View source for He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

{{short description|Spiritual folk song}}
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"'''He's Got the Whole World in His Hands'''" is a traditional African-American [[spiritual (music)|spiritual]], first published in 1927.  It became an international [[pop music|pop]] hit in 1957–58 in a recording by English singer [[Laurie London]], which is one of the [[List of best-selling gospel music artists#Best-selling gospel songs|best-selling gospel songs of all time]]. The song has also been recorded by many other singers and choirs, including [[Mahalia Jackson]], [[Marian Anderson]], [[Judy Garland]] and [[Nina Simone]].
==Traditional music sources==
The song was first published in the paperbound hymnal ''Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New'' in 1927.<ref>{{cite book |title= Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New|last=Boatner|first=Edward|author-link= Edward Boatner |year=1927 |publisher=Sunday School Publishing Board, National Baptist Convention}}</ref>  In 1933, it was collected by [[Frank Warner (folklorist)|Frank Warner]] from the singing of Sue Thomas in [[North Carolina]].<ref name= "Warner1984">{{cite book |title= Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne and Frank Warner Collection |last=Warner |first=Anne & Frank  |year=1984 |publisher= Syracuse University Press |page=384}}</ref> It was also recorded by other collectors such as [[Robert Sonkin]] of the [[Library of Congress]], who recorded it in [[Gee's Bend, Alabama]] in 1941.  That version is still available at the Library's [[American Folklife Center]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url= http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/afccards/afccards-home.html |title=Traditional Music and Spoken Word Catalog from the American Folklife Center | encyclopedia = Performing Arts Encyclopedia |publisher=The Library of Congress | access-date= 2012-02-20}}</ref>
Frank Warner performed the song during the 1940s and 1950s, and introduced it to the [[American folk music revival|American folk scene]].<ref name="Warner1984" /> Warner recorded it on the [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] album ''American Folk Songs and Ballads'' in 1952.<ref>{{cite book |title= American Folk Songs and Ballads|last= Warner |first=Frank |year= 1952 |publisher= Elektra Records}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.atsf.co.uk/elektra/discography.php?from=10&to=340 |title=Elektra Discography |publisher= ATSF UK |date= 1954-04-19 |access-date= 2012-02-20}}</ref> It was quickly picked up by both American [[Gospel music|gospel]] singers and British [[skiffle]] and pop musicians.
==Laurie London recording==
{{Infobox song
| name       = He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
| cover      = File:Laurie_London_Whole_World.jpeg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Laurie London]] with the [[Geoff Love]] Orchestra and Chorus
| album      =
| B-side     = The Cradle Rock
| released   = 1957
| format     =
| recorded   = 1957
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      =
| length     =
| label      = [[Parlophone Records|Parlophone]]
| writer     = Robert Lindon, [[Ralph Reader|William Henry]]
| producer   =
| prev_title =
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}}
The song made the [[popular music|popular song]] charts in a 1957 recording by English singer [[Laurie London]] with the [[Geoff Love|Geoff Love Orchestra]], which reached #12 on the [[UK singles chart]] in late 1957.<ref name="betts">{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=460}}</ref>  The songwriting on London's record was credited to "Robert Lindon" and "William Henry", which were pseudonyms used by British writers [[Jack Waller (composer)|Jack Waller]] and [[Ralph Reader]], who had used the song in their 1956 [[musical theatre|stage musical]] ''[[Wild Grows the Heather]]''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-grows-the-heather-mw0001142698  ''Wild Grows the Heather'', Allmusic.com]. Retrieved 25 February 2017</ref><ref>[http://overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201955-1959.pub.pdf  ''Wild Grows the Heather'', OvertheFootlights.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805031348/http://overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201955-1959.pub.pdf |date=2016-08-05 }}. Retrieved 25 February 2017</ref>
Laurie London's version then rose to #1 of the ''[[Hot 100 number-one hits of 1958 (USA)|Most Played by Jockeys]]'' song list in the [[United States|USA]] and went to #3 on the R&B charts in 1958.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=359}}</ref> The record reached #2 on Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores survey and #1 in Cashbox's Top 60.   It became a [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]] and was the most successful record by a British male in the 1950s in the USA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.music.us/biography/artist/536/laurie_london.html |title=Laurie London Biography - Music Artist Band Biographies - Artists Bands Bio - FREE MP3 Downloads |publisher=Music.us |access-date=2012-02-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222062014/http://www.music.us/biography/artist/536/laurie_london.html |archive-date=2012-02-22 }}</ref> In [[CHUM Chart|Canada]] the song reached #2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/58-04-21-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - April 21, 1958}}</ref>  It was the first gospel song to hit #1 on a U.S. pop singles chart; [[The Staple Singers]]' "[[I'll Take You There]]" hit #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1970, "[[Put Your Hand in the Hand|Put Your Hand in the Hand (of the Man)]]" by [[Ocean (band)|Ocean]] peaked at #2 in 1971; and "[[Oh Happy Day]]" by the [[Edwin Hawkins|Edwin Hawkins Singers]] reached #3 in 1969.
