Gospel or not?

[EP6873]

There have been some songs that have been released on various gospel cds and I didn't think they were gospel songs. For example, on "He Touched Me The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley" they have "In The Ghetto," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "An American Trilogy." Also if "You'll Never Walk Alone" on the cd of the same title is gospel, why isn't "If I Can Dream" gospel as well?

On the original cds, why are "A Thing Called Love" and "Run On" gospel songs? Are "Talk About The Good Times," "Life," and "I Shall Be Released" gospel songs?

Thanks guys, it seems like the categories are switched around a lot.

[agent]

He touched me,You'll never walk alone,Run on and A thing called love belongs to the gospel gategory The others on your's list are fake gospels. I shall be released is fooling song in studio and it si not Gospel,but they put in the gospel gategory!

[thehillbillycat]

There have been some songs that have been released on various gospel cds and I didn't think they were gospel songs. For example, on "He Touched Me The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley" they have "In The Ghetto," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "An American Trilogy." Also if "You'll Never Walk Alone" on the cd of the same title is gospel, why isn't "If I Can Dream" gospel as well?

On the original cds, why are "A Thing Called Love" and "Run On" gospel songs? Are "Talk About The Good Times," "Life," and "I Shall Be Released" gospel songs?

Thanks guys, it seems like the categories are switched around a lot.

You'll Never Walk Alone is a gospel song.
Bridge Over Troubled Water is not but lyrics when sung right can be a gospel song. The line "If you need a friend" can be referred to either Jesus or God. Garfunkel said that the moment when he performed it in Madison Square Garden in 1972 was "almost biblical".
An American Trilogy is made up of three songs as you may know. The Battle Hymn of the Republic has always been referred to a gospel song. "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" is the beginning lyric of the song.

Here is the whole song:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
?As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal?;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally ?let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.



It is considered as a hymn itself. So that is why An American Trilogy is considered as a gospel song.
In The Ghetto is no way can be referred as a gospel song. t is a narrative story of a young boy who grows up in the ghetto, steals and fights and who is eventually shot and killed.

[elvis himselvis]

I think the song ''A Thing Called Love" is a great gospel song.Really love that song,and when you listen to the song,you can't imagine it's a gospel song.

[Leroy]

There are several catagories: Gospel, Spiritual and Social. I believe that songs like "In The Ghetto" and "If I Can Dream" belong to the Social catagory.
Elvislennon already gave a very clear explanation about "The Battle Hymn of The Republic" part of "American Trilogy. He didn't mention the parts "Dixie" and the negro spiritual "All My Trails". But to me "An American Trilogy" is not a real Gospel song. It's more a piece of American history.

A Gospel song is a church song. At least it needs to have more than only a reference to the Lord. A perfect example is "You Gave Me a Mountain", which falls into the same group as "Help Me". You could see it as a sub-catagory Gospel Related songs.