Get Happy (gospel music)

Get Happy is a term used in the African American Gospel Music tradition, that refers to the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit during a Church service, usually involving ecstatic singing, or during prayer, or spontaneously.

Accounts of nineteenth century African American slave spirituality use the term, as recorded in the book "God Struck Me Dead: Voices of Ex-Slaves".

:"All of my people were great Christians. Shouting, singing, praying, and good old heartfelt religion make up the things that filled their lives. [...] Aunt Charlotte used to cry most all the time when she got happy." —an ex-slave preacher, in "God Struck Me Dead", page 75.

One of the early nineteenth century traditional 'Negro Spirituals' to use the phrase, is the following:

:GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY

:Good morning everybody:Good morning everybody, Lord:My soul got happy this morning:My soul got happy this morning, Lord

:You may call me “hypocrite member”:You may call me “hypocrite member”, Lord:But my soul got happy, this morning:But my soul got happy this morning, Lord

:I’m going to see my mother:I’m going to see my mother, Lord:Going to sit down by my Jesus:Going to sit down by my Jesus, Lord.

( [http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/good_morning_everybody.htm] )

Further info

For other examples of such gospel music see the following:

:"Say Amen Somebody" featuring Thomas A. Dorsey on DVD video:"Greatest Gospel Hits" by Shirley Caesar

References

"God Struck Me Dead: Voices of Ex-Slaves" by Clifton H. Johnson ISBN 0-8298-0945-7

Other uses

*The Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler song "Get Happy" drew on this tradition.
*"Get Happy!!" is the title of an album by the musician Elvis Costello, possibly inspired by the Gospel music use of the term, but not containing any Gospel music per se.

External links

* [http://www.toonzone.net/early-years/titles/merrie1.rm/"Merrie Melodies" version of "Get Happy", circa 1931-33, performed by Abe Lyman's Brunswick Recording Orchestra.]