Grateful People

Anthony Brown's “Grateful People” is a live gospel song that begins as a question: “Show me the grateful people, where are the grateful people? I need to know where I belong, 'cause I'm one of the grateful people.” The first verse starts with the morning, “the early morning's rising just to see another day,” and the crowd answers with “I am grateful.”

The reasons are listed one by one, such as “life, health and strength,” being kept “through dangers that were seen and unseen,” and God “looking past all of my faults and seeing all of my needs.” The bridge quotes the old church saying, “If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, I just don't know where I'd be,” and adds, “You don't have to know the whole story, just know my God has been good to me.” The later section gives thanks line by line, “for waking me up this morning, clothed and in my right mind,” and for breaking every burden and chain.

Giving thanks in all things is 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The Lord who was on our side is Psalm 124:1-2, and thanks for his goodness is Psalm 107:1.