Song Study: How Lauryn Hill’s ‘Tell Him’ from ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is an Ode to 1 Corinthians 13
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which was released on August 25,1998, has become one of the most critically acclaimed albums in recent music history.
The album, written mostly by Hill, was her breakout from the popular group The Fugees.
Lauryn Hill (Middle) smiles with former Fugee bands, Wyclef Jean (Right) and Pras Michel (Left)
Nearly every song on the album is lyrical perfection. However, one must note that the album appears to be strongly influenced by scripture.
When asked why the album has such a palpable gospel influence Hill stated:
Gospel music is music inspired by the gospels. In a huge respect, a lot of this music turned out to be just that. During this album, I turned to the Bible and wrote songs that I drew comfort from.” Quote from Chris Nickson’s book Lauryn Hill: She’s Got That Thing
Of all the biblical influences from Miseducation, I believe that Tell Him is singularly the most magnificent example of Hill using scripture as her co-writer.
The song Tell Him is a lushly produced acoustic guitar and snare drum driven slow jam about showing your love to your romantic partner by aligning your words with your actions.
Tell Him also directly heralds many of its lyrics from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Background
Illustrated depiction of the Apostle Paul writing a letter (Pacific Press Public Association)
If you have ever heard the often used phrase, “Love is patient, Love is kind..,” then you have some idea what 1 Corinthians 13 is about.The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to one of the very first churches located in Corinth.
As a founding church leader, Paul wrote to the people of Corinth to exemplify to them Christian examples of how to conduct themselves in many situations.
Paul wrote to Corinth about marriage, the temple of the body, faith, fornication and many other topics.Midway through the letter Paul begins speaking to the church about love/charity.Some translations interchange love with the word charity, but 1 Corthians 13: 1-13 is truly about having and showing love for your neighbor.
Paul expresses the importance of love above wealth, giving, or any other good thing or deed.He confesses that there isn’t a single spiritual gift or morsel of knowledge more important than having love in your heart for others.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ends confessing that faith, hope, and love all abide, but the greatest of them all is love.
Tell Him and 1 Corinthians 13
Now, let us go sentence by sentence of the lyrics in Tell Him and highlight each line that derived from scripture.The italicized sections are lyrics derived from scripture and the emboldened sections are the scriptures the italicized lyrics came from.
Tell Him
Let be patient, let me be kind.
(1 Corinthians 13: 4 KJV)
Make me be unselfish, without being blind.
(1 Corinthians 13:4 KJV)
Though I may suffer, I’ll envy It not;
(1 Corinthians 13:4 KJV and 1 Corinthians 13: 5 KJV)
And endure what comes,
‘Cause he’s all that I got.
I tell him.
*1 Corinthians 13:4 KJV – Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
*1 Corinthians 13:5 KJV – Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Tell him I need him.
Tell him I love him,
And it’ll be alright.
Tell him, tell him,
I need him.
Tell him I love him.
I’ll be alright.
Now I may have faith to make mountains fall,
But If I lack love, I am nothing at all.
(1 Corinthians 13:2 KJV)
I can give away everything I possess,
(1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV)
But and without love then I have no happiness.
*1 Corinthians 13:2 KJV – And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
*1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV – And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
I know I’m not perfect,
And not without sin.
(1 John 1:8 NIV)
But now that I’m older,
All childish things end and I tell him.
(1 Corinthians 13: 11 KJV)
*1 John 1:8 NIV – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
*1 Corinthians 13:11 KJV – When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I though as a child: put when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Tell him I need him.
Tell him I love him,
And I’ll be alright.
Tell him, tell him, I need him.
Tell him, I love him.
I’ll be alright.
I’ll never be jealous,
And I won’t be too proud,
‘cause love is not boastful,
(1 Corinthians 13: 4 *NLT)
Ooh and love is not loud.
1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT– Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Tell him I need him.
Tell him I love him.
Everything’s gonna be alright.
Now I many have wisdom
and knowledge on earth,
(1 Corinthians 13:2 KJV)
But If speak wrong,
then what is it worth?
See what we now know,
is nothing compared,
(1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV)
To the love that was shown,
when our lives were spared
and tell him…
*1 Corinthians 13:2 KJV – And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing
*1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV– For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Tell him I need him,
Tell him I love him,
And It’ll be alright.
Tell Him, tell him, I need him.
Tell him I love him,
It’ll be alright.
Tell him that I need him,
It’ll be alright.
It’ll be alright, see.
I’ll be alright, see.
When the evening comes. . .
In the night time,
In the morning,
In the evening baby.
The Final Note
How amazing that a song written over 20 years ago, inspired by a book written thousands of years before that is still relevant today?
Love is indeed is the greatest gift that trumps everything other than itself.
Truly if we have no love, then we have nothing at all.
In this difficult time in human history, follow the advice of the Apostle Paul and Lauryn Hill; place love in your heart – true love, toward your neighbor, family, and friends – and many good things will inevitably follow.
