Mahalia Jackson sang the spiritual "How I Got Over" at the 1963 March on Washington. Martin Luther King, Jr. later wrote to her that her singing that song set the tone for his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Lyrics below:
How I got over, how I got over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How I made it over
Oh, soon as I can see Jesus
Man that died for me
Man that bled and suffered
Hung on Calvary
And I wanna thank him for how he brought me
And I wanna thank God for how he taught me
Ooh, thank my God how he kept me
I'm gonna thank him 'cause He never left me
And I wanna thank Him for ol' time religion
I wanna thank God for giving me a vision
Oh, I'm gon' join the Heavenly choir
I'm gonna sing and never get tired
I'm gonna sing somewhere 'round the altar
I'm gonna shout all my troubles over
Lord, I got to thank you
Thank you for being so good to me
Tell me how I made it over
Had a mighty all time
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over
Tell me how I made it over, Lord
Had to cry the midnight hour
You know my soul look back and wonder
How I made it over
I'm gon' wear a di-garment
In that New Jerusalem
I'm gonna walk the streets of gold
It's in the homeland of the soul
I'm gonna view the hosts in white
That been traveling day and night
Coming up from every nation
They hold their way to the great coronation
Coming from the north, south, east and west
They on their way to a land of rest
Lord, we gonna join the heavenly choir
We gon' sing, Lord, and never get tired
And then I'm gon' sing somewhere 'round your alter
I'm gonna shout all my troubles over
Lord, I gotta thank you
Thank you for being so good to me
I wanna thank you, this morning
I wanna thank you, Lord, this morning
You know all, all night long
You kept your angels watching over me
And you told your angels this morning
You told your angels, Lord, this morning
You said, "Touch her in my name"
And I rose, I rose this morning
Lord, I rose, I rose this morning
With the blood, blood running warm
All in my veins, oh Lord
Lord I feel, I feel like running
Lord, I wanna thank you
Thank you, thank you for being
So, Lord, You been so good to me
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