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.[
If We Ever Needed the Lord Before
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If we ever needed the Lord before
We sure do need Him now
Oh, we sure do need Him now
Oh, Lord, we sure do need Him now
(Oh, glory) If we ever needed the Lord before
We sure do need Him now
We need Him every day and every hour
[Repeat chorus]
We need Him in the morning
We need Him in the night
We need Him in the noonday
When the sun is shining bright
[Repeat chorus]
We need Him when we′re happy
We need Him when we're sad
We need Him when we′re burdened
Just to make our hearts feel glad
[Bridge:]
(O glory) We need Him, we need Him
We really, really, really need Him
In the morning, in the night
We need Him in the noonday
When the sun is shining (shining bright)
(Oh) We need Him, we need Him
We really need Him
When we're happy, when we're sad
We need Him when we′re burdened
Just to make our hearts fell... glad
(O glory/ You know that...)
[Repeat chorus]
We need Him every day and every hour
We need Him every day and every hour
(Minute by minute by minute)
We need Him every day and every hour
(Every day and, and every hour)
The lyrics to "If We Ever Needed the Lord Before" by Take 6 convey a strong message about the universal need for God's presence and guidance in our lives. The chorus emphasizes this need, stating that if there was ever a time when we needed the Lord, it is now. The repetition of this statement emphasizes the urgency and importance of relying on God in our daily lives.
The song expresses that we need God not just in specific moments or situations but every day and every hour. The verse highlights this by mentioning different times of the day when we need Him, such as in the morning, at night, and in the noonday when the sun is shining bright. This emphasizes the idea that our need for God's presence is constant, regardless of the circumstances.
The bridge reinforces the message of the song, stating that we really, really, really need Him. It emphasizes that God's presence is essential not only when we are happy or sad but also when we are burdened. The song suggests that relying on God can bring gladness to our hearts, providing comfort and peace in times of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
If we ever needed the Lord before
If there was ever a time when we needed the Lord
We sure do need Him now
We definitely need Him in this moment
Oh, we sure do need Him now
Oh, we truly need Him at this time
Oh, Lord, we sure do need Him now
Oh, Lord, we absolutely need Him in this moment
(Oh, glory) If we ever needed the Lord before
(Oh, glory) If there was ever a time when we needed the Lord
We sure do need Him now
We definitely need Him in this moment
We need Him every day and every hour
We require His presence constantly, without exception
We need Him in the morning
We require Him during the early hours
We need Him in the night
We require Him during the darkness of the night
We need Him in the noonday
We require Him in the middle of the day
When the sun is shining bright
Especially when everything seems positive and favorable
We need Him when we're happy
Even when we are experiencing joy
We need Him when we're sad
Even when we are feeling sorrowful
We need Him when we′re burdened
Even when we are weighed down by troubles
Just to make our hearts feel glad
To bring joy and contentment to our hearts
(O glory) We need Him, we need Him
(O glory) We require Him, we truly require Him
We really, really, really need Him
We truly, deeply, and urgently require Him
In the morning, in the night
During the early hours and the darkness of the night
We need Him in the noonday
We require Him in the middle of the day
When the sun is shining (shining bright)
Especially when everything seems positive and favorable
(Oh) We need Him, we need Him
(Oh) We require Him, we truly require Him
We really need Him
We truly require Him
When we're happy, when we're sad
Even when we are experiencing joy or sorrow
We need Him when we′re burdened
Even when we are weighed down by troubles
Just to make our hearts fell... glad
To bring joy and contentment to our hearts
(O glory/ You know that...)
(O glory/ You are aware that...)
We need Him every day and every hour
We require His presence constantly, without exception
We need Him every day and every hour
We require His presence constantly, without exception
(Minute by minute by minute)
(Continuously, with passing time)
We need Him every day and every hour
We require His presence constantly, without exception
(Every day and, and every hour)
(Each day and every hour)
Writer(s): Thomas A. Dorsey
Contributed by Arianna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@darylbenjaminem9
If we ever needed the Lord before
We sure do need Him now
Oh, we sure do need Him now
Oh, Lord, we sure do need Him now
(Oh, glory) If we ever needed the Lord before
We sure do need Him now
We need Him every day and every hour
We need Him in the morning
We need Him in the night
We need Him in the noonday
When the sun is shining bright
We need Him when we're happy
We need Him when we're sad
We need Him when we're burdened
Just to make our hearts feel glad
We need Him, we need Him
We really, really, really need Him
In the morning, in the night
We need Him in the noonday
When the sun is shining (shining bright)
(Oh) We need Him, we need Him
We really need Him
When we're happy, when we're sad
We need Him when we're burdened
Just to make our hearts fell... glad
We need Him every day and every hour
We need Him every day and every hour
(Minute by minute by minute)
We need Him every day and every hour
(Every day and, and every hour)
@drewmcgregor5585
My Mother passed away in 1990 and my sister boyfriend told me to listen to this cause i was so down and as god is my witness i listen to this song all the way from Newyork to Atlanta and when I got there i felt like a load had been lifted i felt better thank you take 6 Iam sorry it took so long to respond but Iam listening to you again tonight because i just lost someone dear to my heart that passed away.
@nicogreco6665
Take 6, the lord and all of us with love in our hearts were always here waiting…..🙏💖
I’m soo sorry for your loss…
I’ve lost too many friends growing up and this album always got me through the toughest times. I was lucky enough to be born into a musical family and heard this At around 7 or 8 yrs old. The fact that every single sound here comes from the human body ie: voices and finger snaps is something angelic in itself.
The lords rays are shining on us, act in light..🙏
@TjEdwardz
Omg I remember growing up hearing this! We need MORE MEN GROUPS LIKE THIS IN 2022
@leontynehudson1748
Yes 🙌🏾 you are RIGHT! We need more I can’t get enough of them!♥️
@billhaynes400
Unless you're not breathing, this song and album will put a smile on your face. What a gift from a loving God these folks are!
@prentissbelton4042
Aman
@erikbrown7678
These incredible men are my personal friends and I'm so honored to be able to enjoy their friendship and this incredible message of encouragement presented so perfectly.
@fwilliams5644
I love this song in 2023- we need him every second
@tiffanynairne9114
Take 6 is such an inspiration; this song, this album, this musical group, is serving God every time it's played. Preach it.
@leandrofilier8587
More then 30 years have passed and I still need to hear them singing. Greetings from Brazil