocal turns from Karen Clark Sheard, Kim Burrell, and Kelly Price.
In 2004 "I Speak Life" was Donald Lawrence' first solo album, the debut for his newly inked recording contract with Verity Records, and also the first release under his new sublabel Quiet Water Entertainment. Though the album was without The Tri-City Singers, guest appearances were plenteous. Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Faith Evans, Richard Smallwood, and Carl Thomas all contributed to the album. Even jazz notables Ramsey Lewis and Lalah Hathaway were on hand for a remake of the Bible Stories classic "Don't Forget To Remember".
Bless Me
Donald Lawrence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
I pray for increase
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Oh, enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, I pray for increase
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
The song "Bless Me" by Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers is a plea to God for expansion and growth. The chorus repeats the phrase "Bless me indeed" which is taken from Jabez's prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10. The singer asks God to enlarge their territory, which can be interpreted as asking for a broadened scope of influence or increased opportunities. This is followed by a second and third repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's desire for growth and prosperity.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of God's protection in the singer's life. The lyrics ask for God to keep His hand upon the singer to protect them from harm. The phrase "sunshine and rain, sickness and pain" suggests that life can be unpredictable and full of challenges, but the singer is confident that with God's help, they can overcome anything.
The song then transitions back to the chorus, emphasizing the idea of enlarging one's territory and increasing blessings. The final lines of the song repeat the phrase "Enlarge my territory" three times, further emphasizing the singer's desire for growth and God's blessing.
Overall, "Bless Me" is a powerful song of faith and trust in God's provision for a better and more prosperous life. It emphasizes the importance of protection, but also emphasizes the idea of abundance and the desire for growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Bless me, bless me
I ask for your divine favor and blessings to be upon me.
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
I ask for your blessings to impart a significant and tangible impact on my life.
Enlarge my territory
Expand the scope of my life, increase my opportunities and capacity.
(I pray for increase)
I request an increase in abundance, wealth, health, and growth.
Increase, increase
I emphasize my desire for multiplication in every area of my life.
Keep Your hand upon me
I ask for your guidance and protection in all my endeavors.
That no evil cannot harm me
I ask for your help in shielding me from any harm or injustice.
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
I acknowledge the ups and downs of life, and ask for your presence in both good and bad times.
God, I humbly come to You
I approach you with a heart of humility and surrender.
Oh Lord, I pray for increase
Again, I ask for your help in increasing all areas of my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDRAE EDWARD CROUCH, DONALD L. LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VWM
on Soulful Noel
Shoo Ba Doo Deet deet dee
Doop Doo Doo
Shoo Ba Doo Deet deet dee
Doop Doo Doo
Verse 1
It was the first Noel the angels did say
To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay
Keeping their sheep on a cold winters night
This was so deep y’all it was so right
CHORUS
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Verse 2
I can imagine it was a cold night (Oo so cold)
All of the shepherds, trying to do (their jobs right)
Suddenly in the sky, there appeared (the sky, the sky, the sky)
A host of angels, which caused them to fear
CHORUS
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Verse 3
Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy (great joy)
In the city of David of (Christ, the Lord)
You can find these things in swaddling clothes
(Tell it , Tell it Go tell it)
I want you to go and tell everybody you know
Go tell them that Christ is born
Verse 4
I’m going to tell everyone that I meet (hi oo)
To go and humble yourselves at (this child’s feet)
He came to save to heal and forgive (heal and forgive)
So that we all we might live
CHORUS
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Noel Noel
Noel Noel Noel.
Born is the King of Israel
Born is the King of Israel
He is the King of Israel