"I sing God's music because it makes me feel free," Jackson once said about her choice of gospel, adding, "It gives me hope. With the blues, when you finish, you still have the blues."
Jackson grew up in the "Black Pearl" section of the Carrollton neighbourhood of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, and began singing in a Baptist church. In 1927 she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she sang with The Johnson Brothers, one of the earliest professional gospel groups.
The Johnson Brothers broke up in the mid-1930s, and Jackson began her solo career, recording for Decca in 1937. The result, "God's Gonna Separate the Wheat from the Tares", was only a moderate success, but Jackson became a popular concert draw. She didn't record again untill 1946, when she signed with Apollo Records, releasing several singles that are now highly regarded, though sales were sluggish at the time. "Move On up a Little Higher" (1948) became a huge success, however, and stores could not stock enough of it to meet demand. Jackson rocketed to fame in the U.S. and soon afterwards in Europe. "I Can Put My Trust in Jesus" won a prize from the French Academy, and "Silent Night" was one of the best-selling singles in the history of Norway. She began a radio series on CBS and signed to Columbia Records in 1954. With her mainstream success came an inevitable backlash from gospel purists who felt she had watered down her sound for popular accessibility.
Jackson's career in the late 1950s and early 1960s continued to rise when she recorded with Percy Faith, and performed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. She also sang at the funeral of her friend Martin Luther King, Jr. The late 1960s saw a downturn in her popular success. She ended her career with a concert in Germany in 1971; when she returned, she made one of her final television appearances on The Flip Wilson Show.
Jackson died in Chicago on 27th January 1972 of heart failure and diabetes at the age of sixty. She was buried in Providence Memorial Park in Metairie, Louisiana. She was posthumously inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1978.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Glory to the newborn King"
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinner reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
"Glory to the newborn King"
Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Come desire of nations come
Fix in us thy humble home
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King"
Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace,
Hail the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild he lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King"
The song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Mahalia Jackson is a hymn about the birth of Jesus Christ telling the story of the angels proclaiming the “Glory to the newborn King”. The song begins with celebrating the birth of Christ, and how it brings peace to the earth and how God reconciles sinner through Christ. It calls for all the nations to rise and join the angels in proclaiming the great news of the birth of the savior. The song talks about Christ being the highest, everlasting Lord who came to dwell among men and was pleased to be in the form of a man, as Emmanuel.
The second verse calls for Christ to come and fix his humble home in the hearts of the people. It talks about Christ being veiled in flesh, which means that even if he was God, he was still fully human. The verse talks about how Christ was pleased to dwell among men and how he is Emmanuel.
The final verse talks about Christ's divine qualities as the Prince of peace and the Son of Righteousness. The verse explains how Christ brings light, life, and healing to all people, and that he was born to bring salvation to the world. The verse ends by proclaiming the glory of the newborn king and how he was born to raise the sons of earth and give them a second birth.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark the herald angels sing
Listen to the message being spread by the angels
"Glory to the newborn King"
Praise and honor the newly born King, Jesus Christ
Peace on earth and mercy mild
May there be peace on earth and mercy towards all
God and sinner reconciled
God has restored the relationship with sinners through Jesus Christ
Joyful all ye nations rise
Let all the nations rise in joy and celebration
Join the triumph of the skies
Be part of the angels' triumph in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
With angelic host proclaim
Proclaim the message that the angels are sharing
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Jesus Christ has been born in Bethlehem
Christ by highest heaven adored
Jesus Christ is being worshipped by heaven above
Christ the everlasting Lord
Jesus Christ is the Lord who lasts forever
Come desire of nations come
People from all over the world desire for Jesus Christ to come and bring change
Fix in us thy humble home
Make our hearts and souls your home, Lord Jesus
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see
Though in flesh, Jesus Christ is still divine
Hail the incarnate Deity
Praise and honor Jesus Christ who is the incarnation of God
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was happy to live among humanity
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Jesus Christ, our Savior, is our Emmanuel, meaning 'God with us'
Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace
Praise and honor Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who was born in heaven
Hail the Son of Righteousness
Praise and honor Jesus Christ, the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Jesus Christ brings light and life to all who believe in Him
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Jesus Christ has risen and brings healing to His people
Mild he lays His glory by
Jesus Christ humbled himself and put aside his glory to come to earth
Born that man no more may die
Jesus Christ was born so that humanity could have eternal life
Born to raise the sons of earth
Jesus Christ was born with the purpose of raising humanity
Born to give them second birth
Jesus Christ was born to give humanity a new birth in Him
Hark the herald angels sing
Listen to the message being spread by the angels
"Glory to the newborn King"
Praise and honor the newly born King, Jesus Christ
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Abkco Music Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sweet home Alabama
on Let It Be
Kid Rock
Sherry M
on Run All the Way
The best gospel singer ever