The Imperials are a 4 time Grammy winning American gospel music group and a… Read Full Bio ↴The Imperials are a 4 time Grammy winning American gospel music group and a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. They were founded in 1964 by Jake Hess and continue to perform today.

The band had its genesis when long-time Statesmen Quartet member Jake Hess retired from that band on December 7, 1963.[1] Hess wanted to start a new group recognized as "king" of the Southern gospel field and thought the "Imperials" would be a good moniker. After getting the go-ahead from Marion Snider for permission to use the name (Snider had previously operated an Imperial Quartet named after its sponsor Imperial Sugar), he gathered together pianist Henry Slaughter from the Weatherford Quartet,ex-Oak Ridge Boys baritone Gary McSpadden, the Weatherford Quartet's bass singer Armond Morales and Speer Family tenor Sherrill (Shawn) Neilsen to join him.[2] Signing with Benson Records subsidiary Skylite, the group had a busy first year releasing 4 albums in 1964.

The Old Gospel Ship
Imperials Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chorus:
I'm a gonna take a trip
In the good old gospel ship
I'm goin' far beyond the sky
I'm a gonna shout and sing
Until all the Heavens ring
When I bid this old world goodbye

I have good news to bring
And that is why I sing
All my joys with you I'd like to share
Oh, I'm a gonna take a trip
In the good old gospel ship
And go sailin' through the air.

Chorus

Ooh ah yeah yeah

Oh, I can scarcely wait
I know I don't wanna be late
For I want to spend all my time in prayer
And a when my ship comes in

I'm a gonna leave this world of sin
And go sailin' through the air.

Overall Meaning

The Old Gospel Ship is a Christian hymn that talks about one’s journey towards heaven or the afterlife. The main theme of the song is the desire to leave the world of sin and embark on a journey towards heaven through the Gospel ship. The chorus, “I'm a gonna take a trip in the good old gospel ship, I'm goin' far beyond the sky,” emphasizes that the Gospel ship is the means through which the singer will reach heaven.

The lyrics also highlight the importance of sharing the good news of the Gospel with others, “I have good news to bring and that is why I sing,” indicating that the singer wants to bring others along on the journey towards salvation. The anticipation in the lyrics, “Oh, I can scarcely wait, I know I don't want to be late,” emphasizes the singer's desire to board the Gospel ship and reach heaven as soon as possible.

In summary, The Old Gospel Ship is a Christian hymn that celebrates the journey of believers towards heaven through the Gospel ship, while also emphasizing the importance of sharing the good news of the Gospel with others.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a gonna take a trip In the good old gospel ship I'm goin' far beyond the sky I'm a gonna shout and sing Until all the Heavens ring When I bid this old world goodbye
I am going on a journey in a ship powered by the gospel. I am going beyond the physical world and will sing and shout to the point where the heavens themselves will resonate with my voice. I will leave this mortal world behind.

I have good news to bring And that is why I sing All my joys with you I'd like to share Oh, I'm a gonna take a trip In the good old gospel ship And go sailin' through the air.
I have good news to share, and that is why I sing about it. I want to share my joys with those around me. I am going on a trip and will travel on a ship powered by the gospel and journey through the air.

Chorus
Repetition of the main verse.

Ooh ah yeah yeah
Vocal expression of excitement, joy and anticipation.

Oh, I can scarcely wait I know I don't wanna be late For I want to spend all my time in prayer And a when my ship comes in I'm a gonna leave this world of sin And go sailin' through the air.
I can barely contain my excitement and don't want to be late. I want to dedicate all my time to prayer because I know my ship will eventually arrive. At that point, I will leave the world of sin behind forever and journey through the air on the gospel ship once again.

Contributed by Katherine F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Michael Blair

13y↑5

Great video. Absolutely one of my all time favorite songs! I am 56 years old and the Imperials were my favorite gospel group in the 70's and 80's. My favorite Imperials groups was Jim Murry, Russ Taff, David Wills and Armound Morales. 2nd favorite was Jim Murry, Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus and Armound Morales.

Lane Crooks

17y

I remember watching this performance. AWESOME memories. I'm 36 & when I was a teen, they were one of my fav. groups & introduction to southern gospel w/their music. They were my first gospel concert, actually. Thanks for the memories. Can't wait to see more.