stmmfsbasp, part deux

A little late on this one, but I made it in time! Welcome to day 2 of consecutive blogging.

We are of course continuing in our Black People's Music series, and today I bring you a little known number from the very well known Queen of Soul:

Young, Gifted, And Black, by Aretha Franklin

(Yes, you can download it again here, wait for the countdown, click the download box, etc.)

What is there to say? The title gives you the basics. Young. Gifted. Black. It's all good! But there's so much going on with those words. The phrase comes from an address that playwright Lorraine Hansberry gave to a group of young writers, which was later used as the title of her collected writings. We are all aware of the social climate in the United States in the mid-twentieth century (and if you aren't aware, what in the world are you doing reading random blogs on the internet? get your behind in the library or something!), and both Hansberry's address and the recording of this song are signs of the times. There are a few versions of the song, including one by the remarkable Nina Simone, and one by the brilliant Donny Hathaway, but I have ever been a fan of the Queen's interpretation.

From the gospel-saturated tinkling of the organ that introduces the song, and the gospelicious chorus of ladies that immediately follows, the atmosphere of striving and strength, of deep roots and deep possibilities is immediately apparent. And then before I can fully wrap my mind around around the first lyric, "To be young, gifted and Black, oh what a lovely, precious thing," here is Aretha completely taking off, riffing from the depths of her very soul, "Yes, thank You, Jesus!" and I'm gone. My mind and my heart belong to Aretha as the paced, strutting piano kicks back in, joined by an understated bass guitar and jaunty but almost muted drums, moving so easily as if we're all just taking a walk together down the road.

There aren't many lyrics, and I appreciate that -- the mood, the melody, the "young, gifted, Black" are more than enough for me. Especially when the gospel-ness of the whole completely takes over and Aretha is allowed to let her skill shine through. After the last true lyric, "You are young, gifted, and Black; you've got your soul intact." Everything, all semblance of pop breaks down. We're back to roots, to the gospel basic of call-and-response, and we're treated to a overflow of soul, of emotion, hope, yearning, and all the essence of what it means to strive, to work for good in the world. All of that can be conveyed by a bit of tremolo or vibrato, by the merest string of melisma, and it's a testament to Mother Aretha's powerful artistry as well as the weight of the song. She says, "Oh, it's a mighty sweet thing," and I believe her. I'm inspired. She says, "Don't you dare look back," and I am convinced I never will. I'll keep my soul intact just because she says that's the way it should be. And yes, of course when I hear this song, I want to say "it" loud.

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Lyrics For You Today:
"Young, Gifted And Black," of course. You can buy the album here. Some say it's her best...

To be young, gifted and Black,
oh what a lovely, precious thing.
Oh when you're, yes when you're --
when you're young, yes thank You, Jesus!
gifted and Black,
oh then your heart is all I need.

In this cold world you know,
there are millions of boys and girls
who are young, gifted and Black
with their souls intact. Oh, and that's a fact.

You are young, gifted, and you're Black!
We must begin to tell our young.
There's a world waiting for you, you.
Yours is a quest that's just begun.

When you're feeling real low,
here's a great truth you should remember and know,
that you're young, gifted and Black.
You got your soul intact. And that's a fact.