"Precious Lord, take my hand": Mahalia Jackson
I don't know about you, but I truly believe that Gospel Music is timeless, is classic, and it is ours. I don't care what religion you are apart of today, if you grew up Black, you always had a grandmother, mother, or someone whom is elderly that prayed for you when you did not realize it. When things were not going correctly, there was always this humming of those songs that you could not explain, but you can feel. Gospel is that; it is words you can’t really explain, but you can feel. Even when they have lyrics, those lyrics are deeper than surface level.
Gospel was sung during slavery, it was sung during the Civil Rights movement, and it is still here.
Within 45 seconds, Jackson is able to say these deep cutting words, “Precious Lord/ take my hand/ Lead me on/Let me stand/ I am tired/ I am weak/ I am worn”. Within 45 seconds, I am already moved to a space where Mahalia and I are connected to each other; she understands me and I understand her. We, in fact, are Black.
Jackson is able to tell you what Black people are feeling: worn, tired, and that we need something to hold on to in order to continue the fight. I feel it in my soul because ,honestly, I am tired, I am worn, and I do need something to hold on to before I let go sometimes. I think that many Black folks, especially if you are at the bottom of the barrel, can feel these words cut deeper than ever.
Not only that, but being tired and scared to crying, and then to relief after the song ends is an important process we must acknowledge. The cleansing is important. Blues was able to do this exact same thing: cleanse you and make you joyous again. Blues artists, such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, inspired Jackson. I find this very important to note because it conveys that our different genres of music ,indeed, do correlate.
“Gospel music is nothing but singing of good tidings—spreading the good news. It will last as long as any music because it is sung straight from the human heart.”-Mahalia Jackson.
