Following a tribute to Aretha Franklin's passing, who could possibly follow that? Very few, but perhaps one of her inspirations, the great gospel singer, with three songs that show her extraordinary power and range. Born in New Orleans, the great singer (1911-1972), like Aretha, learned her craft in the gospel church, but was also a civil rights icon, and became one of the most powerful and influential voices in America. Martin Luther King Jr. said of her :"A voice like this one comes not once in a century, but once in a millennium." So linking to Aretha's Say A Little Prayer, let's hear Mahalia singing No Matter How You Pray from the original Apollo recordings 1962-65, displaying a deep contralto that can suddenly soar very high. Lord, Don't Move The Mountain was co-written with her friend, the prolific gospel composer Doris Akers, in 1958, and to say this this performance emotionally charged would be putting it mildly. The elements, mountains and other imagery feature heavily in many gospel songs. And finally, Mahalia shows a more upbeat, bluesy sound, with her version of the traditional civil rights number, which has a variety of lyrical versions, political and religious.
Lord, don't move the mountain
Give me the strength to climb
Lord, don't move my stumbling blocks
But lead me all around
Lord, don't move the mountain
Give me the strength to climb
Lord, don't move my stumbling blocks
But lead me all around
Our cares we bring unto you
You told us, Lord, that we could
You promised to help those who help themself
And I believe that you'll have mercy, Lord
Lord don't you move the mountain
Just give me strength to climb
Lord don't move my stumbling block
But lead me around
The way may not be easy
You didn't say, Lord, that it would be
For when our tribulations get too light
We tend to stray from Thee
Have mercy
Please don't move the mountain
Just give me strength to climb
Lord don't move my stumbling block
But lead your child all around
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