"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.
How I Got Over
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How did I make it over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
How I made it over
Going on over all these years
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
Tell me how we got over Lord
Had a mighty hard time coming on over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did we make it over
Tell me how we got over Lord
I've been falling and rising all these years
But you know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
But, soon as I can see Jesus
The man that died for me
Man that bled and suffered
And he hung on Calvary
And I want to thank him for how he brought me
And I want to thank God for how he taught me
Oh thank my God how he kept me
I'm gonna thank him 'cause he never left me
Then I'm gonna thank God for 'ole time religion
And I'm gonna thank God for giving me a vision
One day, I'm gonna join the heavenly choir
I'm gonna sing and never get tired
And then I'm gonna sing somewhere 'round God alter
And I'm gonna shout all my trouble over
You know I've gotta thank God and thank him for being
So good to me, Lord yeah
How I made it over Lord
I had to cry in the midnight hour coming on over
But you know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
Tell me how I made it over Lord God Lord
Falling and rising all these years
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
I'm gonna wear a diamond garment
In that new Jerusalem
I'm gonna walk the streets of gold
It's the homeland of the soul
I'm gonna view the host in white
They've been traveling day and night
Coming up from every nation
They're on their way to the great Cognation
Coming from the north, south, east, and west
They're on their way to a land of rest
And they're gonna join the heavenly choir
You know we're gonna sing and never get tired
And then we're gonna sing somewhere 'round God alter
And then we're gonna shout all our troubles over
You know we gotta thank God
Thank him for being so good to me
You know I come to thank God this evening
I come to thank him this evening
You know all all night long God kept his angels watching over me
Early this morning, early this morning
God told his angel God said, "touch her in my name"
God said, "touch her in my name"
I 'rose this morning, I 'rose this morning, I 'rose this morning
I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting
I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting
I feel like shouting, I just gotta thank God, I just gotta thank God
I just gotta thank God, I just gotta thank him
Thank God for being so good, God been good to me
"How I Got Over" is a gospel song by Mahalia Jackson, which reflects on how the singer overcame the trials and tribulations in her life through her faith in God. The song starts with the repeated lines, "How I got over/ How did I make it over/ You know my soul look back and wonder/ How did I make it over," which express the singer's deep sense of gratitude and wonder for how she overcame the hardships in her life. The song speaks of the struggle of being a Black person during a time of racial inequality, but through Jesus, she was able to overcome her struggles. She asks the Lord to show her how she got over and how her community was able to overcome the struggles of oppression.
The second stanza begins with "But, soon as I can see Jesus/ The man that died for me/ Man that bled and suffered/ And he hung on Calvary," and expresses the singer's belief in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. She thanks Him for how he brought her through her trials and taught her valuable lessons in life. She then thanks God for "giving me a vision," expressing her faith that guidance and revelation from God were instrumental in helping her overcome her struggles.
The song concludes with Mahalia Jackson expressing a desire to reach heaven and join the heavenly choir with the believers who have already passed on, shouting all her troubles over. She acknowledges God's goodness and that she just has to thank him for everything.
Line by Line Meaning
How I got over
Reflecting on how I overcame difficult times
How did I make it over
Curiously contemplating how one was able to overcome their hardships
You know my soul look back and wonder
My inner self reflects and questions how I was able to persevere
How I made it over
Recalling the journey of overcoming struggles
Going on over all these years
Persisting through challenges for a lengthy period of time
Tell me how we got over Lord
Asking for guidance from a higher power on how one was able to overcome hardships
Had a mighty hard time coming on over
Encountering difficult obstacles while striving to overcome a challenging situation
I've been falling and rising all these years
Experiencing both failures and successes along the way
But, soon as I can see Jesus
Finding faith in Jesus as a source of guidance and strength
The man that died for me
Finding faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
Man that bled and suffered
Acknowledging the pain and suffering endured by Jesus
And he hung on Calvary
Reflecting on the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross
And I want to thank him for how he brought me
Expressing gratitude towards Jesus for providing guidance and support
And I want to thank God for how he taught me
Grateful for the wisdom and lessons provided by God
Oh thank my God how he kept me
Showing appreciation for being protected and guided by God
I'm gonna thank him 'cause he never left me
Expressing gratitude towards God for always being present and supportive
Then I'm gonna thank God for 'ole time religion
Appreciating the traditional religious beliefs and practices
And I'm gonna thank God for giving me a vision
Grateful for the clarity and insights provided by God
One day, I'm gonna join the heavenly choir
Aspiring to be a part of the heavenly community
I'm gonna sing and never get tired
Expressing a desire to continuously praise God in heaven
And then I'm gonna sing somewhere 'round God alter
Envisioning singing in the presence of God
And I'm gonna shout all my trouble over
Celebrating and leaving behind past hardships
You know I've gotta thank God and thank him for being
Showing appreciation for God's presence and guidance
So good to me, Lord yeah
