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The Soul of a Man Lyrics

Won't somebody tell me, answer if you can!
Want somebody tell me, what is the soul of a man
I'm going to ask the question, answer if you can

If anybody here can tell me, what is the soul of a man?
I've traveled in different countries, I've traveled foreign lands
I've found nobody to tell me, what is the soul of a man

I saw a crowd stand talking, I came up right on time
Were hearing the doctor and the lawyer, say a man ain't nothing but his mind
I read the bible often, I tries to read it right

As far as I can understand, a man is more than his mind
When Christ stood in the temple, the people stood amazed
Was showing the doctors and the lawyers, how to raise a body from the grave
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Cover art for The Soul of a Man lyrics by Blind Willie Johnson

A timeless song that reaches for meaning and understanding by asking a question that has no definite single answer; it's open to interpretation, opinion, and feeling. The song carries weight because it touches on a universal concern -- what is it about us/humans that can be called a "soul"? Some of us think we know, some might say you can't define it but it's something you know when you see it in someone else -- but the song just captures the question and asks it in musical form, with a lively melody and standard blues song structure. Haunting and compelling, a song by a blind black musician/preacher from the late 1920s retains its power across the ages.

 
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