He 's Got the Whole World in his Hands - wikipedia He 's Got the Whole World in his Hands Jump to : navigation , search He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands Problems playing this file ? See media help . `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' is a traditional American spiritual , first published in 1927 . It became an international pop hit in 1957 - 58 in a recording by English singer Laurie London , and has been recorded by many other singers and choirs . Contents ( hide ) 1 Traditional music sources 2 Laurie London recording 3 Covers and adaptations 4 In popular culture 5 References 6 External links Traditional Music sources ( edit ) The song was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant , Old and New in 1927 . In 1933 , it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina . It was also recorded by other collectors such as Robert Sonkin of the Library of Congress , who recorded it in Gee 's Bend , Alabama in 1941 . That version is still available at the Library 's American Folklife Center . Frank Warner performed the song during the 1940s and 1950s , and introduced it to the American folk scene . Warner recorded it on the Elektra album American Folk Songs and Ballads in 1952 . It was quickly picked up by both American gospel singers and British skiffle and pop musicians . Laurie London recording ( edit ) `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' Single by Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus B - side `` The Cradle Rock '' Released 1957 Recorded 1957 Label Parlophone Songwriter ( s ) Robert Lindon , William Henry The song made the popular song charts in a 1957 recording by English singer Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra , which reached # 12 on the UK singles chart in late 1957 . The songwriting on London 's record was credited to `` Robert Lindon '' and `` William Henry '' , which were pseudonyms used by British writers Jack Waller and Ralph Reader , who had used the song in their 1956 stage musical Wild Grows the Heather . Laurie London 's version then rose to # 1 of the Most Played by Jockeys song list in the USA and went to number three on the R&B charts in 1958 . The record reached # 2 on Billboard 's Best Sellers in Stores survey and # 1 in Cashbox 's Top 60 . It became a gold record and was the most successful record by a British male in the 1950s in the USA . It was the first , and remains , the only gospel song to hit # 1 on a U.S. pop singles chart ; `` Put Your Hand in the Hand ( of the Man ) '' by Ocean peaked at # 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1971 ; and `` Oh Happy Day '' by the Edwin Hawkins Singers reached # 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1969 . Covers and adaptations ( edit ) Mahalia Jackson 's version made the Billboard top 100 singles chart , topping at number 69 . Other versions were recorded by Marian Anderson ( in Oslo on August 29 , 1958 and released on the single His Master 's Voice 45 - 6075 AL 6075 and on the extended play En aften på `` Casino Non Stop '' , introdusert av Arne Hestenes ( HMV 7EGN 26 . It was arranged by Harry Douglas and Ed Kirkeby ) , Kate Smith , Odetta , Jackie DeShannon , Perry Como , the Sandpipers ( 1970 ; `` Come Saturday Morning '' LP ) and Nina Simone on And Her Friends ( recorded 1957 ) . Andy Williams released a version on his 1960 album , The Village of St. Bernadette . The Sisters of Mercy played it at the Reading Festival in 1991 . It is featured on The Good and the Bad and the Ugly bootleg album . Pat Boone recorded a version for his 1961 album Great , Great , Great . In 1995 , The Sisters of Glory , a gospel group that featured Thelma Houston , CeCe Peniston , Phoebe Snow , Lois Walden , and Albertina Walker , included the composition to their album Good News in Hard Times released on Warner Bros . Mike Doughty adapted the refrain of the song for a new song of a similar title on his album Sad Man Happy Man . Additionally , Doughty 's former band Soul Coughing performed a partial version live on occasion , usually as a segue into another song . In 1997 , Half Man Half Biscuit appropriated the melody of the song for their song `` Paintball 's Coming Home '' on the album Voyage to the Bottom of the Road In popular culture ( edit ) In February 1978 , English football team Nottingham Forest F.C. released `` We 've Got the Whole World in Our Hands '' ( Warner K17110 ) in conjunction with local band Paper Lace ; the B side featured `` The Forest March '' . The song has become a favourite in British football grounds , with the lyrics adapted in various ways ; for instance , `` We 're the worst team in the League '' has been heard at Rushden & Diamonds matches as well as Crystal Palace F.C. matches . In the 1982 film Tootsie , Dorothy Michaels ( Dustin Hoffman ) sings a line of the song