I Am Born to Preach the Gospel

"I Am Born to Preach the Gospel"
Single by Washington Phillips
B-side	"Train Your Child"
Format	10" 78rpm single
Recorded	December 4, 1928; Dallas, TX
Genre	Gospel blues
Length	3:03
Label	Columbia 14448-D
Producer(s)	Frank B. Walker [1]
Washington Phillips singles chronology
"Jesus Is My Friend" / "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today" "I Am Born to Preach the Gospel" / "Train Your Child" "A Mother's Last Word to Her Daughter" / "I've Got the Key to the Kingdom"

"I Am Born to Preach the Gospel" is a gospel song recorded in 1928 by Washington Phillips (1880–1954; vocals and zither) in gospel blues style.^[2] His recording is included in the soundtrack of the 2009 movie My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?.^[3]

In some other recordings, the song is titled "I Was Born to Sing the Gospel". The words "I Am" or "I Was" are sometimes omitted from those titles.

The song is likely to have been written by Phillips: it is concerned with a similar subject to his 1927 song Denomination Blues, and has lyrical resemblances to it, including the striking phrase "educated fool". The singer compares his own experience:^[4]

I am born to preach the Gospel,
And I sure do love my job.
...
I have never been to no college,
And I didn't get a chance in school,
But when Jesus Christ anointed me to preach the gospel,
He sure didn't leave me no fool.

with that of educated preachers; and with that of Nicodemus, who according to the Gospel of John at 3:1-21 was a ruler of the Jews who visited Jesus by night to learn from Him.

Recordings and performances

• 1928 – Washington Phillips,^[5][6][7][8] 78prm single Columbia 14448-D ^[9]
• 1988 – Marion Williams, "Born to Sing the Gospel" ^[10][11] on the album Born to Sing the Gospel ^[12]
• 1994 – Aretha Franklin, "I Was Born to Sing the Gospel" broadcast performance from the White House ^[13]
• 1995 – Michael Hakanson-Stacy, "Born to Preach the Gospel" ^[14] on the album Pearls & Stones ^[15]
• 2013 – Michael Roe, digital download ^[4]

References

1. Corcoran, Michael (December 29, 2002). "Exhuming the Legend of Washington Phillips". Austin Statesman. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
2. "Washington Phillips discography". wirz.de. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
3. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) at the Internet Movie Database
4. "I Am Born To Preach The Gospel (digital bonus track), from We All Gonna Face The Rising Sun by Michael Roe". Retrieved August 26, 2015.
5. George Washington Phillips: I Am Born to Preach the Gospel, Composed by George Washington Phillips at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
6. I Am Born to Preach the Gospel at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
7. A.C. Forehand / Blind Mamie Forehand / George Washington Phillips, I Am Born to Preach the Gospel at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
8. Blind Washington Phillips: I Am Born To Preach the Gospel at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
9. "COLUMBIA (USA) 14000D series Numerical Listing". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
10. Steve Bill / Eddie Brown / Jonathan DuBose, Jr. / Carlos Franzetti / Derek Jackson / James Perry / Marion Williams: Born to Sing the Gospel at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
11. Marion Williams: Born to Sing the Gospel at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
12. Marion Williams – Born To Sing The Gospel at Discogs
13. Bego, Mark (January 1, 1989). Aretha Franklin: The Queen Of Soul. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312028633. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
14. Michael Hakanson-Stacy: Born to Preach the Gospel, Composed by Traditional at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
15. Sleger, Dave. Michael Hakanson-Stacy: Pearls & Stones at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2015.