Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospe… Read Full Bio ↴Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. She was described by entertainer Harry Belafonte as "the single most powerful black woman in the United States". She recorded about 30 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds"—million-sellers.
"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.

O Come
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics

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O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Sing, choirs of Angels
Sing in exultation
O sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above
Glory to God
Glory in the highest

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Overall Meaning

Mahalia Jackson's "O Come All Ye Faithful" is a hymn inviting believers to come to Bethlehem and see the King of Angels who was born. The first verse invites all the faithful to come to Bethlehem, full of joy and happiness, to witness the momentous occasion of Jesus Christ's birth. The second verse calls on the angels of heaven to sing with exultation, joining the citizens of heaven to sing praise to God, giving glory to Him on high.

The third verse greets baby Jesus on the morning of his birth, with all glory given to him. It calls Jesus the Word of the Father, now appearing in the flesh. The call to worship Jesus is repeated throughout the song, stating that we must come and adore him. The song speaks to the notion of the Christian faith that Christmas is a time of rejoicing and celebration of the miraculous birth of the Son of God.

Overall, the hymn celebrates the birth of Jesus and calls for all believers to come and adore him. It is a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, that is, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our savior.

Line by Line Meaning

O come all ye faithful
Come, all you who have faith and believe in the Lord

Joyful and triumphant
Come with joy and confidence knowing that the Lord has come

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem
Come to Bethlehem where the Lord was born

Come and behold Him
Come and see the Lord with your own eyes

Born the King of Angels
He is the King of Angels who has been born

O come, let us adore Him
Let us worship and give honor to the Lord

Sing, choirs of Angels
Angels, sing with joy

Sing in exultation
Sing with great happiness and rejoicing

O sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above
All the citizens of Heaven above, sing with joy

Glory to God
We give glory and honor to God

Glory in the highest
We give glory to God in the highest place