to her ( his ) agent George Fields ( Sydney Pollack ) , changing the words to `` I 've got the whole world in my hands . '' The song was also used in the 1987 film Roxanne with Steve Martin . In the movie Con Air ( 1997 ) , Steve Buscemi plays a serial killer who sings `` He 's Got the Whole World '' with a little girl . In the movie RocketMan , also from 1997 , Harland Williams plays the role of an astronaut who sings `` I Have the Whole World in My Hands '' on a worldwide broadcast , and is then accompanied by millions of people around the world watching it . WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt started singing the song during his feud with John Cena , to accentuate Wyatt 's gimmick as a cult leader . Later used during his feud with Finn Balor . References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Boatner , Edward ( 1927 ) . Spirituals Triumphant , Old and New . Sunday School Publishing Board , National Baptist Convention . ^ Jump up to : Warner , Anne & Frank ( 1984 ) . Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne and Frank Warner Collection . Syracuse University Press . p. 384 . Jump up ^ `` Traditional Music and Spoken Word Catalog from the American Folklife Center ( Performing Arts Encyclopedia , The Library of Congress ) '' . Memory.loc.gov . Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 20 . Jump up ^ Warner , Frank ( 1952 ) . American Folk Songs and Ballads . Elektra Records . Jump up ^ `` Elektra Discography '' . Atsf.co.uk. 1954 - 04 - 19 . Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 20 . Jump up ^ Betts , Graham ( 2004 ) . Complete UK Hit Singles 1952 - 2004 ( 1st ed . ) . London : Collins . p. 460 . ISBN 0 - 00 - 717931 - 6 . Jump up ^ Wild Grows the Heather , Allmusic.com . Retrieved 25 February 2017 Jump up ^ Wild Grows the Heather , OvertheFootlights.co.uk . Retrieved 25 February 2017 Jump up ^ Whitburn , Joel ( 2004 ) . Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004 . Record Research . p. 359 . Jump up ^ `` Laurie London Biography - Music Artist Band Biographies - Artists Bands Bio - FREE MP3 Downloads '' . Music.us . Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 20 . Jump up ^ Bremner , Jack ( 2004 ) . `` Shit Ground No Fans '' . Bantam Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 593 - 05376 - 8 . External links ( edit ) Lyrics of this song CeCe Peniston singles 1990s Finally `` Finally '' `` We Got a Love Thang '' `` Keep On Walkin ' '' `` Crazy Love '' `` Inside That I Cried '' Thought ' Ya Knew `` I 'm in the Mood '' `` I 'm Not Over You '' `` Keep Givin ' Me Your Love '' `` Hit by Love '' I 'm Movin ' On `` Movin ' On '' `` Before I Lay ( You Drive Me Crazy ) '' The Best Of `` Somebody Else 's Guy '' `` I Like It '' `` Nobody Else '' `` He Loves Me 2 '' 2000s `` Lifetime to Love '' `` My Boo '' `` Reminiscin '' `` For My Baby '' `` Eternal Lover '' `` Deeper Love '' `` You Are the Universe '' `` I 'm Feelin ' U '' `` Above Horizons '' 2010s `` Nothing Can Stop Me '' `` Purple Funk '' Download `` Shame Shame Shame '' `` Still I '' `` In Love with a DJ '' `` Stoopid ! '' `` Celebrate '' `` You 've Never Seen '' `` All My Love '' `` Get to Steppin '' `` Let 's Go All Night '' `` Without You '' `` Love Do n't Take Over '' `` Sick '' `` Believe '' `` The DJ Made Me Stay '' `` Piece of That '' Promotional `` Hitmix '' `` Searchin ' '' `` House Party '' `` I Know You Want Me '' `` I Ca n't Go for That '' `` Dance with Me '' Other songs `` How I Got Over '' `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' `` Precious Memories '' `` Oh Happy Day '' `` Christmas Song '' `` What a Wonderful World '' `` Runnin ' Away '' Book Category Commons Template Portal Perry Como Albums So Smooth ( 1955 ) We Get Letters ( 1956 ) Saturday Night with Mr. C ( 1958 ) When You Come to the End of the Day ( 1958 ) Como Swings ( 1959 ) Season 's Greetings from Perry Como ( 1959 ) For the Young at Heart ( 1960 ) Sing to Me Mr. C ( 1961 ) By Request ( 1962 ) The Best of Irving Berlin 's Songs from Mr. President ( 1962 ) The Songs I Love ( 1963 ) The Scene Changes ( 1965 ) Lightly Latin ( 1966 ) Perry Como in Italy ( 1966 ) The Perry Como Christmas Album ( 1968 ) Look to Your Heart ( 1968 ) Seattle ( 1969 ) Perry Como in Person at the International Hotel , Las Vegas ( 1970 ) It 's Impossible ( 1970 ) I Think of You ( 1971 ) And I Love You So ( 1973 ) Perry ( 1974 ) Just Out of Reach ( 1975 ) 40 Greatest Hits ( 1975 ) The Best of British ( UK and Canada ) ( 1977 ) Where You 're Concerned ( US ) ( 1978 ) Perry Como ( 1980 ) Perry Como Live on Tour ( 1981 ) So It Goes / Goodbye for Now ( 1983 ) Today ( 1987 ) Perry Como 's Christmas Concert ( 1994 ) On the Radio -- The Perry Como Shows 1943 ( 2009 ) At the Supper Club ( 2010 ) At the Supper Club Part II ( 2011 ) At the Supper Club Part III ( 2011 ) Songs `` ' A ' You 're