"Certainly, Lord" (Spiritual & Civil Rights Versions)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features examples of the Spiritual "Certainly, Lord" and examples of that song's Civil Rights adaptations. The Spiritual "Certainly, Lord" is also known as "Have You Got Good Religion".

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

My thanks to the unknown composers of the Spiritual from which the Civil Rights song was adapted and those who first adapted that song for use as a Civil Rights song. Thanks also to the vocalists featured in these videos, and to the producers & uploaders of these videos. Special thanks to those who worked then and those who work now for civil rights for all.

GOSPEL LYRICS: HAVE YOU GOT GOOD RELIGION (Also known as "Certainly, Lord")
(unknown composer/s)

Have you got good religion?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you got good religion?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you got good religion?

Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.

Have you been baptized?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you been baptized?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you been baptized?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.

Have you been redeemed?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you been redeemed?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you been redeemed?
(Certainly Lord.)
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.

Do you want to see Jesus?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want to see Jesus?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want to see Jesus?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.

Have you got good religion?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you got good religion?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Have you got good religion?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, certainly, certainly, Lord.
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.

-snip-
These lyrics are presented by Azizi Powell from my memory of this song being sung in Union Baptist Temple Church, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1960s.

I don't know when this song was composed or who composed it.

The parenthesis indicate that the song could be sung in a call & response manner, with the soloist asking the initial question, the rest the choir or congregation singing "Certainly, Lord", and the soloist and the choir/congregation singing "Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord".

However, as was the case with a lot of early African American Spirituals, my recollection is that "Have You Got Good Religion" ("Certainly, Lord") was actually sung in unison and not as a call & response song. That meant that the lyrics to the song and the order of the song was fixed (unchanging) with each rendition of the song.


CIVIL RIGHTS LYRICS: "CERTAINLY, LORD"
(unknown composer/s)

Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, Certainly, Certainly Lord.

We'll march for our rights.
(Certainly, Lord.)
We'll march for our rights.
(Certainly, Lord.)
We'll march for our rights.
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, Certainly, Certainly, Lord.

We'll go to jail.
(Certainly, Lord.)
We'll go to jail.
(Certainly, Lord.)
We'll go to jail.
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, Certainly, Certainly, Lord.

Jail over bail.*
(Certainly, Lord)
Jail over bail.
(Certainly, Lord.)
Jail over bail.
(Certainly, Lord.)

Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Do you want your freedom?
(Certainly, Lord.)
Certainly, Certainly, Certainly Lord
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.
Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord

-snip-
This is just one version of this Civil Rights song.
My recollection of this song is that it was sung using a call & response pattern. The soloist asks the initial question, the rest the choir or congregation sing "Certainly, Lord", and the soloist and the choir/congregation sing "Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord".

Like other African American Civil Rights songs of the 1960s, the words of this song were changed and can still be changed to fit the particular issue or cause being protested.

* "Jail over bail" means that the person arrested chooses to remain in jail rather than have his or her bail paid and be released from jail. This strategy draws media attention to the cause being protested.

FEATURED VIDEOS

Video #1: Have You Got Good Religion



Posted by jayhardinchristine
June 22, 2009

"Sis. Calloway leading the SBC Gospel Choir in singing "Have you got good religion". Have you got good religion? Certainly, Lord. Certainly, certainly, certainly, Lord. "

-snip-

It appears that this choir is singing "Have You Got Good Religion" during a congregational offering. In the Baptist church that I attended in my hometown of Atlantic City, New Jersey, one of the two offerings was (and still is) also done this way. Members of the congregation move row by row to the front to give their money donations. After the congregation finishes, the choir comes down from their rows on the rostum behind the minister/s to give their offering or an offering plate is passed to the choir and ministers.

"SBC" probably stands for "Shiloh Baptist Church" or "Second Baptist Church". Both of these are very common church names among African Americans throughout the United States.

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Video #2: Jessye Norman + Kathleen Battle 'Certainly, Lord' 1990



Posted by LEGENDSOFTHEROD1
July 09, 2009

"[For blasianFMA] Performing at Carnegie Hall .... with James Levine .... March 1990"

-snip-

In my experience, a moderately fast tempo is used for the civil rights version of "Certainly, Lord". That tempo is faster than either of the Gospel versions of this song that are featured in this post.

RELATED LINKS

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/aint-gonna-let-nobody-turn-me-round.html

One of the videos on that post includes documentary clips of 1960s Civil Rights marches.

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Also click http://cocojams.com/content/african-american-civil-rights-songs for additional examples of African American Civil Rights songs.

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