- Get Happy (gospel music)
Get Happy is a term used in the
African American Gospel Music tradition, that refers to the experience of receiving theHoly Spirit during a Church service, usually involving ecstatic singing, or duringprayer , 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" byShirley Caesar References
"God Struck Me Dead: Voices of Ex-Slaves" by
Clifton H. Johnson ISBN 0-8298-0945-7Other uses
*The
Harold Arlen andTed Koehler song "Get Happy" drew on this tradition.
*"Get Happy!!" is the title of an album by the musicianElvis 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.]
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