"Going Up Yonder" by Tramaine Hawkins, contributed by Aimee Howard (2025)
For my Scalar addition, I would like to include "Going Up Yonder" by Tramaine Hawkins. This song holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, particularly within the Black Protestant tradition, where it is often sung during funerals and homegoing services. Told from the perspective of someone preparing for death, the lyrics offer a message of peace, purpose, and hope—reminding listeners that death is not an end, but a transition to a better place. A snapshot of this remembrance is offered by the lyrics:
"I can take the pain
The heartaches they bring
The comfort's in knowing
I'll soon be gone.
As God gives me grace,
I'll run this race
Until I see my Savior face to face."
This song is a way of affirming that the struggles and sorrows of this world do not define the totality of a person’s journey. Instead, it re-centers the idea that life continues beyond the physical, and that reunion with the divine is both promised and comforting.
In communities where so much loss has been borne and where mourning is often communal, "Going Up Yonder" functions as both a balm and a celebration. It allows space for sadness, but also insists on the dignity and grace of the one who is leaving. It is a powerful sonic reminder that heaven is not far off, and that the soul is never lost—it is simply going home.