Gospel Song Genre

By Michael I. Crawford
UWRT 1101-002
January 24, 2015

Gospel songs and specifically gospel song lyrics can be widely misunderstood. When
people hear the word Gospel it causes them to have ideas already as to what they will hear and
what it will sound like. Gospel has taken on many different forms over the years that to simply
try to categorize it based on the word Gospel is just simply wrong based on todays
understanding. People have their ideas of what gospel music is today and what many consider to
be gospel songs actually are not.
This topic interested me as generations have words that had one meaning and caused
them to have a completely different meaning. Since this has been happening we need to have a
clearer understanding of what Gospel songs were and what they are today. This is another case
of people having one idea based on what the word originally meant as to how it is used and the
meaning of it today.
Gospel songs are also known by other names or titles. Gospel in itself denotes one
particular type of music and is classified by many names. Gospel music is a genre of mostly
American music characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) drawn
from Christian worship and often featuring Christian evangelical lyrics. (Gospel Music - New
World Encyclopedia, 2013) What makes a song Christian is simply the lyrics. The content of
what is sung must be congruent with the principals of God and His Holy Word. (Hill, 2012) We
strive to find ways of being able to share our faith or our belief with others without offending
them and without turning them off. Music is a form that seems to be able to reach and touch so
many that would not typically come into a church setting.
Many people when they hear the term Gospel they already have set in their mind what
the sound should be like and what they are expecting to hear. Gospel songs have changed over
the years from what they started out being, putting the Bible to music and reaching the masses.

Gospel songs today still have some of that same tone and energy to them, but it also has taken
on a much mellower, not so straight forward approach. There are songs out today that are listed
as gospel songs that do not have any reference to the bible or the Word of God in them, but
sound good and have a positive message.
Two major types of Gospel music have developed along basically racial lines. These
include Urban Gospel (sometimes referred to as black Gospel) and its white counterparts,
among them: Southern Gospel and modern, popularized Gospel (now more commonly known as
praise music or Contemporary Christian music). (Gospel Music - New World Encyclopedia,
2013) Gospel songs have to be understood for what they are saying, the message, more than for
the racial group or ethnic group that we think is being reached. Some argue that Gospel music
is rooted in Africa and was brought to the Americas by slaves. However, Gospel harmonies and
many of the hymns themselves also show a clear Scottish influence. (Gospel Music - New
World Encyclopedia, 2013)
The genre of Gospel songs over the past forty to fifty years has changed and is still
changing. What was as easily classified as a gospel song years ago no longer can be so easily
classified? There have been so many adjustments made over the years simply due to do peoples
interests have changed and more and more people are not being attracted by the same things. To
truly be able to reach and impact the lives of those who need it, we have to be willing to find new
and different ways of getting their attention. Music always can reach people, but when trying to
get a positive message through based on the music, we have to make sure that we do not go so
far from truly reaches them. Gospel songs from years ago talked about the bible and could be
clearly understood what the real message was. The songs today that some would classify as
gospel do not have such a clear and distinct message to them, even though they are still aiming to

impact the lives of individuals with the message. The more that we keep our focus on the true
meaning of the message in the songs and do not allow the pressures of society to influence what
is said, the songs will still have the impact and the influence that they did years ago.