To get the ball rolling, here's a thread about songs that inspire you.
Name the song, state the reason that it inspires you and provide the lyrics.
Also, just a couple of quick notes:
If you have a topic in mind you'd like to see discussed, shoot me an email and I'll post an entry for that topic. Or, if you'd like to be an author for this blog, then create a blogger account if you don't already have one and I'll add you as an author. (The blog can have up to 100 authors)
Okay, there are a lot of songs that I find inspiring, but I'm going to start with the Batlle Hymn of the Republic.
The history behind this song dates back to the civil war, where marching troops would sing a song named "John Brown's Body". This song was not all that inspirational, although the tune was quite catchy. Julia Ward Howe would watch the marching troops singing this song and thought there could be a much more uplifting and inspiring message portrayed with that tune, so she came up with some lyrics for the old "John Brown's Body" tune.
It has been changed just a little over the years and there may well be different versions of it today (I'm not sure), but here are the original words:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift swordHis truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps; they have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lampsHis day is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat; O be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; as He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, while God is marching on.
Chorus:
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
That is a great song, Doobie.
It's funny though. I am a pianist and I love all sorts of music. I sang in high school. But despite growing up in a church that sings and quotes hymns like there's no tomorrow, the sacred songs just don't do it for me.
However the music behind some of the hymns has been known to touch me when playing them on the piano.
Anonymous [aka Chris Knight]
Music is quite powerful and can invoke all sorts of emotions if well composed and performed.
One problem with this thread is that we just have the words, not the music, which is often the most powerful. My thought was people could Google the song title and likely find an MP3, MIDI or whatever online to hear what it sounds like.
What some of the songs you played on the piano that touched you more by the music than the lyrics?
Good idea. One tune I like is Each Life That Touches Ours for Good. Another is Because I Have Been Given Much but the MP3 was not posted due to copyright restrictions.
Chris Knight
One of my very favorite hymns is "How Firm a Foundation" especially 3rd verse...
"Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand."
Good blog
Camille
Before my mission, I never really cared much for the song Chris mentioned above: "Because I Have Been Given Much". I had casually chosen it as the concluding song at my missionary farewell service because it seemed to match thematically. But I still recall the day in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) about a month later when it hit me like a ton of bricks! I had a hard time getting through it that day, as my heart was so filled with gratitude for all that I had been given by God, my parents, siblings, and friends. When your heart is that full, you just have to give, too. It has meant so much more to me since then.
Thanks for mentioning it, Chris.
I don't want to let this thread die, so I'm going to post another song. This one we sang in Ward Council just this morning. It is called "More Holiness Give Me".
Here are the words to the first verse:
More Holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suff'ring, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my savior, more sense of his care.
More joy in his service, more purpose in prayer.
I like that last line in particular, "more purpose in prayer". Prayer should have purpose, not just some empty thing we say just before going to bed or eating a meal. I don't think I think of that often enough when praying. I'll have to work on it.
Well, I was going to post a totally Roman Catholic hymn to this blog but I somehow lost the courage to do so. I'm not sure what sort of audience we have here, and I didn't feel like fending off a lot of criticism right at the start.
Let me offer instead something a little bit more 'ecumenical' - that is, common to more religions:
Here's an absolute favorite of mine: "Glory and Praise to Our God"/ Dan Schutte. I like to sing this song (in my head) every morning as I start my day.
The refrain...
"Glory and praise to our God, who alone gives light to our days, many are the blessings he bears to those who walk in his ways."
It inspires me to thank God for all that He has given me in the past and all of the gifts that await me in the day ahead.
To those of you more interested in getting a taste of Roman Catholicism, try googling "Ave Maria".
Anonymous, please post your Roman Catholic song. I'm not sure what kind of audience we have here either, but I'm sure that we have at least one Roman Catholic.
I'll say this for everybody, please don't be afraid of having to fend off criticism for something that you post. And everyone else, please remember that everyone's beliefs are valid and deserve respect.
I think this forum will be more beneficial for all if we can open share ideas and beliefs and all respect those ideas and beliefs of others, even if we don't share them.
I really haven't heard many Roman Catholic hymns and would be interested to hear more.
"Ave Maria" is an amazing song! I haven't studied the words in depth, but I love hearing it sung and/or played instrumentally. It certainly brings a level of spiritual peace for me.
Good call, anonymous.
OK, I'm not anonymous any more - I figured out how to post things with my own identity.
"Ave Maria" is based on a very common Catholic prayer, which we recite frequently:
"Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
This is all hinged on the Catholic belief that Mary is the mother of Jesus, who we believe to be the Son of God.
I just recently saw a sacrament meeting program put on by what is called the special needs mutual, which basically consists of individuals who have some type of a handicap (sorry if that is not the PC term for it), such as Down syndrome, blind, deaf, etc. These special and spiritual individuals sang a song that is called, The Test. Here are the words to that song:
Tell me friend, why are you blind?
Why doesn't He who worked the miracles
send light into your eyes?
Tell me friend, if you understand, why doesn't He with power to raise the dead
just make you whole again?
It would be so easy for Him.
I watch you and in sorrow question why
Then you, my friend in perfect faith reply;
Didn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say we could live with Him forevermore, well and whole
If we but patiently endure
After the trial we will be blessed,
but this life is the test.
Tell me friend, I see your pain.
why, when you pray in faith for healing
Does the crippling thorn remain?
Help me see, If you understand,
why doesn't He who healed the lame man
Come with healing in His wings
It would be so easy for Him.
I watch you and in sorrow question why
then you, my friend, in perfect faith reply;
Didn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say we could live with Him forevermore, well and whole
If we but patiently endure?
Tell me Love, why must you die?
Why must your loved ones stand with empty arms
and ask the question "why"?
Help me know, so I can go on
How, when your love and faith sustained me,
Can the precious gift be gone?
From the depths of sorrow I cry,
Though pains of grief within my soul arise
The whisperings of the spirit still my cries:
Didn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't he say we could live with H im forevermore,
well and whole, if we but patiently endure?
After the trial we will be blessed,
but this life is the test.
Post a Comment