"I Had a Good Father and Mother" is a 1929 gospel blues song by Washington Phillips (1880–1954, vocals and zither).[2] The song has sometimes been covered as "I Had a Good Mother and Father"; or with, in both cases, "Real" inserted before "Good".

Unusually, the song does not have a conventional refrain; instead, the verses are separated by a wordless vocalise.

The final verse reflects a concept mentioned several times in the Gospel of John:

  • A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. – John 13:34
  • As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. – John 15:9
  • This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. – John 15:12

The recording history suggests that the song was composed by Phillips himself: there seems to be no earlier or contemporary version, nor any cover version until 64 years after his recording of the song.[citation needed]

Recordings

References

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