Three Accapella Renditions Of "Oh, Lord I Want You To Help Me"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series the showcases the song "[Oh] Lord, I Want You To Help Me".

Part I showcases three accapella renditions of "Oh Lord I Want You To Help Me". A version of the lyrics for this song as sung in the Tyler Perry movie "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" is also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/six-renditions-of-oh-lord-i-want-you-to.html for Part II of this series. Part II showcases six renditions of "Lord, I Want You To Help Me. Lyrics for three of these versions are also included in that post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/african-american-choir-wearing-west.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III showcases a rendition of "Lord I Want You To Help Me" by the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, Pastor Marvin Winans and Carolyn O’Bryant as well as the Cincinnati [Ohio] Symphony Orchestra. Special attention is given in this post to the multiple colors and designs of kente cloth stoles that choir members wear over their robes. The Addendum to that post presents some information about Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's (West Africa) kente cloth fabrics.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer/s of this song and thanks to all the featured singers of this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
I don't know the composer/s name/s for the song "Lord, I Want You To Help Me". Thus far, the earliest recording date that I've found for this song is 1964 (performed by Rev. Robert Wilkins. That version is featured in Part II of this series.) However, the rendition (also in Part II* of this pancocojams series) by the McIntosh County Shouters, a Georgia ring shout group, suggests that this song may have been sung much earlier than the 1960s. The McInTosh County SHouter's version of this song is included in an album that refers to the songs as "Spirituals and Shouts". My guess is that "shouts" may have been an early term for Gospel songs that were sung while doing ring shouts. I think that that "shout" version may have been the earliest way that this song was sung.

I'm presenting examples of accapella renditions of "Oh Lord, I Want You To Help Me" before examples with musical instrument accompaniment because I believe that was the order in which this song was sung.

If you have any information about this song, please share it in the comment section below. Thanks!

*The McInTosh County Shouter's sound file example of this song is presented in Part II of this series because it features tambourines and a stick that is rhythmically pounded on the ground. I don't know if those "musical instruments" accompanied the earliest renditions of this song or not. However, the accapella examples in this post focus on hand clapping and foot stomping accompaniments. That said, notice that the video of the North Mississippi Acapella Chorus [example # 2 below] also features two men "beat boxing".

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES:
Example #1: Lord I want you to help me



onehomes, Published on Feb 22, 2010

I can do bad all by myself [Tyler Perry movie]
-snip-
LYRICS: LORD, I WANT YOU TO HELP ME
Oh lord I want you to help me
Oh lord I want you to help me
Help me on my journey, help me on my way
Oh lord I want you to help me

While I'm waiting I want you to help me
While I'm waiting I want you to help me
Help me on my journey, help me on my way
Oh lord I want you to help me

Oh lord I want you to help me
Oh lord I want you to help me
Help me on my journey, help me on my way
Oh lord I want you to help me

While I'm singing I want you to help me
While I'm singing I want you to help me
Help me on my journey, help me on my way
Oh lord I want you to help me
-snip-
The lyrics from that Tyler Perry movie also includes the line "Does anybody need help today?"

Cheryl Pepsii Riley sings this version in that movie.
Source: https://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/cheryl+pepsii+riley/oh+lord+i+want+you+to+help+me_20900691.html

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Example #2: NMAC Singing "Lord Help Me"



Nicky Savage, Published on Oct 11, 2011

North Mississippi Acapella Chorus Singing "Lord Help Me" at Terry Street COC. Recorded May 29, 2010 by NICKY SAVAGE. THIS IS ANOTHER SAVAGE ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION.

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Example #3: VOD Choir "Lord I Want You To Help Me"



International Gospel Center Ecorse Mi, Published on Jul 28, 2018
-snip-
Here's information about this choir from their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vod.choir
"We are the Voices of Deliverance Choir under the direction of Bishop Roger J. Hairston, Sr. from the Temple of Faith Church in Columbus, Ohio."

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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series.

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