Who Composed The Gospel Song "We Are On Our Way"?

gospellin, Feb 19, 2009

Rev James Cleveland used their song for the processional at the 1st GMWA
-snip-
"GMWA" = Gospel Music Workshops of America

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series about the Gospel song "We Are On Our Way". This Gospel song is also known as "On Our Way".

This post showcases two YouTube videos of the song "We Are On Our Way" being sung by the Gospel Emeralds, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gospel group.

This pancocojams post also presents statements about the song "We Are On Our Way" being composed by a member of the Gospel Emeralds, or by other people. At this time of this post's publication, "We Are On Our Way" is usually categorized as traditional since no person has been definitely credited as having composed this song.

In addition, selected comments from these videos are included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/01/video-of-information-about-we-are-on.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of the Los Angeles Chapter Of  the Gospel Music Workshop Of America (GMWA) singing that chapter's (and later the entire organization's) anthem "We Are On Our Way". This post presents some information about Rev. James Cleveland and some information bout The Gospel Music Workshop of America that he founded. In addition, this post presents the introductory words and some of the lyrics to that rendition of the song "We Are On Our Way". 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/01/southern-university-gospel-choirs.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of the song "We Are On Our Way" being sung by Southern University Gospel Choir during one of their church processions. Facebook comments about Southern University Gospel Choir's rendition are also included in this post. Some of those comments include the standard lyrics for that Gospel song (as popularized by the Gospel Music Workshop Of America. Some other comments in this discussion explain why the choir members hold their right hand up while they are marching into the church.

The Addendum to this post presents some information about the custom of some African American church choirs of marching into the church service with their right hand raised and their left hand held behind their back.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-hymn-in-land-of-fadeless-day-also.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases three YouTube examples of the Christian hymn "In The Land Of Fadeless Days" and lyrics for that hymn. This post also includes information about some other hymns that include the words "fadeless days or "endless days". 

I'm particularly interested in these songs because the words "fadeless days" or "endless days" are included in the African American Gospel song  "We Are On Our Way" that has been popularized by the Gospel Music Workshop Of America.

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

 All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of the Gospel song "We Are On Are Way". Thanks to Rev. James Cleveland who arranged and is responsible for publicizing the Gospel version of this song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This pancocojams post doesn't purport to answer the question "Who composed the Gospel song "We Are On Our Way" that was popularized by Rev. James Cleveland and his choirs?

I believe that this Gospel song is considered to be "traditional" because no person has been definitely identified as that song's composer. However, online commenters have identified at least two people as the composer of that Gospel song.

I've presented all of the online information that I've found about this subject as of this date. This information isn't given in any ranking order.

For the cultural record, please share any information that you have on this subject. Thanks!  

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INFORMATION THAT I HAVE FOUND ONLINE ABOUT POSSIBLE COMPOSERS OF THIS SONG
Rev. James Cleveland has been incorrectly credited by a number of people online as composing the song "We Are On Our Way".  However, I haven't found any information about Rev. Cleveland crediting himself as that song's composer.

Given in no order, I've found information or online comments about these people being credited as the composers of "We Are On Our Way":

-Eugene (Gene) Dukes [deceased], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
[no other information given besides his sister writing that his family has the copyright to this song.

- Stanley McNish, a member of the Gospel Emeralds (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
He's listed as a pianist and composer in the summary for this video that is given immediately below, but that doesn't necessary mean that he composed this song..

