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.[
He Never Sleeps
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He never slumbers
He watches me both night and day
(Day and night/night and day)
He never sleeps,
He never slumbers
The reason I know - He told me so
I don't have to worry, He'll always be there
I know that He's watching wherever I go
I know that He's watching, He told me so
He never sleeps,
He never slumbers
He watches me both night and day
(Day and night / night and day)
He never sleeps,
He never slumbers
The reason I know - He told me so
The song "He Never Sleeps" by Take 6 is a gospel song that speaks about the ever-watching eyes of God. The first two lines of the chorus assert paradoxical claims about God. "He never sleeps, He never slumbers" attests that God is always awake and alert to our needs. This phrase is adapted from Psalm 121:4 which speaks about "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." The next two lines of the chorus emphasize the continual nature of God's watching over us. The singer acknowledges that God is present both in the day and the night.
The following verse describes how knowing that God is always present brings comfort and the assurance of safety. The lyrics suggest that the singer has absolute trust in God's promises for his/her soul. The singer affirms that he/she doesn't need to worry because God has everything in control; that God will always have his/her back. The lyrics also suggest that the singer believes that God's vigilant eyes are omnipresent, following him/her wherever he/she goes. The chorus is repeated again, reaffirming that God never sleeps or slumbers, and that we can count on Him in every situation.
Overall, "He Never Sleeps" is a song that provides comfort and a powerful reminder of God's presence and faithful watch over our lives. It encourages listeners to trust in the power of God and his ability to carry them through even the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
He never sleeps,
God is always alert and vigilant
He never slumbers
God never rests or takes a break from his duties
He watches me both night and day
God is constantly observing and looking after me
(Day and night/night and day)
At all times, without exception
The reason I know - He told me so
I have faith and trust in God because he has directly communicated with me
I don't have to worry, my soul's in His care
Because my soul belongs to God, there is no need for me to be anxious or afraid
He'll always be there
God will never abandon or forsake me
I know that He's watching wherever I go
I have confidence that God is constantly keeping an eye on me, no matter where I am or what I'm doing
He told me so
God has explicitly and directly assured me of his love and care
Contributed by Addison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pedroallan4803
He never sleeps
He never slumbers
He watches me both night and day
(Day and night, night and day)
He never sleeps
He never slumbers
The reason I know, He told me so
I don´t to worry, my soul´s in His care
I don´t have to worry, He´ll always be there
I know that He´s watching wherever I go
I know that He´s watching, He told me so
He never sleeps
He never slumbers
He watches me both night and day
(Day and night, night and day)
He never sleeps
He never slumbers
The reason I know, He told me so
@raspberry_jubilee3342
EASILY one of my favorite Take 6 songs EVER. And 2:45 bruh, beauty beyond measure. Take 6 = the gold standard of a capella groups. Period.
@Sugarpoo47
God Almighty!! Thank you for NEVER SLEEPING! I played this song, late the other night. Had not heard it in many years. The Lord put on my heart to look it up. The anointing was still on this song. I cried like a baby. It renewed my faith, that God, Jesus and The Holy Ghost is Always with me and that He NEVER SLEEPS NOR SLUMBERS! !🙏🏾✝️💞💯
@kingbplayer3666
2:42 gives me chills everytime, it’s so complex
@4naymsakeRW
Take 6 literally makes me tear up when they sing...Wonderful!
@rodneybrown5196
One of the best albums ever put together hand down!! Heavenly Voices***
@sharonm.jenkins9880
This is such a calming song, reminding me that God is with me at all times -- Especially during this COVID-19!
@lamiaallen7830
Yesss Indeed Dear Sista I Wholeheartedly Agree🙏🏾💖💐🌸🌹
@mattyicemadebeats6320
Amen
@txpipes61
Amen. What a great way to relax listening to this album and just letting all the stresses of the day evaporate.
@tiffanybrown4628
Amen🙏🏾
Thank you Jesus😇