She was born Marie Roach in Sanford, Florida but grew up in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a construction worker and the family were members of the Church of God in Christ. She first toured as a singer in 1939 with Frances Robinson, an evangelist. She married preacher Albert Knight in 1941; they were later divorced.
In 1946, she made her first recordings, for Signature Records, as a member of The Sunset Four.(aka.The Sunset Jubilee Singers) Shortly afterwards, Sister Rosetta Tharpe saw her singing at the Golden Gate Auditorium in Harlem, on a bill with Mahalia Jackson, and invited Knight to join her on tour. Tharpe recognized "something special" in Marie's contralto voice. Knight continued to record and perform with Tharpe through the 1940s, sometimes acting out the parts of "the Saint and the Sinner", with Tharpe as the saint and Knight as the sinner. Among their successes were the songs "Beams of Heaven", "Didn't it Rain", and "Up Above My Head", recorded for Decca Records. "Up Above My Head", credited jointly to both singers, reached No. 6 on the US R&B chart at the end of 1948, and Knight's solo version of "Gospel Train" reached No. 9 on the R&B chart in 1949.
She left Tharpe to go solo around 1951, and put together a backing group, The Millionaires (Thomasina Stewart, Eleonore King and Roberta Jones), with whom she recorded the 1956 album Songs of the Gospel. She also began recording secular R&B music in the late 1950s, for various labels including Decca, Mercury, Baton, Okeh, Diamond and Addit. Her duet with Rex Garvin, credited as Marie & Rex, "I Can't Sit Down" released on the Carlton label, reached No. 94 on the pop chart in 1959. In the late 1950s she also toured Britain as a guest of Humphrey Lyttelton. In 1961 she recorded the single "Come Tomorrow", which was later a hit for Manfred Mann. Knight's version of "Cry Me a River" reached No. 35 on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1965. She toured with Brook Benton, the Drifters, and Clyde McPhatter, and regularly reunited onstage with Rosetta Tharpe. She remained friends with Tharpe, and helped arrange her funeral in 1973. In 1975, having given up performing secular music, she recorded another gospel album, Marie Knight: Today.
In 2002, Knight made a comeback in the gospel world, recording for a tribute album to Tharpe. She also released a full-length album, Let Us Get Together, on her manager's label in 2007. She died in Harlem of complications from pneumonia, on August 30, 2009.
Marie Knight's vocal talents were recognized early on. When she was five years old, Marie—who was born in Sanford, Florida, but raised in Newark, New Jersey—sang the gospel number "Doing All the Good We Can" at her parents' church, where the congregants marveled at her poise. A member of the youth choir, she was soon elevated to soloist and taught herself to play piano. "I used to go to the church in the daytime and just hit one note at a time, to hear that sound," she recalled. "It was a joy to me, to put those notes together on the piano, just one key at a time."
That joy soon became a professional calling for Marie, who by her early twenties had gained experience touring the national gospel circuit with evangelist Frances Robinson; she even recorded a few early sides with the quartet The Sunset Four. In 1946, she met Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the nationally famous gospel singer-guitarist, who recognized something special in Marie's compelling contralto and her elegant stage presence. The two became gospel's preeminent duo of the 1940s, recording hits for Decca Records, including "Didn't It Rain," "Up Above My Head," and the gorgeous "Beams of Heaven." By the late 1940s, Marie and Rosetta had split to pursue separate musical projects—Marie to do solo gospel work on Decca.
The two women reunited frequently on stage during the 1950s, however. In addition to singing before thousands of gospel fans in Washington, DC in 1950, and touring with up-and-coming gospel vocalist Wynona Carr in 1954, Marie and Rosetta impressed the critics with their sophisticated performances at top New York City jazz clubs in 1955.
In the 1960s, Marie cultivated a rhythm-and-blues career, touring with the likes of Brooke Benton, the Drifters, and Clyde McPhatter. After a hiatus, she re-emerged in the mid-1970s to record gospel music; today, Marie Knight is a minister at Gates of Prayer Church in New York, founded by the late Dolly Lewis.
In January 2002, on a cold, bright Saturday morning, Marie entered a recording studio to pay tribute to her old singing partner, Rosetta Tharpe, doing a solo version of their old hit "Didn't It Rain." [Listen the fruits of that session on Shout, Sister, Shout! (MC-0050).] That session—and Marie's continuing vitality as a singer and performer—led to her present collaboration with producer Mark Carpentieri.
Her voice has changed since the earliest days of youth recitals in Newark, but Marie Knight's gift—the one recognized early on by her church—remains undiminished by time.
Let Us get Together is a delight from start to finish
San Diego Union Tribune
"she's an outstanding singer and the material is a perfect fit. The songs of Reverend Davis are as vibrant now as they were when he was alive.
