Four Examples Of The Gospel Song "If You're Happy (And You Know It, Say Amen)"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases four YouTube examples of the Gospel song "If You're Happy". This song is also known as "If You're Happy & You Know It Say Amen".

My editor's notes about this song are also included in this post along with selected comments from the discussion threads for the video given as Example #2 below.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of this song.* Thanks also to all those who are featured in these musical selections and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
A commenter in the discussion thread for the example given as Example #1 wrote "Thank you Bishop Baltimore for writing a great song". Is "Bishop Baltimore" the name of the composer of this song? If you have any information about this composer and the year this song was composed, please share it in the comment section below. Thanks.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
"If You're Happy" (And You Know It Say Amen) is a Gospel version of the well known (in the United States) children's song "If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands". Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You%27re_Happy_and_You_Know_It for information about that song.

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In the children's song "If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands", the word "happy" means "glad"; "cheerful", "joyous" etc. Those words may also be one of the meanings for the word "happy" in the Gospel song "If You're Happy (And You Know It Say Amen)". However, I believe that the main meaning of "happy" in that Gospel song is the definition of the African American Vernacular English phrase "getting happy"- "feeling the Holy Spirit". The line in that song "If the spirit falls on you makes you shout hallelujah" points back to the African American vernacular religious meaning of "getting happy". When people feel the Holy Spirit, they "shout Hallelujah" and/or "shout Amen",. They may also raise their hands in praise of God, or "speak in tongues" or "do the holy dance".

I've learned that the Gospel version of "If You're Happy" is an "old song" that dates from at least the 1980s. (Read the comment given below as #11). However, the first time that I heard the Gospel version of the children's song "If You're Happy And You Know It" was when I was on vacation near my hometown of Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 14, 2018. "If You're Happy" was sung by the choir at St. Paul AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church in Pleasantville, New Jersey. My brother Dr. Robert E. B. Manning is the Minister of Music at that church.

St. Paul AME is a singing and a preaching church. In addition to the sermon given by another female minister of that church, I was delighted to see the choir perform a similar type of offering procession that I've featured in earlier pancocojams posts*. Members of the choir sung an uptempo song (whose name I've forgotten) while they exited their seats that are located behind the minsters' chairs on the pulpit. The choir members marched in two single lines down the right or the left side aisles of the church. They met in the back of the church and then marched in twos down the center aisle of the church to the offering baskets held by church officials. The choir then continued marching in single file lines to the front of the two side aisles. Facing forward, they marched backwards a bit before the two lines marched back up to the choir stands.

*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/06/bethel-apostolic-church-jamaica-hold-on.html Bethel Apostolic Church, Jamaica - "Hold On Out" (Church Processional Videos & Song Lyrics) for one pancocojams post that features choir processionals during a church offering.

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LYRICS: IF YOU'RE HAPPY (& You Know It, Say Amen)

If you’re happy and you know it
Say amen, say amen
If you’re happy and you know it
Say amen, say amen

If the spirit falls on you makes you shout hallelujah
If you’re happy and you know it
Say amen, amen

If you’re happy and you know it
Say amen, say amen
If you’re happy and you know it
Say amen, say amen

If the spirit falls on you makes you shout hallelujah
If you’re happy and you know it, say amen, amen

Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ

Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ

Happy in Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Happy in Jesus Christ

If the spirit falls on you makes you shout hallelujah
If you’re happy and you know it, say amen, amen

Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ
Happy, happy in Jesus Christ

Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus Christ

Happy in Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Happy in Jesus Christ
Happy in Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Happy in Jesus Christ

If the Spirit falls on you makes you shout hallelujah
If you’re happy
If you’re happy
If you’re happy
If you’re happy
And you know it
Say amen, amen

Source: http://www.phmbc.org/uploads/If_Youre_Happy.txt

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: JEFF JACOBS 'IF YOU'RE HAPPY"




Byron Brown, Published on Apr 16, 2011

FROM DJ LORDBYRON'S LIBRARY

Artist: Jeff Jacobs & The International Praise Gospel Music Workshop Choir
-snip-
Example #4 in this post is a 2015 version of this song by Dr. Jeff Jacobs.

Here's a comment from this sound file's discussion thread:
Lee Nick, 2017
"Thank you for posting this song. I went on iTunes to find it and it's under Dr. Jeff Jacobs - Original. I brought it thinking it was this one. Well....( smile ) it's not! They leave out the " happy.....happy in Jesus ( where the sopranos, alto, and bass did their part in unison) Now that's the part I was waiting to hear! I can hear it right here !
Thank you again!"

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Example #2: "If You're Happy" Whitehaven District Choir



chj333, Published on May 8, 2013

The Whitehaven District Reunion Choir sing "If You're Happy" at their 2011 reunion concert in Memphis, TN.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
Brandon Belcher, 2015
1. "Somebody said that's church there ... Sang yall !"

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2. Pam Conrad, 2015
"Love it....director is awesome"

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3. Sirrah Myles, 2015
"Why do choir directors feel the need to put on a show? Direct, and stop waving to the audience. This is not about you! She is doing too much for me."

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REPLY
4. Jini J.M Yoon, 2015
"+Sirrah Myles It's she I believe :) and every director has their own style. I enjoy it :) I feel freedom"

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REPLY
5. Court Courtney, 2015
"+Jini J.M Yoon its a guy directing...He has locks ( Long hair) but he sure looks very happy in Jesus!"

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REPLY
6. skutms0481, 2016
"He was doing what any spirt filled choir director would do. stop judging him unless you be judge first"

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REPLY
7. Court Courtney, 2016
"it all good. I love this song by the way. My church sings this song as well.Even the little kids get involved. It's awesome! lets keep our eyes on the prize.love ya"

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REPLY
8. Tj Fields, 2017
"Sirrah Myles
When I direct my niece calls my name and waves and I wave back. Focus on ur path and stop trying to navigate others. None of us worship the same and seeing how you called this man a she you need all the focus you have cause u stepped in mess and dragging in around in ur house.

Happy in Jesus name!"

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REPLY
9. Tj Fields, 2017
"Court Courtney
The sad thing is she knows that's a guy but she's choosing to be messy, but this shows what's on the inside of her."

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REPLY
10. Court Courtney, 2017
"it all good. I love this song by the way. My church sings this song as well.Even the little kids get involved. It's awesome! lets keep our eyes on the prize.love ya"

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11. Milton Kelly, 2017
"This is an 80's classic. Many Choirs nationwide sang this."

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12. Brandon Belcher, 2018
"That Clap straight took me somewhere down in the Country ... they don’t sing like this no more!! 🙌🏽"
-snip-
Actually, from the videos of this song that I've watched and from my experience hearing this song "in person", it appears that this clap routine is the "standard" way this song is sung.

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Example #3: Happy & You Know it Say Amen



anfchurch, Published on Feb 22, 2015

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Example #4: If You're Happy (Original)



Dr. Jeff Jacobs - Topic, Published on Feb 13, 2015

Provided to YouTube by Warner Music Group

If You're Happy (Original) · Dr. Jeff Jacobs

He's Just Alright

℗ 2009 Global Gospel Music All Rights Reserved

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