Edwin Reuben Hawkins (August 19, 1943 – January 15, 2018) was an American g… Read Full Bio ↴Edwin Reuben Hawkins (August 19, 1943 – January 15, 2018) was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (as leader of the Edwin Hawkins Singers) was probably best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" (1968–69), which was included on the Songs of the Century list. The Edwin Hawkins Singers made a second foray into the charts exactly one year later, backing folk singer Melanie on "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)".

At the age of seven Hawkins was already the keyboardist to accompany the family's gospel choir. Together with Betty Watson, he was the co-founder of the Northern California State Youth Choir of the Church of God in Christ, which included almost fifty members. This ensemble recorded its first album Let Us Go into the House of the Lord at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California privately (on the Century 70 custom label), hoping to sell 500 copies. "Oh Happy Day" was just one of the eight songs on the album. (The soloists in the album were Elaine Kelly, Margarette Branch, Dorothy Combs Morrison, Tramaine Davis (Hawkins), Reuben Franklin, Donald Cashmere, Betty Watson, and Ruth Lyons.)

When radio stations of the San Francisco Bay area started playing "Oh Happy Day", it became very popular. Featuring the lead vocal of Dorothy Combs Morrison, the subsequently released single (on the newly created Pavilion label distributed by Buddah) rocketed to sales of over a million copies within two months. It crossed over to the pop charts making U.S. No. 4, UK No. 2, No. 2 on the Irish Singles Chart, and No. 1 on the German Singles Charts in 1969. It then became an international success, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide, and Hawkins was awarded his first Grammy for it. Hawkins' arrangement of the song was eventually covered by The Four Seasons on their 1970 album Half & Half.

Their second Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts was the 1970 Melanie single "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," on which the label listed the performers as Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers. The song peaked at No. 6 in the U.S. In the 1992 movie Leap of Faith, Hawkins is the choir master for the gospel songs.

Hawkins died on January 15, 2018, at the age of 74.

Jesus Lover Of My Soul
The Edwin Hawkins Singers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jesus lover of my soul
Let me to Thy bosom fly
While the nearer waters roll
While the tempest still is high

Jesus lover of my soul
Let me to Thy bosom fly
While the nearer waters roll

While the tempest still is high

My Savior hide, Savior hide
Till the storm of life pass
Safe into the heaven's guide
And receive my soul at last
And receive my soul at last

My Savior hide, Savior hide
Till the storm of life pass
Safe into the heaven's guide
And receive my soul at last
And receive my soul at last

Plenteous grace with Thee is found
Grace to cover all my sins
Let the healing streams abound
Make and keep me pure within

Plenteous grace with Thee is found
Grace to cover all my sins
Let the healing streams abound
Make and keep me pure within

I say, your heart in your heart
Till the storm of happiness

Send it to the heaven's god

And receive my soul at last
And receive my soul at last

My Savior hide, Savior hide
Till the storm of life pass
Safe into the heaven's guide
And receive my soul at last
And receive my soul at last

(Jesus is the lover of my soul)

(He's the lover of my soul)

(He's the lover of my soul)
(He's the lover of my soul)

(He's the lover of my soul)
(He's the lover of my soul)
(He's the lover of my soul)
(He's the lover of my soul)
(Jesus, is the lover of my soul)

Jesus, is the lover of my soul, Jesus, is the lover of my soul
(Jesus, is the lover of my soul)

Overall Meaning

The Edwin Hawkins Singers' song "Jesus Lover of My Soul" is a powerful hymn that expresses the singer’s deep longing for the comfort and protection of Jesus in times of trouble and uncertainty. The repetition of the opening lines, "Jesus lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high," creates a sense of urgency and desperation as the singer seeks refuge in the arms of Jesus during a tumultuous time. The metaphor of being sheltered in Jesus' bosom and hidden from the storm of life provides a profound sense of safety and security.

The second verse speaks directly to the idea of sin and the need for redemption. The singer acknowledges that plenteous grace can be found in Jesus, creating a space for forgiveness of all sins. The idea of "healing streams" adds to the theme of redemption, suggesting a restoration of the self. This healing is also internal, as the singer asks Jesus to "make and keep me pure within."

Overall, the song emphasizes the dual nature of Jesus' love as both comforting and redemptive, which makes it a powerful representation of the Christian faith.

Line by Line Meaning

Jesus lover of my soul
Acknowledging that Jesus is the one who loves my soul

Let me to Thy bosom fly
Asking Jesus to take me into His arms

While the nearer waters roll
While the challenges of life keep coming closer

While the tempest still is high
While the storms of life keep raging

My Savior hide, Savior hide
Asking Jesus to shield and protect me

Till the storm of life pass
Until the difficult times in my life are over

Safe into the heaven's guide
Being led safely to heaven by Jesus

And receive my soul at last
Finally being accepted by Jesus into heaven

Plenteous grace with Thee is found
Knowing that Jesus has abundant grace to forgive all of my sins

Grace to cover all my sins
Jesus' grace is enough to forgive all of my wrongdoings

Let the healing streams abound
Asking for Jesus' healing power to flood my life