Examples Of The Gospel Song "I'm Gonna Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance" (with lyrics & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the Gospel song "I'm Gonna Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance" (also known as "I'm Going To Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance.")

As as a result of Shirley Caesar's widely known remix of this song, "I'm Going To Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance" is widely (but erroneously) known as "Shouting John"/"Hold My Mule".

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of "I'm Gonna Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance" and thanks also to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube videos.

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LYRICS -"I'M GONNA PRAISE THE LORD WHILE I HAVE A CHANCE"
(composer ?; lyrics as sung by Shirley Caesar, and given without any introductory remarks/sermon)

Chorus
Lead - I'm gonna praise the Lord while I have a chance
Group -I'm gonna praise the Lord while I have a chance
All -Praise Him in the morning,
Praise Him all day long,
I feel like praising, praising Him.

Verse
Lead -Come on help me praise Him while you have a chance
Group -Come on help me praise Him while you have a chance
All -Praise Him in the morning,
Praise Him all day long,
I feel like praising, praising Him.

Verse
Lead -If you don’t want to shout, don’t bother me
Group - If you don’t want to shout don’t bother me
Lead -If you don’t want to shout don’t bother me
Group -If you don’t want to shout don’t bother me

All - Praise Him in the morning,
Praise Him all day long,
I feel like praising, praising Him.

If you don't wanna praise him, don't bother me
[same pattern as the verse given above]
-snip-
* This is my transcription of a Shirley Caesar & choir version of this song that is featured in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/11/shirley-caesar-shouting-john-hold-my.html

Note that this is not the same rendition of "I'm Going To Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance" that has been popularized by the November 2016 "U Name It Challenge". That video is given as Example # 1 below.

This internet page http://www.thelyricarchive.com/song/1005551-133923/While-I-Have-a-Chance provides a version of this song and credits African American Gospel composer, vocalist, and choir director James Bignon as its composer. However, the book that James Bignon authored* that contains a list of his compositions doesn't include "Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance".

*Google Books (Table of Content) for Timeless Gospel Music Collection : Songs written and arranged by James Bignon

If you have any information about who composed this song and when it was composed, please add that information to the comment section below.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Orignal Shirley Caesar You Name it CHALLENGE SUB2 
beans greens potatoes tomatoes

Big Bobby the Boss, Nov 16, 2016

-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-black-gospel-source-of-u-name-it.html for a pancocojams post about that dance challenge.

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Example #2: Aunt Cheryl singing Im going to praise the Lord while I have a chance



Ministry, Working the Word Uploaded on May 27, 2011

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Example #3: The Orr Sisters.. I'm Gonna Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance



KESHIA_ MADDOX, Published on Dec 8, 2012
@ St James P.B Church
Video by Keshia Maddox.
Huntville, Ala

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Example #4: I'm Going To Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance Evangelist Chapel AME Church



Evangelistchapel, Published on Dec 31, 2012

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