Gospel Song – Give Me Jesus
Gospel Song – Give Me Jesus.
This powerful hymn enjoys a really interesting and instructive history. A White methodist minister, Rev. Jacob Knapp, published this song in 1845. The enslaved African American community picked it up in 1867, adapted it to their unique situation, and it has been considered a traditional spiritual ever since. I rejoiced when I discovered this awesome hymn was a collaboration between Blacks and Whites. This Christ-centered song, earnestly pleading for the presence of Christ and exclaiming the vital priority of faith in Jesus, hasn’t lost any luster through the centuries and the subsequent number of those musicians who were inspired to produce their own version.
Please give a careful listening to these three versions: Fernando Ortega with an amazing children’s choir; an African American production which might be much closer to how the original sounded; and a bluegrass version, of all things. Enjoy.
Give Me Jesus (Official Music Video) | Fernando Ortega and Rexburg Children’s Choir (youtube.com)
Adrian Dunn – Give Me Jesus (Live) ft. LaQuentin Jenkins (youtube.com)