Acknowledging the goodness and positivity God has brought into one's life
Tell me how I made it over Lord God Lord
Asking God for guidance on how one was able to overcome past struggles
I'm gonna wear a diamond garment
Envisioning a luxurious garment in heaven
In that new Jerusalem
Referring to the heavenly city mentioned in the Bible
I'm gonna walk the streets of gold
Envisioning the beauty of heaven's streets
It's the homeland of the soul
Describing heaven as a place for the soul to reside
I'm gonna view the host in white
Envisioning the angels in heaven
They've been traveling day and night
Describing the journey of the faithful angels
Coming up from every nation
Referring to the diversity of believers and angels in heaven
They're on their way to the great Cognation
Referring to the final destination of believers
Coming from the north, south, east, and west
Describing the diverse origins of the faithful believers
They're on their way to a land of rest
Describing heaven as a place of peace and rest
And they're gonna join the heavenly choir
Envisioning joining the choir in heaven
And then we're gonna sing somewhere 'round God alter
Envisioning singing in the presence of God
And then we're gonna shout all our troubles over
Hopeful for a future where past struggles are left behind
You know we gotta thank God
Expressing a deep gratitude towards God
Thank him for being so good to me
Expressing gratitude for the positivity and goodness God has brought into one's life
You know I come to thank God this evening
Expressing gratitude towards God in a time of reflection
You know all all night long God kept his angels watching over me
Grateful for God's protection and guidance through the night
Early this morning, early this morning
Acknowledging a new day and new beginning
God told his angel God said, "touch her in my name"
Describing a moment where God provided guidance and protection
I 'rose this morning, I 'rose this morning, I 'rose this morning
Celebrating a new day and new opportunities
I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting
Expressing joy and positivity
I just gotta thank God, I just gotta thank God
Emphasizing the importance of gratitude towards God
Thank God for being so good, God been good to me
Acknowledging the goodness and positivity God has brought into one's life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Clara Ward
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tamihayes5313
Like someone said... those handclaps were when the Holy Ghost was coming on her. You can feel it! They had power.
No riffing and over done hairdos with bling and low cut blouses. No praise team behind her with blue jeans and coordinated shirts and blouses...
Just the voice that God gave her. Piano player playing to accompany her. Nothing orchestrated. People appreciating that an angel is singing. Not needing all the theatrics.
This is how I have patterned my gift of music. Thank God for my mother encouraging me to just sing for the Lord and nobody else.
Thank you Mahalia.
@MusicProducerGameDeveloper
praise jesus for helping my forefathers over the red sea
praise jesus he will do the same thing for us
don't worry so called black and african he will deliver us again
on his time not ours
as it is written
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
as it is written
13
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
14Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
15Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
16Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
as it is written
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
as it is written
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
like i said before on his time not ours
@MusicProducerGameDeveloper
praise jesus for helping my forefathers over the red sea
praise jesus he will do the same thing for us
don't worry so called black and african he will deliver us again
on his time not ours
as it is written
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
as it is written
13
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
14Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
15Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
16Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
as it is written
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
as it is written
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
like i said before on his time not ours
@MusicProducerGameDeveloper
praise jesus for helping my forefathers over the red sea
praise jesus he will do the same thing for us
don't worry so called black and african he will deliver us again
on his time not ours
as it is written
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
as it is written
13
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
14Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
15Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
16Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
as it is written
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
as it is written
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
like i said before on his time not ours
@ggc1998you
Black music is a giant diamond in America's crown.
@ANewday19
Yes it is the ones whom carry the oil ❤
@lulumoon6942
AMEN 🙏
@melissaholland2734
Mahalia's voice is so powerful that people will endure the poor quality of this video to get a blessing from her singing. That's just awesome!!!!!
@deloreswillis9224
Sayyyyy this!!!!!!!!!!!
@kayamen2021
💯
@willshepherd8591
Amen.
@dinahawouragai2701
Absolutely!!!
@ogelcrew
Over and over again! Am I the only one who turns away from imitators? They may imitate her voice but they can't touch her genuine passion. The difference in genuine black gospel music is that it is sang from the heart and soul. Performance is not a concern. It's all about the message. You can sit in the poorest of black churches, some still wooden and perched on concrete blocks and listen to the old folks who never went to school pat their feet to the beat and rock the church! Today's Kirk Franklins and Hawkins and nobody else can touch'em. As the old saying goes, they've been immitated but never duplicated. Let the old school church say Amen.
@countrygospel601
Please, God, forgive me, I repent, I have fallen short. Create a clean heart in me God. 🙌🏽💯🙏🏽👏🏾🙌🏽