A Tale of Two Elders
On Mavis Staples' cover of Frank Ocean's "Godspeed"
Mavis Staples does what Kim Burrell should’ve done on “Godspeed.” While Burrell, a gospel singer, should’ve drawn us closer to God’s love, it’s hard not to hear Frank Ocean’s original recording of the song without being reminded that Burrell, who sings on the bridge and outro, hates gay people.
For those of us who grew up around church folk, Burrell’s harmful rhetoric about queer people isn’t anything we haven’t heard before. But for Ocean, who published an open letter in 2012 about his first love being a man, the pop star’s inclusion of Burrell felt confusing to his supporters—even Ocean’s mother, Katonya Breaux.
After a homophobic sermon of Burrell’s went viral in 2017, Breaux aired her out on Twitter: “Son, can we crop [Kim Burrell's] voice out of your song??” She added, “Hypocrisy and the inciting of hate pisses me off.”
Burrell’s dismissal of homosexuality as “perverted” and sinful is the same violence that has led the state to strip away protections from queer people. It’s also the same cruelty that forces LGBTQ+ folks to hide their sexuality in more traditional churches.
Staples started in the same church environment Burrell stills finds herself in. As the only surviving member of the Staple Singers, Mavis began touring with her family gospel band when she was eight years old. 78 years later, her mic is still on.
Last month, the legendary singer-songwriter covered Ocean’s “Godspeed” — and there’s a deep truth to Staples’ vocal performance that’s less present in the version featuring Burrell.
“Auntie Mavis,” as she’s known by her late brother Pervis’ children, doesn’t have any kids of her own. But when she opens the song, “I will always love you,” I believe her. Staples’ delivery of these words hugs me like she would one of her nieces and nephews.
At 85, Staples is closer in age to my grandmothers than any of my aunts. Grandma Thelma turns 91 at the end of this year, and Grandma Gwen would’ve been 81 if she was alive today. Both women taught me faith although they never handed me a Bible.
They handed me candy when they wanted to keep me calm at church. They handed me their music, which I still feel in my body to this day. They handed me cucumber slices after a long day at basketball camp.
When I think about God, I think about my grandmas. They embody goodness and overflow with love. And this is also how I feel about Staples’ cover. The care with which she holds this song feels like repentance—a correction of Ocean’s initial choice.
While speaking with The New York Times last year, Staples declared, “My voice is my gift from God.” She continued, “If I don’t use it, I’m abusing my gift.”
Where hate once resided, Staples brings gifts of love and acceptance. As a self-proclaimed fan of Ocean, she shared her appreciation for Frank’s 2016 album Blonde and the opening line in its second-to-last track, “Godspeed.”
“‘I will always love you’ just crushes me every time I hear it… or sing it,” described Staples. “It’s just such a beautiful song and he sounds amazing on it so I was a little nervous if we could pull it off.”
But Staples and her producer Brad Cook, who has worked with Bon Iver and Waxahatchee, did pull it off—and they did so beautifully. In the final line, Mavis sings, “You’ll have this place to call home, always.”
This line moves me just as much as the first, if not more. I think about my gay homies who knew they couldn’t be their whole selves at the church they gave so much of themselves to.
I think about the story that George M. Johnson told about their “Nanny” in All Boys Aren’t Blue and how she didn’t understand Johnson’s transgender cousin wanting to be called Hope, a name that better aligned with her identity as a woman, but vowed to call her Hope anyway.
“Okay, baby, now let me hug ya,” Nanny told Hope.
Mavis’ cover feels the way Hope must’ve felt in that moment. Wrapped in the arms of a loving Black elder, Hope is reminded she’s worthy of love—and she gets to hear this from someone whose age might indicate she wouldn’t understand but whose heart sees Hope for who she really is: another one of Nanny’s beloveds.
In Staples’ decision to cover Ocean, she chooses to continue loving, remaining open to beauty no matter what shape or form it comes in. A departure from Burrell, whose God resembles nothing of the one my grandmas introduced me to.
During a recent podcast conversation, my friend
told me, “God probably looks like Grandma.” And after listening to Staples’ cover, I’m fully convinced God sounds like Auntie Mavis.Thank you!
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“God probably looks like Grandma” is such a beautiful sentiment! I wasn’t raised religious but I have such an appreciation for Christianity as a form of love and family. Beautiful piece❤️
ok baby now let me hug ya...says me to Alex