Lyrics Page
The Lining Of The Hymn
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Sep 2, 2026 updated
Verified editorial review
Donald Lawrence's spoken-word piece, uploaded in 2025, reflects on the enduring cultural and spiritual pulse carried by African American communities through music and worship. He describes how, despite historical restrictions on reading, writing, and drumming, the rhythm was preserved in body percussion and the lining out of hymns. The song celebrates this embedded technology of worship and work, connecting past resilience to present praise. It is a powerful reminder of heritage and the unbroken connection between faith and culture.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team
There is a pulse
And we are the technology that carries that pulse
And through our music
Despite what folks have said that we did not carry our culture with us
There remains embedded in us that pulse
Despite being restricted by law to read, write and to beat our drums
We carried the drums within us
Our body percussion
Our stomps
Our pats
Our claps
Our snaps
And in the lining out of hymns
We actually see how we took our worship and made it utility for the work
And so with this song we are brought into the power of the pulse
The technology within us
The worship and the work of the people