Lee Young was dismissed in 1982, and Jon Mohr was hired as the new bass singer. They then recorded the album, Passin' The Faith Along. Later, tenor Steve Green left and Larnelle Harris was hired. This group cut the New Point Of View album before Mohr left.
At this point the "New Gaither Vocal Band' dropped the "new" part of their name. Bill Gaither dropped to the lowest part (although they didn't call it Bass at the time), Gary McSpadden was moved down to baritone and Michael English was hired as lead singer. Although the previous album (New Point Of View) had been more contemporary than its predecessors, the album with this version of the group (One X 1) took it even further. After this album, Larnelle left and was replaced by Lemuel Miller. The group did not record an album with Lemuel before he left. He was replaced by Imperials alumnus, Jim Murray. They cut one album (Wings) before Gary McSpadden left to devote more time to his solo career. Mark Lowry was tapped to replace him. Although Lowry admittedly didn't have the natural ear for the baritone part, or the experience, he added a great voice along with his comedy and soon made their sound more smooth. First planned to perhaps be their final album, their gospel roots project Homecoming, in 1991, caused most Southern Gospel fans to welcome the Vocal Band with open arms. A follow-up recording called Southern Classics cemented their relationship with fans.
Jim Murray left and was replaced by Terry Franklin whose tenor voice was heard on the aforementioned, Southern Classics. Michael English left to pursue a popular solo career. He was replaced by Buddy Mullins. Terry Franklin soon left and was replaced by another Imperials alumnus, Jonathan Pierce. Strengthened by the popularity of the Homecoming video series, the Vocal Band added Guy Penrod at lead and after Pierce's departure, David Phelps was added at tenor. After Lowry’s departure, The Imperials alumnus Russ Taff sang baritone for a couple of years. When Taff returned to solo work, Marshall Hall was his replacement. Wes Hampton succeeded Phelps in 2005.
During the 1990s and into the first few years of the 21st century, the Gaither Vocal Band mastered the art of mixing classic Southern Gospel with Country and Inspirational styles. This gave the group a broad fan base that reached beyond the typical do.
In 2009 Marshall Hall and Guy Penrod left the group. Instead of just replacing them, Bill decided to make the group a five-man band -- bringing back some crowd favorites: Michael English, Mark Lowry, and David Phelps.
Complete List of Group Past Members:
* Bill Gaither, Baritone (1980-84); Bass (1984-present)
* Lee Young, Bass (1980-1982)
* Steve Green, Tenor (1980-1983)
* Gary McSpadden, Lead (1980-1984); Baritone (1984-88)
* Jon Mohr, Bass (1982-1984)
* Larnelle Harris, Tenor (1983-1987)
* Michael English, Lead (1985-1994, 2009-present)
* Lemuel Miller, Tenor (1987)
* Jim Murray, Tenor (1987-1992)
* Mark Lowry, Baritone (1988-2001, 2009-present)
* Terry Franklin, Tenor (1992-1994)
* Buddy Mullins, Lead (1994-1995)
* Jonathan Pierce, Tenor (1994-1997)
* Guy Penrod, Lead (1995-2009)
* David Phelps, Tenor (1997-2005, 2009-present)
* Russ Taff, Baritone (2001-2004)
* Marshall Hall, Baritone (2004-2009)
* Wes Hampton, Tenor (2005-present)
Discography
* The New Gaither Vocal Band (1981) - Benson
* ''Passin' The Faith Along (1983) - Benson
* New Point of View (1984) - Benson
* One X 1 (1986) - Word Nashville
* Wings (1988) - Star Song
* The Best from the Beginning (1989) - Benson
* A Few Good Men (1990) - Star Song
* Homecoming (1991) - Star Song
* Peace of the Rock (1993) - Star Song
* Southern Classics (1993) - Benson
* Testify (1994) King is Coming (1994) - Chapel
* ''Can't Stop Talkin' About Him (1995)
* Southern Classics: Volume II (1996) - Chapel
* Back Home in Indiana (1997) - Spring Hill
* ''Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other (1997) - Spring Hill
* Still the Greatest Story Ever Told (1998) - Spring Hill
* God is Good (1999) - Spring Hill
* Classic Moments from the Gaither Vocal Band - Volume 1 (1999) - Benson
* Classic Moments from the Gaither Vocal Band - Volume 2 (1999) - Benson
* I Do Believe (2000) - Spring Hill
* Everything Good (2002) - Spring House
* A Cappella (2003) - Gaither Music Group
* Best of the Gaither Vocal Band (2004) - Gaither Music Group
* Give it Away (2006) - Gaither Music Group
*Together Signature Sound and Gaither Vocal Band (2007) - Gaither Music Group
*Lovin' Life (2008) - Gaither Music Group
*Christmas Gaither Vocal Band Style (2008)
*Gaither Vocal Band Reunion - Volumes One & Two (January 2009)
Mercy
Gaither Vocal Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Old straw hat and crooked grin
And she said child, let's make this garden grow.