Dick Waterman
Come Tomorrow
Marie Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I met the Devil, kept my soul
Walkin' out on lakes of fire and I'm gone
Walkin' in a wonderland
And I don't really understand
The place I'm comin' to right now today
[Chorus]
Come tomorrow, break it right down to the place you were before
Fifteen years on down the line
I guess you'd say I'm doin' fine
Wandering down that same old road again
Walkin' in a wonderland
But Alice doesn't understand
The place she's comin' to right now today
[Chorus]
On your knees, you'll be begging me please
As you feel the disease
You're going down again tonight
See me runnin', watch me fall
I guess you'd say I've finally found my own,
See me cryin' and wonder why
I guess you'd say its time to die today
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Marie Knight's song "Come Tomorrow" offer a unique and haunting perspective on the passage of time and the struggle to maintain one's soul in the face of life's many trials. The first verse describes the singer's encounter with the Devil at a young age, which appears to have left an enduring mark on their psyche. The line "kept my soul" suggests that the Devil has taken something valuable from them, perhaps a sense of innocence or purity, and left them with a feeling of disorientation and unease. The image of walking on "lakes of fire" reinforces the idea of a dangerous and tumultuous journey, and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
In the chorus, the singer seems to be addressing an unknown listener, assuring them that "tomorrow" will bring clarity and understanding. The phrase "break it right down to the place you were before" suggests a desire to return to a simpler, more innocent time, but also acknowledges that this may not be possible. The second verse continues the theme of wandering and uncertainty, but also adds a sense of resignation; the line "I guess you'd say I'm doin' fine" suggests that the singer has accepted their fate, whatever it may be. The reference to Alice in Wonderland reinforces the idea of a surreal and confusing experience, which the singer is struggling to navigate.
The final verse introduces a note of menace, with the line "on your knees, you'll be begging me please as you feel the disease." This suggests that the Devil is still a presence in the singer's life, and that their struggle to maintain their soul is ongoing. The line "see me crying and wonder why I guess you'd say it's time to die today" reinforces the sense of inevitability and fatalism that runs through the song. Overall, Marie Knight's lyrics offer a powerful and evocative meditation on the human condition, and the many challenges we face as we navigate the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
About the time I'm eight years old
At the age of eight, I encountered the Devil and gave up my soul.
I met the Devil, kept my soul
I made a deal with the Devil and agreed to keep my soul in exchange for something.
Walkin' out on lakes of fire and I'm gone
I am reckless and willing to take risks, even if it means putting myself in harm's way.
Walkin' in a wonderland
I am experiencing life in a strange and unusual way.
And I don't really understand
I am confused and uncertain about where I am headed in life.
The place I'm comin' to right now today
I am unsure of where my current path in life will lead me.
Come tomorrow, you could see the light
There is hope for a brighter future, even if things seem bleak right now.
Come tomorrow, break it right down to the place you were before
Tomorrow is a chance to start fresh and leave behind past mistakes and regrets.
Fifteen years on down the line
After fifteen years have passed.
I guess you'd say I'm doin' fine
I am doing well in life, relatively speaking.
Wandering down that same old road again
I am once again traveling down a well-worn path.
But Alice doesn't understand
Just like Alice in Wonderland, I am lost and confused in this strange world.
On your knees, you'll be begging me please
Others will eventually be at my mercy and begging for my help.
As you feel the disease
As others suffer and feel the effects of their actions.
You're going down again tonight
Others will face the consequences of their actions once again.
See me runnin', watch me fall
I am still making mistakes and experiencing setbacks despite my best efforts.
I guess you'd say I've finally found my own,
I have finally found my place in the world, despite my previous struggles.
See me cryin' and wonder why
I am questioning why I am still experiencing pain and difficulties in life.
I guess you'd say its time to die today
Perhaps it is time for me to let go and move on from this life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donaldmorrow3096
My mother introduced me to this powerhouse underground soul record as a child. Just as much as Etta James did back then, it was this record that taught me early how soul music was supposed to be sung. Much later, I heard her on an old 78 perform toe-to-toe with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sister Rosetta Tharpe on their Gospel classic, "Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air," (her biggest R&B hit) and found out quickly just how real Ms. Knight actually was. Thanks for preserving this one for us.
@trfesok
In my Manfred Mann playlist with their version. Thanks for the upload!
@johnrichardson-dawes3537
I love Paul Jones's rendition of this - but Marie Knight just - wow - knocks me out.
@Topper954
THE ORGINAL AND BEST VERSION.DID MANFRED MANN EVER HAVE AN ORGINAL HIT? EVERY HIT THEY RECORDED WAS A COVER VERSION.
@guymowbray3713
5-4-3-2-1
@paulmichaelblackaby1774
excellant version like itxx
@belisarioguerra1279
Original: Marie Knight ( U.S. ) - Come tomorrow ( Bob Elgin - Frank Augustus - Dolores Phillips ) ( 1961 ). Covers: Manfred Mann ( U.K. ) - Come tomorrow ( 8/2/1965 ). Nathalie ( France ) - J'ai tout compris mais trop tard ( 1965 ).
@danielmkubacki
Nice!
@alain59200
love it dj james thank
@TheFunkyKingston
Osaka rocks!!!