The post today is out of order from the list provided in the song, but as it was Sunday I thought it made slightly more sense. So today we will be praying and tomorrow comes thinking.
“My Prayer” is a 1939 song with music by salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title Avant de mourir (Before dying) 1926. The lyrics for this version were added by Kennedy in 1939. Glenn Miller recorded the song that year for a number two hit and The Ink Spots’ version featuring Bill Kenny reached number three, as well, that year. It has been recorded many times since, but the biggest hit version was a doo-wop rendition in 1956 by The Platters, whose single release reached number one on the Billboard in the summer, and ranked four for the year.
“I Say a Little Prayer” is a song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dione Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number eight. “I Say a Little Prayer” also returned to the Pop & R&B Top Ten in the fall of 1968 via a recording by Aretha Franklin taken from her 1968 album Aretha Now. “Prayer” became Franklin’s ninth and last consecutive Hot 100 top 10 hit on the Atlantic label. Franklin’s “Prayer” has a special significance in her UK career, as with its September 1968 No. 4 peak it became Franklin’s biggest UK hit.
Save a Prayer” is the sixth single by the English band Duran Duran, released in August 1982. The song was the third single taken from their second album Rio (1982). It became Duran Duran’s biggest hit (at the time) in the UK, reaching number two. It was not originally issued as a single in the United States, although the music video was very popular on MTV. A special US single version was finally released in January 1985 and reached number 16 on the Billboard.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” is a song by the American rock band Bon Jovi, and is the band’s second chart-topping single from their third album Sliipery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band their first No. 1 on the Billboard rock chart and their second consecutive No. 1 Billboard hit. “Livin’ on a Prayer” is the band’s signature song, topping fan-voted lists and re-charting around the world decades after its release.
“Down in the River to Pray” is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an Appalachian song, and a Southern gospel song. The exact origin of the song is unknown. Many songs sung by victims of slavery contained coded messages for escaping. When the enslaved people escaped, they would walk in the river because the water would cover their scent from the bounty-hunters’ dogs. Similarly, the “starry crown” could refer to navigating their escape by the stars. And “Good Lord, show me the way” could be a prayer for God’s guidance to find the escape route, commonly known as “the Underground Railroad.” Alison Krauss sang a popular version in the film ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ (2000).
“Makes Me Wanna Pray” is a track from Back to Basics the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released in August 2006, in the United States through RCA Records as a double album. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard with first-week sales of 346,000 copies. Back to Basics achieved similar success internationally, reaching the top of the charts in over fifteen countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK.
