"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.
The Lord's Prayer
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
thy will be done
And earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day
our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom
And the power, and the glory
Forever, Amen
Mahalia Jackson's interpretation of The Lord's Prayer is a perfect example of her mastery of gospel music. The opening phrase, "Our Father who art in Heaven," is a reference to the start of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13. Jackson's soulful rendition of the prayer is an instant mood-lifter as she calls upon the relationship between God and His followers. The phrase "Hallowed be thy name" means to honor and revere the name of God. This phrase, paired with "thy kingdom come," expresses a desire for God to have ultimate sovereignty.
The line "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" is not about money, but rather humanity's sins. The last two lines about temptation and deliverance remind listeners that God is the ultimate protector against evil. The prayer ends with a powerful statement: "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." This line reaffirms that God is the most powerful entity, and it is a great way to wrap up the prayer. Jackson's rendition of this prayer touches souls and has stood the test of time for over six decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Our Father
Our Parent in Heaven, who loves and cares for us all
which art in Heaven
who resides in a perfect and holy place, above us all
Hallowed be thy name
May your name be praised and respected by all
Thy kingdom come
May your kingdom and reign come into our hearts and world
thy will be done
May your desires and plans for us be fulfilled
And earth as it is in Heaven
May our world reflect the peace and beauty of Heaven
Give us this day
Provide for us what we need for this day
our daily bread
our physical and spiritual nourishment
And forgive us our debts
Please forgive us for our wrongdoings and offenses
As we forgive our debtors
Help us to forgive those who have wronged us
And lead us not into temptation
Guide us away from temptation and sin
But deliver us from evil
Keep us safe from harm and evil influences
For Thine is the kingdom
Because you are the ruler over all things
And the power, and the glory
and possess all authority and honor
Forever, Amen
Now and always, may it be so
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Halbert Hay Malotte
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@colluslong5691
This is why she was named the world's greatest gospel singer.
@marioparty12345
Collus Long Amen . Every time I hear her sing . Heaven is on my mind 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
@penelope0427
I've listened to this video a hundred times, and I still get chills up and down my spine.
@penelope0427
Thanks for writing, Doc!
@patware8825
Only a very deep spiritual soul can deliver such soaring talent
@RevJoe88
I can say with FULL confidence that NOBODY can sing a song OR say a prayer like this. ABSOLUTE POWER! It's renditions like this that have made Mahalia Jackson my favorite Gospel singer of ALL time. The fact is she had an annointing that hasn't been seen since. No disrespect to the MANY other annointed and talented singers of the Gospel, but NONE of them can touch Mahalia. My humble opinion...
@neppah5
Joseph T. Howard OH MY LORD, THE VERY BEST GOSPEL SINGER IN THIS WORLD. HEAVEN SENT. THANK YOU JESUS!!
@neppah5
No one, I mean no one Could then, to this date, could, or can Sing like Mahalia Jackson NO ONE.
@mamajojoworld798
I agree. She is the best. She was so anointed. I listened to Whitney rendition and was disappointed. I came here and got what I was looking for. I always run to her songs.
@johnnyjensen6067
This woman gives me goosebumps when I listen to her sing. If she can't make you believe there is a God, know one could. Just wish I could have seen her live.