The Deslondes released “What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” as a single in 2016, but the song dates back to 1901 when it was penned by Charles Albert Tindley. A Methodist minister, Tindley composed almost 50 hymns during his lifetime and is often considered a godfather of gospel. One of his compositions contained lyrics later included in “We Shall Overcome.”
“What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” — sometimes written as “What Are They Doing?” or “What Are They Doing in Heaven?” — features a narrator looking back at the lives of his friends who have suffered due to poverty or disease. Nevertheless, it’s a hopeful song that envisions their salvation. The song has been recorded dozens of times by countless musicians as varied as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Vince Gill, Mogwai, and Colin Stetson.
“What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” is a noted favorite of Mavis Staples, who recorded a version with The Staple Singers on their 1965 album “This Little Light.” In 2013, she re-recorded the track for her album “One True Vine,” produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. In an interview, she recalled hearing the gospel at her grandmother’s church in Mississippi. “This church was just wooden floors, wooden benches, no organ, no piano. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard in my life. I’ll never forget it, one song they would sing…is ‘What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” she said.
