Although my website Cocojams focuses on children's rhymes, it also has pages on other topics, including a page of YouTube links to {mostly} African American gospel & spiritual songs. That page may have been what promoted this information request this evening:

"Looking for the words to an old Negro gospel song. God Specializes- in the song I know that it says "and He will do what no-other power holy ghost power can do."
-Beverly C. Clark; 10/22/2008

-snip-

I remember the song "God Specializes" from my childhood or youth in New Jersey {1950s,1960s} . But because I wasn't sure about all of the words to that song, I decided to an online search. As a result of that search, I found an interesting discussion on namethathymn.com God Specializes.

Unlike most gospel songs that have a known composer, there are multiple & significantly different versions of "God Specializes" {also known as "Have You Any Rivers}. The words of the chorus appear to be more consistent than the words to the verses. But given that this song has a known composer-Oscar C. Eliason, why does it seem that the words of this gospel song been subjected to the folk process to the extent it has appeared to have been? It's also possible that the tune of this song might be different-though the tunes sung on three YouTube videos I watched were the same.

A post on that name that hymn discussion forum sheds some light on why the words to this song are much less fixed than most gospel songs. The poster indicates that he is the son of Oscar Eliason, and shared that his father wrote and publicly shared the chorus to the song long before he wrote the verses. Eliason speculates that this may be the reason why "God Specializes" has so many significanly different versions.

I'm starting this thread as a means of helping to preserve a link to & excepts of that name that hymn discussion of "God Specializes". I'm also starting this thread to provide an opportunity for Mudcat members/guests to also discuss this song. I've been working with Susan of DT to add some gospel songs to the Digitrad, and intend to include one or more versions of this song to that collection. And I have contacted Ms Clark and responded to her query on my website. In addition, I intend to let her know about this Mudcat thread.

Furthermore, I will add links on this thread to YouTube videos of "God Specializes" {Have You Any Rivers}.

I'm interested in knowing whether any Mudcat members/guests know the song "God Specializes", and if so, what version of the song you know.

Thanks, in advance, for your participation on this thread.