An interesting (but probably unsurprising) tidbit about myself: my Spotify is exclusively used for showtunes. That’s right, all 587 tracks I have saved on my account are from musicals. I was listening to them in shuffle mode and I realized that many of my favorite showtunes are similar: huge showstoppers with large ensembles, lots of brass, and even more belting. I did some research, and there’s a name for them: “Fake Gospel” songs. This article defines them as such: “For no good reason — often in the second act when things are getting slow — a character leads the ensemble in a song that both parodies and straightforwardly incorporates gospel elements: call-and-response, references to Gabriel and judgment day, and such. Often the character starts the song alone and then everyone else on stage gets into the spirit of the thing.” TV Tropes calls them “Gospel Revival Numbers:” “Often in The Musical, one character will get the ensemble to join in on a rousing gospel song. You know the one.”

Once I realized that this trope existed, I compiled a list of my favorite fake gospel songs. (What can I say, I love making lists.) Some songs did not make the cut due to a variety of factors: not being upbeat (“I Know Where I’ve Been” from Hairspray or “Find Your Grail” from Spamalot); being a straight-up gospel song (anything in Sister Act); or just not being quite gospel-y enough (the Finale of Little Shop of Horrors). This list is in no particular order.

Blow, Gabriel, Blow (Anything Goes)

Side note: “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” is probably my favorite showtune of all time. In it, Reno Sweeney (“the world’s most sensuous sermonizer”) encourages her fellow shipmates to confess their sins. It’s the definitive “fake gospel” song: it’s most definitely a show tune, but it incorporates the theme of the angel Gabriel and repentance. I had a hard time choosing between the Sutton Foster and Patti LuPone versions, but in the end Patti’s pipes won out.

Run, Freedom, Run (Urinetown)

Coincidentally, the title “Run, Freedom, Run” is formatted exactly how “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” is. However, that’s not their only similarity: “Run, Freedom, Run” serves exactly the same purpose in Urinetown as “Gabriel” does in Anything Goes: it gives the lead a chance to inspire his people to move the story forward. However, “Freedom” is more of a parody of the “fake gospel” trope, mainly because Urinetown is a very self-aware parody of musicals in general. Oh, and Hunter Foster (brother of Sutton) sings it. Pretty cool, right?

Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat (Guys and Dolls)

Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” from Guys and Dolls is, thematically, the exact same as “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” (even more so than “Run, Freedom, Run” is). Like Reno tells her story of being rescued from the Devil by Gabriel’s horn, this time around it’s gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson fabricating a dream that he had where the Devil dragged him down to hell, only to be save by the cries of the people not to rock the boat. But unlike “Gabriel,” this is Guys and Dolls‘ one showstopper. Thankfully, Nicely-Nicely, a supporting character, gets the job done.

Brotherhood of Man (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)

“Brotherhood of Man” typically doesn’t strike one as a gospel number, or even faux-gospel one. Unless you take a look at how the 1995 Broadway revival interpreted it: they took a bubbly and energetic, but rather straight-laced, 11 o’clock number, added Lillias White, and created an entirely different number. Matthew Broderick, as lead J. Pierrepont Finch, actually sings the song conservatively. It’s not until White, playing secretary Miss Jones, enters that we learn the Brotherhood of Man includes scatting. She singlehandedly blows the roof off this number (with the help of some imaginative re-orchestration).

Beethoven Day (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown)

To be honest, I had never listened to any of the score of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. After hearing “Beethoven Day,” it’s now at the top of the list of shows I need to listen to. Unlike the previous songs on this list, “Beethoven Day” is not inspirational; rather it’s celebratory—the entire song is dedicated to composer Ludwig van Beethoven. My favorite part of it is the juxtaposition of the quasi-gospel style and the famous motifs of Beethoven’s 5th and 9th symphonies. Beethoven would be proud. I think.

We Beseech Thee (Godspell)

Given that Godspell is a religious-themed musical, you’d expect a good gospel song in there. And it delivers, with “We Beseech Thee.” This quirky little number isn’t like “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” or “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” In fact, it has more of a folk-rock flavor than it does gospel, but the lyrics were enough for “We Beseech Thee” to land a spot on this list. According to composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, the lyrics are directly from the Episcopal hymnal. Well, most of them.

Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News (The Wiz)

I almost didn’t add this one, because it subverts the trope of using the gospel sound to deliver a similarly-pure message: “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” is a cleverly-disguised villain song. It’s the Act II opener, and introduces Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. She’s a pretty evil witch: in the movie version of The Wiz, she’s shown whipping her Winged Monkeys when they’re already passed out. Yikes. Plus, it’s a gospel song in a black musical. So of course it’s good.

For now,

The Drowsy Owl