Well, here's what I found in the Traditional Ballad Index.
-Joe Offer-

---

He's Got the Whole World in His Hand(s)

DESCRIPTION: "He's got the whole world (right) in his hand (x3); He's got the whole world in his hand." The number of additional verses probably approximates the number of English speakers on earth; most are spiritual, but you can probably imagine some that aren't
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Warner 168, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hand" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 361, "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" (1 text)
Fuld-WFM, p. 273, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hand"
DT, WHOLWRLD
Roud #7501
RECORDINGS:
Bessie Johnson's Sanctified Singers, "The Whole World in His Hand" (OKeh 8765, 1930; rec. 1929; on Babylon)
File: Wa168

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

---

Here are the lyrics we have in the Digital Tradition:

HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HAND

He's got the whole world in his hand
The whole wide world in His hand,
He's got the whole world in his hand
He's got the whole world in his hand.

He's got you and me brother, in his hand (3x)
He's got the whole world in his hand.

He's got the little bitty babies in his hand (3x)
He's got the whole world in his hand.

He's got the lyin' man in his hand (3x)
He's got the whole world in his hand.

He's got the gamblin' man in his hand (3x)
He's got the whole world in his hand.

etc.
@religion @gospel
filename[ WHOLWRLD
SW

---

Laurie London 1958 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV7eFdpEB58

Mahalia Jackson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3NQSHZX-DY

Marion Williams - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzLLl1o32sE