"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.
In the Upper Room
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singing in tears blessed fears
Daily there my sins confessing
Beggin for his mercy sweet
Trusting his grace and power
Seeking help in loving prayers
It is this how I feel the spirit
And I sat with him and pray
Oh, he's in in the upper room
With Jesus
Oh, it's in the upper room
When my lord and your god
When he's in the upper room
Yes, he's in the upper room
Well he's in the upper room
Talking with the Lord
Oh my, Hallelujah, Lord
He's in the upper room
With Jesus
Oh, he's in the upper room
Talking with my Lord
Yes, and your God
I know he's in the upper room
It's in the upper room
Lord, he's in, yeah, the upper room
Talking with the Lord, oh yes
But Hallelujah
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room, Lord
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room
In the upper room, Lord
In the upper room
Yeah, in the upper room, Lord
In the upper room
Talking with my Lord
Oh, and your God
Hallelujah
It's in the upper room
With Jesus
Oh, in the upper room
Talking with my Lord
Yes, and your God
You know I'm in the upper room, whoo
It's in the upper room
Lord, he in the upper room
Talking with the Lord
Oh, yeah, yeah
Hallelujah
It's in the upper room
With Jesus
Now I'm in the upper room
Talking with my Lord
Yes, and you God
You know I'm in the upper room
Yeah, I'm in the upper room
Lord, he's in, in the upper room
Talking with my Lord, oh yeah
The lyrics to "In the Upper Room" by Mahalia Jackson speak about a spiritual experience of being in the presence of Jesus Christ, confessing sins, seeking help in prayers, and trusting in His grace and power. The song is a powerful expression of Marhalia's devotion to her faith, as she sang about the sacred space where she felt connected to the divine. She emphasizes the significance of being in the upper room, which is a place of deep communion with God, where she could find solace, encouragement, and guidance. The use of repetition in the lyrics creates a sense of a ritual-like experience that helps her connect with God.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of the upper room as a place of deep worship, where believers can encounter God and speak to Him. The repetition of the phrase "in the upper room" reinforces the significance of this place as a sacred space. The inclusion of the phrase "Hallelujah" at the end of some of the verses and at the end of the song represents the joy and celebration that comes with connecting with God in a profound way.
Line by Line Meaning
In the upper room with Jesus
I am in the sacred place of worship, where I can be closer to Jesus.
Singing in tears blessed fears
I sing with a heavy heart, feeling blessed and fearful at the same time.
Daily there my sins confessing
Every day, I confess my sins to Jesus in this holy place.
Beggin for his mercy sweet
I humbly beg for Jesus' sweet and merciful forgiveness.
Trusting his grace and power
I trust in the grace and power of Jesus to help me overcome any challenges I may face.
Seeking help in loving prayers
I seek help from Jesus through my loving and sincere prayers.
It is this how I feel the spirit
I feel the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance in this place of worship.
And I sat with him and pray
I sit with Jesus and pray to him, feeling closer to him in this sacred space.
Oh, he's in in the upper room
Jesus is present in the upper room with me and others who come to worship.
With Jesus
I feel Jesus' presence and spiritual guidance in this holy place.
Oh, it's in the upper room
This sacred space holds special spiritual significance for me and other followers of Jesus.
When my lord and your god
This is where I come to worship my Lord and your God, Jesus.
Yes, he's in the upper room
Jesus is present in the upper room where I come to worship.
Well he's in the upper room
Jesus is present and active in the upper room where I come to worship.
Talking with the Lord
Jesus communicates and connects with me and others who come to worship in this sacred space.
Oh my, Hallelujah, Lord
I offer praise and thanks to the Lord, feeling grateful for the spiritual connection I feel in this holy place.
In the upper room
I am in the special, spiritually significant place of worship where I feel closer to Jesus.
Talking with my Lord
I am communicating and connecting with Jesus in the upper room, feeling his presence and guidance.
It's in the upper room
This sacred space carries a spiritual significance and power for me and other followers of Jesus.
You know I'm in the upper room
I am in this special place of worship, feeling closer to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Lord, he in the upper room
Jesus is present and active in the upper room, where I feel his spiritual power and guidance.
Talking with the Lord
Jesus communicates and connects with me and others who come to worship in this sacred space.
Hallelujah
I offer praise and thanks to God, feeling grateful for the spiritual connection I feel in this special place of worship.
Now I'm in the upper room
I am currently in the upper room, feeling the spiritual significance and power of this special place of worship.
Yes, and you God
I am worshiping and seeking guidance from your God, Jesus, in this sacred place.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAHALIA JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronniebillhicks
To be honest, I'm here from trying to find "THE UPPER ROOM" snippet from the Eddie Murphy Movie "LIFE", and got transported into another dimension, what. an. AMAZING. VOICE. (also we GOTTA give some credit to the bass/baritone background singers!!!)
@richardrichard5680
Im just gunna bust in that mother fucker with "the upper room" let them shoot me
@TheLegacyofMinnieRiperton
😂😂😂😂😂
@bette-annlibin457
Mahalia rules Gospel ❤ Our world needs more Ronnie Bill Hicks ❤
@hiawathaclemons
Eddie knew the deal
@hlj2560
Lmao same
@jeanphillips1030
I have been listening to her since I was a child. I am now 66 years young. Glory to God.
@davidmolina7543
Same here I’m 66 and I’ve been listening to her since my childhood years.
@kristofjarder1300
I don't believ in a creator being focused on especially us but I believe we should be focused on things much beyond wealth&power, like Mahalia sang about.
@grantbratrud4949
Same, maybe not quite that old... but close. Men like us give new meaning to the movie phrase, "expendables". If you can still do 9 palm-out pull ups, the military should take you, even if it shames the can't cunts with gold braid. What it takes is a Croatian EMP to shame that weird, absolutely fooking' weird Macron. And Macron was shamed. Watch New York and New Jersey. Those a-holes killed gramma and grampa.