The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations. They won Grammy Awards in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2003 and have collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller and Gordon Goodwin.
In 1980, Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estate Quartet, at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, a Seventh-Day Adventist College, where he was a freshman. He auditioned fellow students for the hobby group. The Gentlemen were rehearsing in a campus bathroom (later said to be in Peterson Hall), getting ready for a performance, when Mark Kibble walked by and heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part, and ended up singing with them onstage that very night.[1] Mark later invited Mervyn Warren to join the group. The group performed under the moniker "Alliance".
The group performed in local churches and on campus over the next years, with members changing due to college's inevitable comings and goings. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left upon graduating. At that time, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
The group was signed to Warner Brothers in 1987, and quickly changed its name to "Take 6" after a name search revealed that "Alliance" was already being used. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1988, won them two Grammy Awards and resulted in top ten appearances on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Take 6's swinging, harmony-rich gospel sound attracted a flurry of attention, and the group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.
In 1991, after the release of their second album, So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a producer. Joey Kibble, Mark's younger brother, was invited to round out the vocal lineup. The group added instrumentation to their purely a cappella sound beginning with the record He Is Christmas; Join The Band and Brothers continued their streak of success, and Take 6 amassed a total of seven Grammys and eight Dove awards, as well as topping the Downbeat Magazine's Reader's and Critic's poll for seven years' consecutively.
Take 6's 1998 release, So Cool, brought the group back to its a cappella origins.
In 2006 the group launched Take 6 Records and the 2006 release Feels Good was released on that label.
The group currently lists Nashville, Tennessee as its home.[2] All members grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.[
Get Away Jordan
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus:]
Get away, Jordan (I want you to get away). Get away, Jordan
Get away, (get away) Jordan. I wanna cross over to see my Lord (Get away)
[Repeat]
You know that I looked over Jordan and what did I see? (bop)
I saw a band of angels comin' after me (bop)
(I wanna cros over to see my Lord, get away)
[Chorus]
You know that I went to the river, didn't go for to stay (bop)
(I wanna cros over to see my Lord)
You know my soul got happy – stayed all day (bop)
(I wanna cros over to see my Lord, get away)
Get away, Jordan (get away)
Get away, oh, chilly Jordan, get away
(Get away, Jordan) Get away, Jordan
I wanna cross over (I wanna cros over)
To see my Lord (to see my Lord) get away
[Bridge:]
Get back, Jordan (hey, hey, hey, get away)
Get away, oh, chilly Jordan, get away. Get back, Jordan, oh
I want to cross over to see my Lord (yes)
If religion were a thing that your money could buy (bop, bop)
(I wanna cross over to see my Lord)
You know that the rich would live, and the poor would just... drop!
(I wanna cross over to see my Lord, get away)
[Bridge]
... I wanna cross the Jordan just to see Him face to face
'Cause I believe He'll part the waters if I have a little faith, so get
Get back, Jordan (gotta get across)
Get back, 'cause I wanna see my Jesus
No temptation is gonna keep me from seein' Him on the other side
So I'm prayin', help me, Lord, and (gotta get across)
Split this Jordan/Ooh, get back, Jordan, oh
I want to cross over to see my Lord
Yes, I wanna cross over to see my Saviour face to face
(I wanna see Jesus) Yes, I gotta get to the other side
(To see my Lord) Get back (get away back) Jordan!
The song “Get Away Jordan” by Take 6 is a gospel classic that talks about crossing over from this life to the afterlife. The first verse notes that the singer looked over Jordan and saw a band of angels coming after him, indicating that he is being pursued by death. The chorus calls on Jordan, which plays the role of this life, to get away so that the singer can cross over to see his Lord. The second verse talks about the singer going to the river, which symbolizes the river of death, and how his soul got happy when he realized that he would be crossing over.
The bridge section of the song warns Jordan to get back and get away, indicating that this life is not as important as the afterlife, where the singer hopes to see his Lord. The final verse calls on God to help the singer cross this Jordan, which is presented as a challenge that needs faith and divine intervention to cross. The lyrics of the song are simple but profound, as they reveal the singer’s strong faith that he will overcome this world’s challenges and cross over to the other side, where he will see his savior face to face.
Line by Line Meaning
Get away, Jordan
The singer is commanding Jordan to remain away
I wanna cross over to see my Lord
The singer wants to cross Jordan to see Lord
You know that I looked over Jordan and what did I see? (bop)
I saw Jordan from afar
I saw a band of angels comin' after me (bop)
The artist saw a group of angels coming to meet him or lead him
You know that I went to the river, didn't go for to stay (bop)
I went to the river for a purpose
You know my soul got happy – stayed all day (bop)
My soul was elated and I remained there for the entire day
Get away, Jordan
The singer is commanding Jordan to remain away
If religion were a thing that your money could buy (bop, bop)
If religion was a commodity that could be purchased
You know that the rich would live, and the poor would just... drop!
The wealthy would access religious benefits while the poor will be left behind
I want to cross over to see my Lord (yes)
The artist wants to cross Jordan to see Lord
Get back, Jordan
The singer is commanding Jordan to move back
'Cause I believe He'll part the waters if I have a little faith, so get
The artist believes the waters will move if they have faith
No temptation is gonna keep me from seein' Him on the other side
No obstacle will prevent the singer from seeing Lord on the other side
So I'm prayin', help me, Lord, and (gotta get across)
The singer is praying for help to get across Jordan
I want to cross over to see my Lord
The singer wants to cross Jordan to see Lord
Contributed by Eva G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
LaChele
I haven't heard any group harmonize like this. So polished and pitch perfect, even off record. Merv was gettin' those high notes near the end.
Hollis B. Fleming, II
LaChele Actually that’s Claude who has the highest range, and Mark Marv and Dave, definitely can hold their own, but Claude takes it to a whole ‘nother level
Chronic
They also used an organ to get some of those hi notes.
Hollis B. Fleming, II
Chronic Not when they are singing a cappella....
Michael Meaux
@Chronic Not sure where you heard that but that is not true
k k
It was Claude on the album , merv did sing the high notes in some of their performances and So has Dave
Christine Williams
I haven't listened to TAKE 6 in years! I had the cassette tape of this album. It soothes my soul to hear them right here and right now. ❤❤❤
Miss Kitty Nicole *
Listening now...🙌🏽🔊🎹🎼🎤🎼🎹❣
Buck McAntlerson
One of the best albums ever. Beyond flawless vocals.
Yvette Bailey
TVATodd I agree. Flawless