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Monday, September 9, 2024

Rev. James Cleveland - "God Is" (with lyrics & memories of this African American Gospel song)




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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the original recording of "God Is", written in 1979 by Rev. James Cleveland and recorded that year by the Southern California Community Choir with Dora Pickett (female lead) and Nathaniel “Nat” Morris (male lead).

This post includes the lyrics for "God Is" and some memories of this song that were shared by commenters in this video's discussion thread.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Rev. James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir for this now classic Gospel song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the JayEm86, the publisher of this song on YouTube.

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LYRICS 
(composed by Rev. James Cleveland)

[Verse 1]

God is my protection

God is my all in all

God is my guide and direction

God is my all in all

 

[Verse 2]

God is my joy in time of sorrow

God is my all in all

God is my today and tomorrow

God is my all in all

 

[Chorus]

God is the joy and the strength of my life

He moves all pain, misery, and strife

He promised to keep me, never to leave me

He's never ever come short of His word

I've got to fast and pray, stay in His narrow way

I've got to keep my life clean everyday;

I want to go with Him when He comes back

I've come to far and I'll never turn back

 

[Outro]

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is my all in all

-snip-
Online source- https://genius.com/James-cleveland-and-the-southern-california-community-choir-god-is-lyrics

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD 

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GauUHGDiTXk

1.@SeanChapman821, 2008
"Thanks for posting this. I have been looking for the original for the longest time. Great Memories!!"

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2. 
@A7Z344, 2009
"This was my very first song that I had sung when I was 12 or 13 years old.  I did not understand the meaning of the words but now that I am older I understand all of the old songs that we sung in church choir.  All of the hymn songs.  We did not understand what these songs meant but it is embedded in us and now those songs sustain us now that we are all older.  I love this song and it does bring back memories.  I thank you and love you God no matter what this life brings to your people."

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3. @ChicagoBandHead, 2009
"When I used to go to church I was in the young peoples choir. I remember the adult choir sung this song But I never knew who made it until just now. I think i need to jump on itunes and download this song"

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4. @DJ_Weezy, 2009
"GOD IS!!! WOW!!! This song was a classic before it hit the stores back in the day...hehehe Every "black" church choir would sing this song. It takes me way back when I was livin' in St. Louis, MO as a kid. 1460 KIRL AM...ya couldn't get away from this song especially at ya folks house during special dinners/holidays ect."

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5. 
@enmaxus, 2009
"WOW!!! Thank you for this. I havent heard this song since 1979. They use to play it all the time on the radio, on Sunday mornings/afternoons."

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6. 
@mrslaughinghouse, 2009
"Lawd Have mercy. This song took me back to 84th and Plymouth in Oakland, CA. They sang the mess out of this song every week, it seemed like."

** 7. @urmamaisafool, 2009
"MAN this takes me back. it was in 81, i was living in bay city, tx. i had gotten saved in 79 and i was away from home and friends while working on the railroad. there was this  radio station kjoj, the joy of JESUS, and i had this rinky radio that had a clothes hanger for an antenna. i was fighting the temptations of satan, trying to get me to come back into darkness and one night as i was reading the word and listening to kjoj they played this song. it has been my favorite ever since. bro.ken"

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8. 
@ahaiku, 2009
"Thank you so much for this! My great-aunt Daisy (grandma's sister) used to sing this song on the choir at church. I never heard the original until now. I must say, much respect to James Cleveland, but Aunt Daisy's version is still my favorite! This brings back so many great memories of my youth...not truly knowing who God was but still being moved by the beautiful lyrics."

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9. @1010503, 2009
"Like you, I am not a shouter....but this one moves me in all ways...even when I was much younger, I truly liked this song.  Thank you for posting it here."

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10. @beinthygrace, 2010
"I belong to a church that didn't always sing this type of spiritual music. I was introduced to this when I joined the gospel choir in high school. The teacher was a nun who had left the church.  While teaching in an inner city school she learned to play this music and brought it back to the church. This caused some problems in the church but once they saw the influx of youth returning to the church the problems were no longer an issue.   Thank God for her persistence."

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11. 
@MzPumpkin66, 2010
"When I would go to the hairdresser w/ my Mom most of the cabbies had there radio tuned to our station then WOL.  And Rev. James Cleveland seem to be coming out of everyones cab when we got out  the car to go into the Hairdresser"

** 12. @BEALADY1, 2010
"I'm telling my age but we would tear a church up singing this back in the day!...man what memories this song brings to my heart!"

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13. @vell411, 2010
"This is one of the greatest songs EVER recorded. It has stuck with me since it was recorded. It brings so much joy to my soul. Thank You for putting it on here and I see at this time that over 290,000 people have viewed it"
-snip-
This sound file is just one of several YouTube examples of this record. As of September 9, 2024 at 9:41 AM EDT this sound file has been viewed 
15,427,986 times. ** 14. @divagk44,2011
"Back in 1988 I was living in Los Angeles and decided to move back to Chicago. My dad had gone home to be with the Lord and I was returning home to be of support to my mom. But I was filled with uncertainty beacuse I was giving up my wonderful California life..or so I thought! At the last church service I attended before from heading back to Chicago, the choir at my LA home church of Ward AME sang " God Is". It's been an anthem of encouragement and assuredness in knowing God Is!" ** 15. @LunaOverEden, 2011
"I dedicate this song too to my grandmother who passed on Sunday evening, this was her song she sang as a soloist in church when I was little.  GOD IS FOREVER!!!"

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