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2  - The Gospel Emeralds of Philadelphia- “We Are On Our Way” (1963)

Gospelz, Premiered Mar 14, 2022

"Another awesome group based out of Philadelphia, PA. As written on the back of the album: With enthusiastic inspiration, The Gospel Emeralds display their sincerety and divine talents in this their initial album. The Gospel Emeralds are proud products of Philadelphia, Pa, and are recognized as one of the great new talents of the country due to their inspired performances wherever they have appeared. Their unusual style has captured the hearts of many congregations as they interpret the word of "God" as they sing the Gospel. This group also has sincere harmony in life, as they do in song, working as a closely knit family unit. All eight members have stayed together, as they have prayed together. Personnel: DELORES CORBIN…whose sparkling soprano voice has reached the hearts of many of her listeners. GLORIA BERRY ... Lyric Soprano, has a light, rich tonality with untouched brilliance. ETHEL SALLI…range, which is pecritiar to her type voice. Mezzo Soprano, possesses that voice of an impeccable range, which is peculiar to her type voice. ARTHUR NEAL . . . Dramatic Tenor, has power and an enormous vocal technique. JOHN WILSON…. Baritone Tenor, and narrator. RONALD CORBIN…Baritone and Lead Singer. STANLEY McNISH…Director, Pianist, Composer." -snip- I used italics to highlight these words. ****

COMMENTS ABOUT WHO COMPOSED THIS GOSPEL SONG 

These comments are given in no particular order.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Source #1
from https://www.facebook.com/gmwanational/videos/the-southern-university-gospel-choir-doesnt-it-give-you-chills/3904443446486058/ The Southern University Gospel Choir -Doesn't It Give You Chills?

(Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.)

1. Beverly Reed, 2025
"They are singing WE ARE ON OUR WAY written by my deceased brother GENE Dukes of PHILADELPHIA, he wrote this songs years, it's been featured in a few movies, I know my brother this song when I was a teenager, my family has the copyright to this song. The late James Cleveland claimed he wrote it, but Dukes Family of Philadelphia knows the Truth!!!! 🙏 🙏 🙏"

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Reply
2. Dante Jones, 2025
"Beverly Reed wrong, didn't say he wrote it. He just used it as the processional for the Southern California Community Choir, Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church Choir's and the Los Angeles Chapter of GMWA Mass Choir's, we've known all along the song came from Philadelphia PA, because his daughter's mother and a portion of her family is from Philadelphia also"

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Source #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCKMwnU8Oms&list=RDoCKMwnU8Oms&start_radio=1 "GMWA LA Chapter - We Are On Our Way" published by aresmall, Aug 25, 2010

LA Chapter We Are On Our Way

@aresmall, 2012
"We are on our way; to a land of fadeless days. We are on our way; we're on our journey home. (V2) When we get to glory; we will shout and tell the story. How we made it over; we're on our journey home. (V3) 0-0-0-0-00000000000000000; we're on our journey home. (This is slightly different than the original version sang in the 40's/50's by the Emeralds, and by a couple other groups that have sang it, but it is currently the LA Chapter/Southern Cal version)".
-snip-
These words are given in italics for highlighting purposes only. 

From the sparse information that I found online, it appears that the Gospel Emeralds performed and recorded in the 1960s. Was commenter aresmall referring to White Gospel groups in the 1940s and earlier who composed and sung hymns that referred to traveling to heaven where there were "endless days" or "fadeless days"? (Except for those words, those hymns are different from have different lyrics, tunes, and tempos trom the Gospel song We Are On Our Way" that has been popularized by Rev. James Cleveland and his choirs.)

Visit Part IV of this series for information about some of these hymns which are documented  early as 1899.

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OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THIS GOSPEL SONG

These comments are given in no particular order.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A38Cn7JRyU0&list=RDA38Cn7JRyU0&start_radio=1
[from the discussion thread for the first showcase video of the Gospel Emeralds]

1. @bartsing2, 2009
"What are the words?

I am missing some of them....

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Reply
@EricScottReed, 2021
"Here's what I can hear:

 

WE ARE ON OUR WAY

To that land of endless days,

WE ARE ON OUR WAY

We’re on our journey home!

 

(There’ll be) No more tears to shed

If by Him we’re led, (???)

WE ARE ON OUR WAY

We’re on our journey home!

 

Sinner man, come, and go with me

To that land of jubilee;

We are marching to victory,

We’re on our journey home!

 

When we get to glory,

We shall tell the story,

How we made it over,

We’re on our journey home!"

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

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