"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.
We Shall Overcome
Mahalia Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We shall overcome, one sweet day
We shall overcome one day
We shall overcome one day
We shall overcome the Lord one day, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
If in our heart we do believe
Lord, we shall overcome Lord someday, mmm
We shall all have peace one day
We shall all have peace one day
We shall all have peace Lord Lord one day
Yeah, yeah, yeah, if in our heart Lord we, we do believe
Oh, we should all have peace Lord one day (Lord some day), mmm
We shall all be free one day, Lord (we shall all be free one day)
We shall all be free one day, Lord (we shall all be free one day)
We shall all be free Lord, one day
Lord God, if in our heart yeah, oh, do believe, Lord
We shall be free Lord one day (we shall overcome)
These lyrics are from the well-known gospel song, "We Shall Overcome," sung by Mahalia Jackson. The song is an anthem of hope and determination that has been popularized as a symbol of the civil rights movement in the United States. The song's narrative describes the aspiration of achieving freedom, peace, and equality for all human beings.
The repetition of the phrase "we shall overcome" emphasizes the idea that, no matter how difficult life's struggles may be, it is possible to overcome them with determination, belief, and persistence. This sentiment is reinforced by the phrase "in our heart we do believe," which suggests that faith and perseverance will ultimately lead to the realization of one's goals. The song's lyrics convey the message that through unity and determination, individuals can overcome adversity and create a better world for themselves and others.
Line by Line Meaning
We shall overcome, yeah Lord I know
I am completely confident that one day we will triumph over our struggles
We shall overcome, one sweet day
One day in the future, we will overcome all of our challenges and obstacles
We shall overcome one day
There will come a time when we will conquer our adversities
We shall overcome the Lord one day, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We will ultimately triumph over our troubles with the help of the Lord
If in our heart we do believe
Our mindset plays a significant role in our ability to overcome. If we have faith in ourselves and our cause, we will ultimately win
Lord, we shall overcome Lord someday, mmm
We will eventually be victorious with the help of the Lord
We shall all have peace one day
One day, we will experience a world without violence or turmoil
We shall all have peace Lord Lord one day
Through faith and perseverance, we will eventually live in a world without conflict and strife, thanks to the Lord
Yeah, yeah, yeah, if in our heart Lord we, we do believe
If we maintain our faith in the Lord and in our cause, we will eventually achieve peace
Oh, we should all have peace Lord one day (Lord some day), mmm
We will one day inhabit a peaceful world thanks to our faith and commitment to our cause and with the help of the Lord
We shall all be free one day, Lord (we shall all be free one day)
One day we will experience true freedom from our oppressors
We shall all be free Lord, one day
With optimism and faith in our hearts, we will ultimately taste freedom from oppression
Lord God, if in our heart yeah, oh, do believe, Lord
If we have faith in the Lord and in ourselves, we will ultimately break free from our captors
We shall be free Lord one day (we shall overcome)
We will ultimately be victorious and free from oppression with the help of the Lord
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan, Pete Seeger, Zilphia Horton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martyn W
To walk away from a microphone like that, and still be heard so powerfully is beyond belief. How blessed those people in the audience were to be present at this performance.
Julia
Yes oh yes! I wasn't even born yet ( born in 1982) and if I was born and fully grown before she passed, I WOULD HAVE WENT TO SEE HER IN PERSON!!!! IN FACT I WOULD OF TRIED TO WENT TO EVERY LAST ONE OF Miss Mahalia Jackson performances!! I LOVE HER SO MUCH! RIP BEAUTIFUL SOUL.
colleen stevens
You are absolutely totally right. I was young when she was around. Did not know then but I sure do know now. When I am down, I play this. Brilliant she was. Elvis too with his gospel songs.
Avery Betts
love you. miss jackson mary betts pa.
Avery Betts
love you. miss jackson mary betts pa.
Brandon Michael Queen
Martyn W I know right!! Powerful voice used by God in such a crucial time!!
That Christian Teen
Unlike some gospel singers today, Mahalia actually believed in what she said! Mahalia didn't sing gospel for fame she sang for God. pray that God blesses you and keeps you.
AJ Douroux
At 3:13 proves to all people that Mahalia Jackson was and truly still is the Queen of Gospel of all time, because of her booming and anointed voice of God. She truly was about her father's business.
Brenda Gray
GREATEST WALK OFF EVER FROM A MIC AND STILL HER VOICE EHCO LIKE THAT. SHE'S THE G.O.A.T!!!!
The Bryan O'Quinn Show
"Such an anointed voice of all times indeed Mahalia Jackson " Google : Patti Labelle - Forever Young (Live)