How about You

Song Meaning

Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "How About You" isn't just a gospel standard; it's a direct challenge, a spiritual dare flung across the decades. The song's insistent repetition of "How about you?" pierces the listener's defenses, demanding a response, a reckoning with one's own faith – or lack thereof. Tharpe doesn't preach from a detached pulpit; she testifies from the trenches, recounting her own nights of prayer and supplication, the vulnerability of offering herself to a higher power. This isn't abstract theology; it’s lived experience, raw and immediate, amplified by her signature guitar work. The genius of "How About You" lies in its understanding of the human condition. Tharpe acknowledges the cyclical nature of faith, the "ups and downs," the moments when we're "almost level with the ground." It's in these moments of vulnerability, she suggests, that the offer of faith becomes most potent. The lyrics explicitly state that giving your heart to Jesus will result in God standing by you. The song moves beyond simple belief, framing faith as a lifeline, a source of strength in the face of inevitable hardship. Tharpe isn't selling salvation; she's offering a hand. The final verse plunges into mortality, confronting the ultimate uncertainty. Facing death – "when I press my dying pillow" – Tharpe articulates a longing for divine acceptance, a desire to be "taken home to glory." This isn't a passive acceptance of fate, but an active plea, a final, desperate negotiation. The question "How about you?" takes on a new weight here. It's no longer just about embracing faith in life, but about facing death with hope, with the conviction that something lies beyond. The song is a powerful statement about the personal relationship with God, and the importance of individual choice in matters of faith.