If I Don't Get There

Album: The Great Gospel Songs (1921)

Songfacts®:

  • Thomas A. Dorsey can rightly be said to be the father of gospel; his most famous song was "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," but the first song he wrote in the genre was "If I Don't Get There."

    According to Eileen Southern in the Second Edition of The Music Of Black Americans: A History, Dorsey was inspired to write the song after attending the National Baptists Convention in 1921 where he heard the Reverend A. W. Nix perform the hymn "I Do, Don't You."

    Dorsey himself wrote: "In 1921 at the National Baptist Convention in Chicago, I heard a Professor Nix and saw him raise that huge audience singing a religious song, 'I Do, Don't You.' I was converted in that meeting and said that is the type of music I would like to do."

    Up until then, Dorsey had been a "secular" musician, playing with jazz bands, demonstrating songs in record stores, arranging, and the like. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.