Do You Wanna Be Happy?
It’s kind of a no-brainer, don’t you think? In fact, it’s not really much of a lie if we would say that it’s a goal for everybody at some point. But Kirk Franklin’s “Wanna Be Happy” offers us more than just the question. On the contrary, it offers some hard pills to swallow in the truth department. The song warns us of that fact in its first lines with:
The truth can hurt you
Or the truth can change you
What would the truth do to you.
Happiness is an arbitrary thing. Ask anyone what makes them happy and you’ll come up with many different answers. But here in “Wanna Be Happy,” it paints you a more unmasked face of what it means to chase happiness. Franklin introduces us to harsh truth bombs like:
But if I keep on doing the things that bring me pain
There’s no one else I can blame: If I’m not happy.
Kinda stings, right? But worry not, Franklin’s got you covered. In “Wanna Be Happy?” he does a great job reflecting on the woes of being human and the gravity of suffering that making bad decisions bring. But, Franklin does a great job translating the message of the song into a bop that people can jive with. He answers the question of why most of us aren’t happy. It might just be that we lack the Lord in our lives. He acknowledges that we need our Creator to guide us in our times of need and trouble. Franklin also did a fantastic job painting us a form of reassurance that our faith will not be in vain, and continues to sing praises to our Lord.
Kirk Franklin, The Reigning King of Urban Gospel
There’s no other name out there in the gospel music scene like Kirk Dewayne Franklin. He is a singer-songwriter, a record producer, and a choir director all in one. He is known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs and has won multiple awards in his career, including a whopping twelve Grammy Awards.
His body of work mostly consists of Gospel as he has devoted his passion and life to serving our Lord. His latest body of work entitled “Losing My Religion” has won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album in 2017. Critics have praised the album, calling it spirited and charismatic. It showed every bit of a powerful performer Franklin is. Its lead single is “Wanna Be Happy?”
Listen to the fantastic song below!
Tags
Country Gospel, gospel, Kirk Franklin