"God Don't Never Change" is a

gospel blues Gospel blues (or holy blues) is a form of blues-based gospel music that has been around since the inception of blues music. It combines evangelistic lyrics with blues instrumentation, often blues guitar accompaniment. According to musician ...

song recorded by

Blind Willie Johnson Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful " ...

in 1929. The song is sometimes titled "God Don't Ever Change".

Lyrics

The verses include allusions to: *

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...

114:4 "The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs". * Amen Corner, that part of a church where the most vocally devout worshipers congregate, as in the poem " Trouble in the Amen Corner". * The influenza pandemic of 191820. The topicality of that event suggests that Johnson wrote at least that verse. Unless and until an earlier version can be found, he can be credited with both the tune and the words.

Other recordings

* 1990

Glenn Kaiser Glenn Kaiser (born January 21, 1953) is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer, songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band. Personal life Childhood Kaiser's o ...

and Darrell Mansfield, on the album ''Trimmed and Burnin''. * 1991

Russ Taff Russell Taff (born November 11, 1953) is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contempor ...

, on the album ''

Under Their Influence ''Under Their Influence'' is the fifth studio album by Christian singer-songwriter Russ Taff, released in 1991 on Myrrh Records. It is an album of traditional spiritual covers that pays tribute to Blind Willie Johnson, Brother Joe May and Mahalia ...

'' * 1994 Tom Shaka, on the album ''Hot'N Spicey'' * 1995 Catfish Keith, on the album ''Fresh Catfish'' * 1996"God Don't Ever Change" by Cissy Houston on the album '' Face To Face * 1997

Jimmy Vivino Jimmy Vivino (born January 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer, and music director. He is best known as having been the leader of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, the house band for the TBS late night pr ...

, on the album ''Do What, Now?'' * 1999

Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud (born 12 February 1961) is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. Reiersrud has recorded and played with David Lindley, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Rickie ...

, on the album ''Sub'' * 2002 Cary Hudson, on the album ''The Phoenix'' * 2002 Max Ochs, on the album ''Letter to the Editor'' * 2009 Ashley Cleveland, on the album ''God Don't Never Change'' * 2009 The Radiators, on the album ''10/09/09 New Orleans, LA Tipitinas'' * 2014 Levon Helm Band, on the album ''The Midnight Ramble Sessions, Vol. 3'' * 2016

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and ''Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...

, on the various artists' album '' God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson''

References

Blind Willie Johnson songs 1929 songs Gospel songs Songwriter unknown {{gospel-music-stub