Tags
Earth Wind & Fire, flip-side, Funkadelic, Gospel Truths, Leon Lumpkins, Open Our Eyes, relearn, relive, Soul/Funk, spiritual Soul/Rock band, The Gospel Clefs
Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. I’m a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!—insatiable for your nourishing commands. ~ Psalm 119:118-120, MSG
“Open Our Eyes” is the title track from Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1974 album. This version of “Open Our Eyes,” which is one of my favorite songs by Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF), a spiritual Soul/Rock band founded by Maurice White in the 1970s, is both a remake of the traditional Gospel song originally recorded by The Gospel Clefs, and the classic Soul/Funk song recorded by Funkadelic.
The Gospel Clefs, from Newark, New Jersey, first recoded “Open Our Eyes” on their 1958 album, Leon Lumpkins and The Gospel Clefs. Funkadelic or The Parliaments, who originally were from Plainfield, New Jersey, first recorded “Open Our Eyes” as the 45 rpm flip-side to their 1969 Soul/Funk song, “I’ll Bet You.”
Unfortunately, sometimes we stray away from or miss the mark of the Gospel’s Truths. For this reason, we need Father God, via His Holy Spirit, to bring to our remembrance what thus saith the Lord Christ Jesus—we need the Holy Spirit to help us to relearn the Gospel of Christ Jesus, again. We also need Father God, via His Holy Spirit, to help us to relive (apply) the Gospel of Christ Jesus in our everyday living, again, and in such a way that the Gospel now has become more than mere doctrine and more than just information that we needed to master.
For the abovementioned reasons, I have included a YouTube version of EWF’s “Open Our Eyes,” and I have included the lyrics to this song, because it is my hope and prayer that, whenever we are demonstrating spiritual blindness in 2013, our Father God faithfully and continually would open our eyes. Both the lyrics and the YouTube presentation of EWF’s version of “Open Our Eyes” are below. Enjoy!
Father, open our eyes, that we may see To follow Thee, oh, Lord Grant us Thy lovin’ peace, oh yeah And let all dissension cease Let our faith each day increase, oh yeah And Master, yeah, please, yeah, oh please Open our eyes, open our eyes Open our eyes, Lord, open our eyes He has given us, hills and mountains He has given us, oh yeah, level plains He has given us food and clothing Gave us shelter from the storm and rain, oh yeah And all that He provided Kept us good, good, oh yeah From the storm and the plague Grant us Thy lovin’ peace, And let all dissension cease Let our faith each day increase, oh yeah And Master, yeah, yeah, oh yeahOpen our eyes, open our eyes Open our eyes, oh, open our eyes Yeah, yeah, ah, Lord And smile down on Your helpless children Yeah, Master, yeah Ummmm, ummmm… Open our eyes, yeah, open our eyes, yeah… Ummmm… yeah Yeah… Well, want You to smile down On Your helpless children Smile down on Your helpless children Hey, Master, do You hear me? Say, Master, can You hear me? Hey, Master, hey… Smile down on all the helpless children And starving children all around the land Yeah, everybody walkin’ ’round Nobody wanna be a man
Gone Fishin' 
Amen! We cerainly need to remember and rediscover genuine biblical christianlty. Great Post. Thank You.
Bishop Prince,
Thank you so much for once again visiting this blog, liking this post, and commenting about this post. Your kind remarks, agreement with the main point of this post (needing God sometimes to open our eyes to His biblical Truths), and your visible support are blessing me beyond words.
Blessings to you and all of your loved ones . . .
The Glory belongs to God but the pleasure is mine. You have blessed my soul today.
Wow! You learn something new everyday. I didn’t know that the Gospel Clefs was the first to recorded “Open Our Eyes.” All I know that this is an beautiful inspirational song. Love the way EWF recorded it. They made sure the message was sent. They way things are today, we need to “open our eyes!”
Eric,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. Yes, indeed, EWF is spreading a spiritual and inspirational message with their rendition of “Open Our Eyes.” I too only knew that I loved this song, the first time I heard EWF sing it. I didn’t know that it is a Gospel song first recorded by the Gospel Clefs, until I did some research.
The message in this song is timeless. For sure, so many people in this world today need to have their spiritual eyes opened.
Many blessings,
Nadine
i have been singing open our eyes for years starting out singing it as a little boy. I am 60yrs old and still touches me to sing it. one of the members of the gospel clefs Rev Raymond Andrews was my wifes pastor for years. I had found out he was a member of the gospel clefs years after I visited his church (Community Church of Faith, Nwk, NJ. I was a member of Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist, Nwk, NJ is where I first learned open our eyes.
Thurman,
Thank you so much for your comment. It’s a blessing to hear from someone who met/knows one of the members of the Gospel Clefs.
Every blessing,
Nadine