Give Me Jesus

This is the first song I’m adding to my “Gospel Standards” playlist. It’s a traditional Christian song that appears to have come from African American tradition during the era of slavery. It has been sung from hymnals since the 1860s and widely recorded by artists around the world. It has several verses but the ones that I resonate with most are the first and last verses, as follows:

In the Morning when I rise, in the morning when I rise, in the morning when I rise, give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, give me Jesus, you can have all this world, give me Jesus

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Oh when I come to die, oh when I come to die, oh when I come to die, give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, give me Jesus, you can have all this world, give me Jesus

Traditional Christian Hymn – circa 1860