"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.
Nobody Knows
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody knows but He knows my sorrow
Yes, nobody knows the trouble I've seen
But glory, Hallelujah
Sometimes I'm standing crying
Tears running down my face
I cry to the Lord, have mercy
Oh Lord, I have so many trials
So many pains and woes
I'm asking for faith and comfort
Lord, help me to carry this load, whoo
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Well, no, nobody knows but Jesus
No nobody knows, oh the trouble, the trouble I've seen
I'm singing glory, glory glory Hallelujah
No nobody knows, oh the trouble, the trouble I've seen
Lord, no nobody knows my sorrow
No nobody knows, you know the trouble
The trouble I've seen
I'm singing glory, glory, glory, Hallelujah!
Mahalia Jackson's song "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is an African-American spiritual that speaks of the pain and suffering of black people in America. The song is a call for solace and comfort during times of suffering, and an appeal for God’s mercy and intervention. The lyrics of this song convey the message that no one can truly understand another person's pain, but God knows everything and is able to help and comfort in times of need.
The opening lines, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, nobody knows but He knows my sorrow," are an acknowledgment that the singer is going through a tough time and that no one can really comprehend the extent of their pain. It also suggests that the singer finds solace in talking to God, believing that He is the only one who can truly understand their trouble. The following lines, "Sometimes I'm standing crying, tears running down my face," paint a vivid picture of the singer's pain and despair.
As the song progresses, the singer asks God for mercy and strength to carry on. The lines "Oh Lord, I have so many trials, so many pains and woes, I'm asking for faith and comfort, Lord, help me to carry this load" demonstrate that the singer is at a point where they need divine intervention to face their tribulations. The chorus "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen" is a common refrain in spirituals and is used to express the deep-seated pain and suffering of African Americans.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
I am going through some challenges that nobody else knows about
Nobody knows but He knows my sorrow
Only Jesus knows the full extent of my pain
Yes, nobody knows the trouble I've seen
It's true that nobody else fully understands what I'm going through
But glory, Hallelujah
Despite the struggles, I will still give praise and glory to God
Sometimes I'm standing crying
I often find myself breaking down in tears
Tears running down my face
My sadness is physically manifesting through tears
I cry to the Lord, have mercy
In my moments of pain, I turn to God in prayer for comfort
Help me run this all race
Guide and support me as I navigate through life's challenges
Oh Lord, I have so many trials
I feel like I am constantly facing difficult situations
So many pains and woes
There is a lot of emotional and physical suffering in my life
I'm asking for faith and comfort
I am seeking strength and solace in my faith
Lord, help me to carry this load, whoo
Please assist me in carrying the weight of my struggles
Well, no, nobody knows but Jesus
Only Jesus truly understands the depths of my anguish
No nobody knows, oh the trouble, the trouble I've seen
Again, there is a significant burden that nobody else can comprehend
I'm singing glory, glory glory Hallelujah
Despite all of this, I will continue to sing praises to God
Lord, no nobody knows my sorrow
Once more emphasizing that only God knows the true extent of my sadness
No nobody knows, you know the trouble
Reiterating that only God knows the full extent of my struggles
The trouble I've seen
The challenges and hardships I have faced in my life
I'm singing glory, glory, glory, Hallelujah!
Continuing to express my gratitude and devotion to God despite everything
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MAHALIA JACKSON ARRANGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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The best gospel singer ever