“God Did That Thing”
Bishop Bobby Hilton & Word of Deliverance Mass Choir
From the CD God Did That Thing
BVHilton Entertainment and Productions Group, LLC 2008
www.bobbyhilton.org

Idiomatic expressions have been the mainstay of gospel song titles and lyrics for years. Some expressions used in songs were sayings already popular in the African American church, while others were first breathed into life as a song title or phrase and later became affirmations for the church folk. Often it’s a chicken-and-egg dilemma as to which came first: the expression or the song title.

Regardless, classic examples of clever colloquialisms in gospel music song titles include Roberta Martin’s “Try Jesus, He Satisfies,” a 1960 recording that paraphrased Chesterfield Cigarettes’ popular advertising slogan (“Try Chesterfield’s – They Satisfy”). Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes’ 1956 smash “99 ½ Won’t Do” gave us another mantra: I’m trying to make one hundred percent; ninety-nine and a half won’t do.

Many gospel performers have riffed on the theme of “You Can’t Hurry God – He’s Right on Time,” and “God Said It – I Believe It – That Settles It.” A more recent example is Norman Hutchins’ 2002 hit “God’s Got a Blessing (With My Name on It!).” At least one historian has noted how gospel songs have become ambassadors of the faith by delivering these nuggets of truth to those who have never set foot within a church.

All this is to say that “God Did That Thing” by Bishop Bobby Hilton & Word of Deliverance Mass Choir falls squarely within this tradition of sacred sloganeering in song, an exclamation destined to become part of church vernacular. Recorded live on April 26, 2008 in Forest Park, Ohio (near Cincinnati), “God Did That Thing” is a mid-tempo choir recording with a driving beat and the venerable Dorothy Norwood as guest soloist. Norwood gives the song additional trad cred, but it could stand pretty well on its own in the traditional department.

Expect to hear testifiers saying, “God Did That Thing” in a church near you.