Adorable '' `` Ac - Cent - Tchu - Ate the Positive '' `` And I Love You So '' `` As Time Goes By '' `` Bali Ha'i '' `` Because '' `` Beyond Tomorrow '' `` Bibbidi - Bobbidi - Boo '' `` Blue Room '' `` A Bushel and a Peck '' `` Ca n't Help Falling in Love '' `` Catch a Falling Star '' `` Chi - Baba , Chi - Baba ( My Bambino Go to Sleep ) '' `` Confessin ' '' `` Days of Wine and Roses '' `` Deep in the Heart of Texas '' `` Delaware '' `` Do n't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes '' `` Dream Along with Me ( I 'm on My Way to a Star ) '' `` A Dreamer 's Holiday '' `` El Cóndor Pasa '' `` Feelings '' `` Fly Me to the Moon '' `` For the Good Times '' `` Forever and Ever '' `` Forget Domani '' `` Give Me Your Hand '' `` Glendora '' `` The Gypsy in My Soul '' `` Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas '' `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' `` Hello , Young Lovers '' `` Here , There and Everywhere '' `` Home for the Holidays '' `` Hot Diggity ( Dog Ziggity Boom ) '' `` A House Is Not a Home '' `` I Do n't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore '' `` I Dream of You ( More Than You Dream I Do ) '' `` I Think I Love You '' `` I 'll Be Home for Christmas '' `` If ( They Made Me a King ) '' `` It 's Been a Long , Long Time '' `` It 's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas '' `` Kewpie Doll '' `` The Lord 's Prayer '' `` Magic Moments '' `` Mandolins in the Moonlight '' `` Maria '' `` Moon River '' `` More '' `` No Other Love '' `` Papa Loves Mambo '' `` Prisoner of Love '' `` Round and Round '' `` Santa Claus Is Coming to Town '' `` Seattle '' `` The Shadow of Your Smile '' `` Some Enchanted Evening '' `` Somos Novios ( It 's Impossible ) '' `` The Songs I Love '' `` Stop ! And Think It Over '' `` Till the End of Time '' `` Unchained Melody '' `` Wanted '' `` The Way You Look Tonight '' `` What 'll I Do '' `` When You and I Were Young , Maggie '' `` Young at Heart '' Related Perry Como discography Perry Como television and radio shows Beat the Band The Chesterfield Supper Club List of songs recorded by Perry Como Goodman Ace Mitchell Ayres Ray Charles Frank Gallop Nick Perito Category Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=He%27s_Got_the_Whole_World_in_His_Hands&oldid=806509702 '' Categories : 1927 songs 1958 singles Perry Como songs Nina Simone songs CeCe Peniston songs Paper Lace songs Andy Williams songs Glen Campbell songs Number - one singles in Australia Number - one singles in the United States Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk More Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Norsk Edit links This page was last edited on 22 October 2017 , at 14 : 06 . 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he's got the whole world in his hands history
He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands Problems playing this file ? See media help . He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands Problems playing this file ? See media help . `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' is a traditional American spiritual , first published in 1927 . It became an international pop hit in 1957 - 58 in a recording by English singer Laurie London , and has been recorded by many other singers and choirs . The song was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant , Old and New in 1927 . In 1933 , it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina . It was also recorded by other collectors such as Robert Sonkin of the Library of Congress , who recorded it in Gee 's Bend , Alabama in 1941 . That version is still available at the Library 's American Folklife Center . Frank Warner performed the song during the 1940s and 1950s , and introduced it to the American folk scene . Warner recorded it on the Elektra album American Folk Songs and Ballads in 1952 . It was quickly picked up by both American gospel singers and British skiffle and pop musicians . `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' Single by Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus B - side `` The Cradle Rock '' Released 1957 Recorded 1957 Label Parlophone Songwriter ( s ) Robert Lindon , William Henry `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' Single by Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus B - side `` The Cradle Rock '' Released 1957 Recorded 1957 Label Parlophone Songwriter ( s ) Robert Lindon , William Henry The song made the popular song charts in a 1957 recording by English singer Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra , which reached # 12 on the UK singles chart in late 1957 . The songwriting on London 's record was credited to `` Robert Lindon '' and `` William Henry '' , which were pseudonyms used by British writers Jack Waller and Ralph Reader , who had used the song in their 1956 stage musical Wild