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Laurie London|title=Got the Whole World in His Hands|award=Gold|relyear=1958|certyear=1958|access-date=July 2, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==Covers and adaptations==
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[[Mahalia Jackson]]'s version made the Billboard top 100 singles chart, topping at number 69.
In 1953, [[Marian Anderson]] sang the song before a live television audience of 60 million people, broadcast live over the NBC and CBS networks, as part of ''[[The Ford 50th Anniversary Show]]''. Anderson recorded another version  (in Oslo on August 29, 1958 and released on the [[single (music)|single]] [[His Master's Voice]] 45-6075 AL&nbsp;6075 and on the [[extended play]] ''En aften på "Casino Non Stop", introdusert av Arne Hestenes'' (HMV 7EGN&nbsp;26. It was arranged by Harry Douglas and Ed Kirkeby).
In 1964 [[Judy Garland]] sang it in a duet with her daughter [[Liza Minnelli]] at Minnelli's 'official presentation'. The concert was released as a double album, ''[[Live at the London Palladium (Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli album)|"Live" at the London Palladium]]''.
In February 1978, English football team [[Nottingham Forest F.C.]] released "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands" (Warner K17110) in conjunction with local band [[Paper Lace]]; the B side featured "The Forest March". The song has become a favourite in British football grounds, with the lyrics adapted in various ways; for instance, "We're the worst team in the League" has been heard at [[Rushden & Diamonds]] matches as well as [[Crystal Palace F.C.]] matches.<ref>{{Cite book | first = Jack | last=Bremner | title=Shit Ground No Fans |date=2004 | publisher=Bantam Press | isbn=978-0-593-05376-8 }}</ref>
In 1987, American [[Country music|country]] and [[Christian music|Christian]] singer [[Cristy Lane]] recorded the song and released it as a single via [[LS Records]]. Lane's version was released as a double A-side single, peaking at number 88 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Country Songs]] chart.<ref name="Country Songs">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc.|year=2008|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref>
In September 2024 [[Craig David]] released the single "In Your Hands", based on the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grmdaily.com/craig-david-in-your-hands/|work=[[GRM Daily]]|title=Craig David flips a primary school clasic on new drop "In Your Hands"|first=Naimah|last=Archibald-Powell|date=27 September 2024|access-date=30 September 2024}}</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Christian child's prayer#Spirituals|Christian child's prayer § Spirituals]]
*[[Salvator Mundi]] - painting of Christ with orb (Earth) in left hand.
* [[List of one-hit wonders in the United States#1950s|List of 1950s one-hit wonders in the United States]]
==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}
==External links==
* [http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/laurie_london/hes_got_the_whole_world_in_his_hands.html Lyrics of this song]
{{CeCe Peniston}}
{{Perry Como}}
{{Cristy Lane}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:He's Got the Whole World in His Hands}}
[[Category:1927 songs]]
[[Category:1958 singles]]
[[Category:Perry Como songs]]
[[Category:Cristy Lane songs]]
[[Category:Nina Simone songs]]
[[Category:CeCe Peniston songs]]
[[Category:Paper Lace songs]]
[[Category:Andy Williams songs]]
[[Category:Glen Campbell songs]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Australia]]
[[Category:Gospel songs]]
[[Category:American children's songs]]
[[Category:African-American spiritual songs]]
[[Category:LS Records singles]]
[[Category:Parlophone singles]]
[[Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings]]