What Are They Doing in Heaven? explained
"What Are They Doing in Heaven?" is a Christian hymn written in 1901 by American Methodist minister Charles Albert Tindley., it has become popular enough to have been included in 16 hymnals.[2] [3]
The song has sometimes been recorded under the titles "What Are They Doing?" and "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?". The question mark is often omitted. The song may also be known by its first line, "I am thinking of friends whom I used to know".
The song consists of four verses and a refrain, each four lines long. In both the verses and the refrain, the first three lines rhyme, and the fourth is "What are they doing now?" or some small variant of that. The author reflects on friends who were burdened in life by care, or by disease, or by poverty; and wonders what they might now be doing in Heaven, without giving his answer.
The first known recording of the song is the 1928 one by Washington Phillips (18801954; vocals and zither), in gospel blues style.[4] Phillips' recording was used in the soundtrack of the 2005 film Elizabethtown. The song has since been recorded many times in a wide variety of styles, including gospel and bluegrass; .
Recordings
- 1928Washington Phillips, 78rpm single Columbia 14404-D
- 1934Mitchell's Christian Singers, 78rpm singles Perfect 326,[5] Banner 33433,[6] Conqueror 8431,[7] and Melotone 13400 [8]
- 1938Golden Gate Quartet, 78rpm singles Bluebird 7994 [9] and Montgomery 7866 [10]
- The Southernaires, radio broadcast [11]
- 1946Pilgrim Travelers[12]
- 1948The Lilly Brothers, 78rpm single Page 505
- 1948The Southern Harmonizers, 78 rpm single Specialty 301 [13]
- 1950The Mello-Tones, 78rpm single Columbia 39051
- 1950-53Silvertone Singers
- 1952The Dixie Hummingbirds, 45rpm single Peacock Records 5-1594 [14]
- 1957Harry and Jeanie West [15] on the album Favorite Gospel Songs [16]
- 1960Sister Rosetta Tharpe on the album Gospels in Rhythm
- 1962The Fairfield Four on the album The Bells Are Tolling
- 1964The Staple Singers on the album This Little Light
- 196692Marion Williams
- 1971The Downtown Sister New Heaven on the album Gospels And Spirituals
- 1983Slim & the Supreme Angels on the album Glory to His Name
- 1992Tom Hanway on the album Tom Hanway and Blue Horizon
- 1994Martin Simpson on the album A Closer Walk with Thee
- 1995The Pfister Sisters on the album The Pfister Sisters
- 1996Michelle Lanchester, Bernice Johnson Reagon and Yasmeen on the album Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions
- 1996Little Jimmy Scott on the album Heaven
- 2000Last Forever on the album Trainfare Home
- 2000Margaret Allison and the Angelic Gospel Singers on the album Home in the Rock
- 2002Jorma Kaukonen on the album Blue Country Heart
- 2003Bill Gaither feat. Gloria Gaither and Babbie Mason on the album Heaven
- 2003The Immortal Lee County Killers on the album Love Is a Charm of Powerful Trouble
- 2003Mike "Sport" Murphy on the album Uncle
- 2006Riley Baugus on the album Long Steel Rail
- 2006Joanne Blum on the album Even More Love
- 2006Cabin Fever NW on the album The Door Is Always Open
- 2006Jessy Dixon on the album Get Away Jordan
- 2006Vince Gill on the album Voice of the Spirit, Gospel of the South
- 2006The Be Good Tanyas on the album Hello Love
- 2006Boxcar Preachers on the album Auto-Body Experience
- 2006Judy Cook on the album If You Sing Songs ...
- 2006The Great Gospel Crew on the album The Greatest Gospel Music [17]
- 2007John Reischman and The Jaybirds on the album Stellar Jays
- 2008Murry Hammond on the album I Don't Know Where I'm Going but I'm on My Way
- 2009Jim Byrnes on the album My Walking Stick
- 2009The Habit on the album The Habit
- 2010Buddy Greene on the album A Few More Years [18]
- 2011The Bright Wings Chorus on the album ' [19]
- 2011Dead Rock West on the album Bright Morning Stars
- 2013The Quiet American on the album Wild Bill Jones [20]
- 2013Marcy Marxer on the album Things Are Coming My Way [21]
- 2013Mogwai on the album Les Revenants[22]
- 2013Mavis Staples on the album One True Vine
- 2013Colin Stetson feat. Justin Vernon on the album New History Warfare, Vol. 3: To See More Light
- 2014Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn on the album Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn
- 2016Consuelo's Revenge on the album Mercy
- 2023DeYarmond Edison on the album That Was Then: The Bickett Gallery Residency, North Carolina (Live)
Notes and References
- News: Exhuming the Legend of Washington Phillips . Michael . Corcoran . . December 29, 2002 . August 20, 2015 .
- Web site: What Are They Doing in Heaven? . hymnary.org . August 24, 2015 .
- Web site: Charles Albert Tindley 18511933 . nethymnal.org . August 24, 2015 .
- Web site: Washington Phillips discography . wirz.de . August 24, 2015 .
- Web site: Perfect "Race" Series numerical listing . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: Banner 3250033000: Numerical Listing . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: Conqueror records 80008500 numerical listing of issues (19321935) . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: Melotone Numerical Listing 1300013500 . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: BLUEBIRD numerical listings 75008000 . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: Montgomery Ward 75008000 numerical listing . 78discography.com . September 15, 2015 .
- Web site: The Southernaires 19381941 . Document Records . August 26, 2015 .
- Book: Boyer, Horace Clarence . The Golden Age of Gospel (Music in American Life) . Horace Clarence Boyer . 173 . February 15, 2000 . . 978-0252068775 .
- Web site: Specialty 78rpm Numerical Listings . 78discography.com . August 26, 2015 .
- Web site: 45 Discography for Peacock Records . globaldogproductions.info . August 24, 2015 .
- Web site: "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today" – Harry and Jeanie West . Smithsonian Folkways . August 25, 2015 .
- Web site: Favorite Gospel Songs – Harry and Jeanie West . Smithsonian Folkways . August 25, 2015 .
- Web site: The Greatest Gospel Music – The Great Gospel Crew . amazon.co.uk . B00AV7TF3K . August 24, 2015 .
- Web site: Few More Years: Buddy Greene . amazon.com . B003JMP2O0 . August 26, 2015 .
- Web site: Here Below: Bright Wings Chorus . amazon.co.uk . B0065NPKRY . August 26, 2015 .
- Web site: Wild Bill Jones: The Quiet American . amazon.com . B00ANTO3MO . August 26, 2015 .
- Web site: Things Are Coming My Way: Marcy Marxer . amazon.co.uk . B00BP3WI2E . August 26, 2015 .
- Web site: Mogwai : Music :: Les Revenants. Mogwai. www.mogwai.co.uk. 2016-07-06.