Grows the Heather . Laurie London 's version then rose to # 1 of the Most Played by Jockeys song list in the USA and went to number three on the R&B charts in 1958 . The record reached # 2 on Billboard 's Best Sellers in Stores survey and # 1 in Cashbox 's Top 60 . It became a gold record and was the most successful record by a British male in the 1950s in the USA . It was the first , and remains , the only gospel song to hit # 1 on a U.S. pop singles chart ; `` Put Your Hand in the Hand ( of the Man ) '' by Ocean peaked at # 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1971 ; and `` Oh Happy Day '' by the Edwin Hawkins Singers reached # 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1969 . Mahalia Jackson 's version made the Billboard top 100 singles chart , topping at number 69 . Other versions were recorded by Marian Anderson ( in Oslo on August 29 , 1958 and released on the single His Master 's Voice 45 - 6075 AL 6075 and on the extended play En aften på `` Casino Non Stop '' , introdusert av Arne Hestenes ( HMV 7EGN 26 . It was arranged by Harry Douglas and Ed Kirkeby ) , Kate Smith , Odetta , Jackie DeShannon , Perry Como , the Sandpipers ( 1970 ; `` Come Saturday Morning '' LP ) and Nina Simone on And Her Friends ( recorded 1957 ) . Andy Williams released a version on his 1960 album , The Village of St. Bernadette . The Sisters of Mercy played it at the Reading Festival in 1991 . It is featured on The Good and the Bad and the Ugly bootleg album . Pat Boone recorded a version for his 1961 album Great , Great , Great . In 1995 , The Sisters of Glory , a gospel group that featured Thelma Houston , CeCe Peniston , Phoebe Snow , Lois Walden , and Albertina Walker , included the composition to their album Good News in Hard Times released on Warner Bros . Mike Doughty adapted the refrain of the song for a new song of a similar title on his album Sad Man Happy Man . Additionally , Doughty 's former band Soul Coughing performed a partial version live on occasion , usually as a segue into another song . In 1997 , Half Man Half Biscuit appropriated the melody of the song for their song `` Paintball 's Coming Home '' on the album Voyage to the Bottom of the Road In February 1978 , English football team Nottingham Forest F.C. released `` We 've Got the Whole World in Our Hands '' ( Warner K17110 ) in conjunction with local band Paper Lace ; the B side featured `` The Forest March '' . The song has become a favourite in British football grounds , with the lyrics adapted in various ways ; for instance , `` We 're the worst team in the League '' has been heard at Rushden & Diamonds matches as well as Crystal Palace F.C. matches . In the 1982 film Tootsie , Dorothy Michaels ( Dustin Hoffman ) sings a line of the song to her ( his ) agent George Fields ( Sydney Pollack ) , changing the words to `` I 've got the whole world in my hands . '' The song was also used in the 1987 film Roxanne with Steve Martin . In the movie Con Air ( 1997 ) , Steve Buscemi plays a serial killer who sings `` He 's Got the Whole World '' with a little girl . In the movie RocketMan , also from 1997 , Harland Williams plays the role of an astronaut who sings `` I Have the Whole World in My Hands '' on a worldwide broadcast , and is then accompanied by millions of people around the world watching it . WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt started singing the song during his feud with John Cena , to accentuate Wyatt 's gimmick as a cult leader . Later used during his feud with Finn Balor . In February 1978 , English football team Nottingham Forest F.C. released `` We 've Got the Whole World in Our Hands '' ( Warner K17110 ) in conjunction with local band Paper Lace ; the B side featured `` The Forest March '' . The song has become a favourite in British football grounds , with the lyrics adapted in various ways ; for instance , `` We 're the worst team in the League '' has been heard at Rushden & Diamonds matches as well as Crystal Palace F.C. matches . In the 1982 film Tootsie , Dorothy Michaels ( Dustin Hoffman ) sings a line of the song to her ( his ) agent George Fields ( Sydney Pollack ) , changing the words to `` I 've got the whole world in my hands . '' The song was also used in the 1987 film Roxanne with Steve Martin . In the movie Con Air ( 1997 ) , Steve Buscemi plays a serial killer who sings `` He 's Got the Whole World '' with a little girl . In the movie RocketMan , also from 1997 , Harland Williams plays the role of an astronaut who sings `` I Have the Whole World in My Hands '' on a worldwide broadcast , and is then accompanied by millions of people around the world watching it . WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt started singing the song during his feud with John Cena , to accentuate Wyatt 's gimmick as a cult leader . Later used during his feud with Finn Balor .