Let's till the soil, and pull some weeds
And here's your bag of precious seeds
'Cause grandma's got a secret you should know
You always reap exactly what you sow
(Chorus)
Sow grace
Sow kindness
Sow faith
Words are like water, sprinkled with love
You will harvest all your heart's been dreaming of
Sow mercy
We knelt right there and she took my hand
That patch of dirt was Holy land
And she said child I learned this long ago
Oh, you can bless or curse
You can live or die
You choose the crop you want in life
That's the greatest secret Grandma knows
You always reap exactly what you sow
Repeat Chorus
'Cause one day God forbid, you act a fool
And fall down hard and fast, 'cause life is cruel
If you ever reached to help a friend
A hand you held might lift you up again
What goes around comes back around you know
You always reap exactly what you sow
Repeat Chorus
The song “Mercy” by Gaither Vocal Band sets forth a powerful message about the importance of our actions and the consequences they have on our lives. The song presents the image of an old lady, the grandmother, who with her wisdom shares a secret with a young child, the singer. The grandmother tells the child that all of us have the power to change our lives, and the key to a successful life is to sow mercy, grace, kindness, and faith. The grandmother then takes the child’s hand and guides her to a patch of earth where they sow seeds that will later produce the fruit of their labor. In this figurative gesture, the songwriter is calling us to plant something good in our lives, something that will give us a good harvest when the time comes.
The chorus of the song tells us that if we sow mercy, grace, kindness, and faith, we will reap what we sow. The songwriter uses a very poetic language here, describing these virtues as “words sprinkled with love.” The message is clear: if we want to live a good life, we should make a conscious effort to sow only good things. The bridge of the song warns us that if we act a fool, the consequences will catch up with us, but if we help others, the hand we held might lift us up when we fall. The song comes full circle, ending with the reminder that what goes around comes back around.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see her now, her weathered skin
The singer vividly remembers the appearance of the old woman.
Old straw hat and crooked grin
The old woman had a crooked smile and wore an old straw hat.
And she said child, let's make this garden grow.
The old woman invited the singer to work with her in her garden.
Let's till the soil, and pull some weeds
The old woman instructed the artist to prepare the garden by tilling the soil and removing weeds.
And here's your bag of precious seeds
The old woman gave the artist a bag of high-value seeds to plant in the garden.
'Cause grandma's got a secret you should know
The old woman has a valuable secret to share with the singer.
You always reap exactly what you sow
The old woman's secret is that one will always receive back what they put into something.
Sow mercy
The chorus advises the listener to show kindness and compassion to others.
Sow grace
The chorus advises the listener to demonstrate elegance and poise in their actions.
Sow kindness
The chorus advises the listener to exhibit goodwill and generosity towards others.
Sow faith
The chorus advises the listener to maintain confidence and trust in one's beliefs.
Words are like water, sprinkled with love
The words spoken to others should be kind and loving.
You will harvest all your heart's been dreaming of
Kindness and love towards others will result in receiving one's heart's desires.
We knelt right there and she took my hand
The singer and the old woman prayed together while holding hands, signifying their close bond.
That patch of dirt was Holy land
The garden they worked on was sacred, filled with hope and possibility for the future.
Oh, you can bless or curse
One can choose to either give blessings or curses to others.
You can live or die
One can either choose to live a fulfilling life or continue towards self-destruction.
You choose the crop you want in life
The kind of life one chooses to live will affect the kind of experiences they have in the future.
That's the greatest secret Grandma knows
This is a valuable lesson that the old woman has passed on.
'Cause one day God forbid, you act a fool
The chorus suggests that one should not act poorly, lest they regret their actions later in life.
And fall down hard and fast, 'cause life is cruel
Life can be brutal at times, and a person's actions can come back to haunt them.
If you ever reached to help a friend
If one is kind to others, especially in times of need, they may receive help in return.
A hand you held might lift you up again
Helping others can be beneficial to oneself, as others may repay those kindnesses in the future.
What goes around comes back around you know
The kindness one shows today will be repaid in kind in the future.
You always reap exactly what you sow
The chorus serves as a reminder that one will always receive back what they put into something.
Contributed by Adam S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BelowAverageAsian
I'm going to show this to my friends in high school. I think my age group is where mercy grace kindness and faith are needed most. Praise God he is good!
dzy4u
Jared Hoshikazow
I hop you showed it to them and it was well and lovingly received. You are so correct ... and today, this is needed even more.
Djuan Mornix
Thats true
Buck Calkins
Well said. Amen
I need to stop watching Youtube
Nice man, good job. Spread the truth
Kristen Awam
I made this song as my new year resolution: sow mercy, grace, kindness, love & faith
Iva Weatherford
Bill Gaither always has a great group and this is one of the best. They sound so good together, love it!!!!!!
Vickie Nicely
We have listened to this whole video so many times. It is sooooo very powerful and ministers to your heart and soul in many ways. My husband was in mid-stage Alzheimers, confused and forgetful. This video has woke him up! He is back to the husband that I knew and loved! I can't thank the Lord enough for using Gospel Music to bring him back. In fact, he is even better than before! WOW! What a testimony!
Regina Argueta
+Vickie Nicely Bless the Lord for the miracle of anointed music bless the Lord and God speed to you and your husband . Great is God's faithfulness!
Darlinda Lowe
God bless You and Your Husband,,,,I pray for ya,,,It's Gods grace,,,Stay brave my My friend,,,