Category Archives: Music

On January 20th

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All of the Presidents pictured above were sworn into office on this day.

1569 – The translator of the Bible into English, Miles Coverdale, dies at 80

1942 – Slim Whitman, yodeler and country singer, was born.  Below are two videos of him singing “Indian Love Call.”  The first is from Mars Attacks.

1948 - Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.  A few quotes from him follow.

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.”

1993 - Audrey Hepburn, actress in My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Roman Holiday, dies of colon cancer in Switzerland at 63.

On January 18th

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1782 – Lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster was born in Salisbury, N.H. A few quotes from Webster follow.

“A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures.”
“There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange.”
“I mistrust the judgment of every man in a case in which his own wishes are concerned.”

1788 – The first English settlers arrived in Australia’s Botany Bay to establish a penal colony

1882 – A.A. Milne, author and creator of Winnie the Pooh, was born.

1913 – The American actor and comedian Danny Kaye was born.  Here he is singing the song “Inchworm” from the movie Hans Christian Anderson.

1980 – One of my favorite albums of all time, Pink Floyd’s The Wall hits number 1 on Billboard.  Below is the song “Another Brick in the Wall.”

On January 17th

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1706 – Benjamin Franklin, statesman and inventor, was born.  At the age of 26, he outlined a list of virtues, which he then attempted to emulate in his daily life.  The following is taken from wikipedia:

These are the virtues[13] that Benjamin Franklin used to develop what he called ‘moral perfection’. He had a checklist in a notebook to measure each day how he lived up to his virtues. They became known through Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography.

  1. Temperance: Eat not to Dullness. Drink not to Elevation.
  2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling Conversation.
  3. Order: Let all your Things have their Places. Let each Part of your Business have its Time.
  4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
  5. Frugality: Make no Expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e. Waste nothing.
  6. Industry: Lose no Time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary Actions.
  7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
  8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing Injuries or omitting the Benefits that are your Duty.
  9. Moderation: Avoid Extremes. Forbear resenting Injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no Uncleanness in Body, Clothes or Habitation.
  11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at Trifles, or at Accidents common or unavoidable.
  12. Chastity: Rarely use Venery but for Health or Offspring; Never to Dullness, Weakness, or the Injury of your own or another’s Peace or Reputation.
  13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

1931 – James Earl Jones, Actor and the voice of Darth Vader, was born.  If my life was to be narrated by anyone, I would have it be James Earl Jones, followed by Morgan Freeman.  Here Jones is in a scene from one of my favorite movies:  Field of Dreams.

1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, was arrested by secret police in Hungary and never heard from again.  To read more about Wallenberg, click here.  Wallenberg once said, “I encounter one example after another of how relative truth is.”

1956 – Paul Young, Rock singer, was born.  Young was one of my favorites in the early 80s.  Below is a video:  Love of the Common People.

The Comforter Has Come

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Music and Video from the group Jars of Clay.  This is for their song “The Comforter Has Come,” which speaks of the gift of God’s Spirit and presence with us.  Pentecost is just around the corner after all!

Btw, I think this is a beautiful song and hope to learn to play it on my git-fiddle (guitar) before May 23rd so I can sing it in church

The Prodigal

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There are two hymns that I love that focus on the parable of the prodigal son.  The first (“Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”) does so only in part and was written by Joseph Hart in 1759.   I do not have any publication or author information on the second, entitled “The Prodigal.”  Both should be sung to a tune  from “The Southern Harmony” called “Restoration.”  A PDF of this tune in four-part harmony can be had by clicking the link below.  It is a lovely tune and one of my favorites . . . perfect for either hymn.

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Joseph Hart, pub.1759

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.

Refrain:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

Below is a contemporary version of this song.  If the player does not appear, just click on this link.

Come Ye Sinners – Robbie Seay …

The Prodigal 

Verse 1
Far away from my loving father, I had wandered wayward wild
fearing only lest his anger overtake his sinful child.

Verse 2
Feign I fed on the husks around me till to myself I came and said.
Plenty have my fathers servants perish I for want of bread

Refrain 1
I will arise though faint and weary home to my father I will go.
Woe is me that ere I wander ah, that I such need should know

Verse 3
Then I rose, came to my father, grace amazing, love unknown,
he beheld me, ran, embraced me, pardoned, welcomed me back home

Refrain 2
I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in his arms
In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are ten thousand charms.

 

Number 1 Songs on My Birth Date and Every Birthday Since

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BIG BAD JOHN

Image by MR38 via Flickr

I just found this link and decided to see what the number 1 songs for my birth date and birthdays since would be.  I do not think my birthday will ever be known for it’s musical history.  Of the 49 songs listed:

  • I can say that I only like five of them (In bold and italics below . . . and one of those – “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves” is a very guilty pleasure).  In fact, the last song I liked is from 1974 (The only recent one that comes close to being liked is “Smooth,” and that is in part due to the very cool video).
  • I own only three of the songs (from albums I bought long along – “With Arms Wide Open,” “Cream” and “Private Eyes” (I know . . . what was I thinking).
  • The last non-hip-hop song was in 2000 by Creed (gag . . . “With Arms Wide Open”).
  • My list includes two of the sappiest songs ever recorded – “Up Where We Belong” and “You Light Up My Life” (double gag).
  • Least favorite artists in the list (there are way too many really) include: Eminem (though “Lose Yourself” isn’t bad), Meat Loaf, Jan Hammer, Lionel Ritchie, and Rod Stewart (triple gag).
  • I have unfortunately danced (back in my college dancing days) to “Wild, Wild West,” “Caribbean Queen,” “All Night Long (All Night),” and “MacArthur Park.”  How very sad is that???
  • There are two Elton John songs – separated by 22 years, and two Mariah Carey songs.
  • My least favorite songs are stricken through.
  • If I had to pick a favorite song in the last decade, it would have to be “Gold Digger.”  But if I have to listen to it, I would listen to the version recorded by the kids and teacher from the show “Glee.”

2009    Whatcha Say – Jason DeRulo           
2008    Live Your Life – T.I. featuring Rihanna       
2007    Kiss Kiss – Chris Brown featuring T-Pain       
2006    My Love – Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.       
2005    Gold Digger – Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx       
2004    My Boo – Usher and Alicia Keys       
2003    Baby Boy – Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul       
2002    Lose Yourself – Eminem       
2001    Family Affair – Mary J. Blige       
2000    With Arms Wide Open – Creed       

1999    Smooth – Santana featuring Rob Thomas       
1998    Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill       
1997    Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997 by Elton John
1996    No Diggity by BLACKstreet featuring Dr. Dre       
1995    Fantasy by Mariah Carey       
1994    I’ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men       
1993    I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) by Meat Loaf       
1992    How Do You Talk to an Angel – The Heights       
1991    Cream – Prince & the N.P.G.       
1990    Love Takes Time – Mariah Carey       

1989    When I See You Smile – Bad English       
1988    Wild, Wild West – The Escape Club       
1987    I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany       
1986    Amanda – Boston       
1985    Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer       
1984    Caribbean Queen – Billy Ocean       
1983    All Night Long (All Night) – Lionel Richie       
1982    Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes       
1981    Private Eyes – Daryl Hall & John Oates       
1980    Lady – Kenny Rogers       

1979    Heartache Tonight – The Eagles        
1978    MacArthur Park – Donna Summer       
1977    You Light Up My Life – Debby Boone       
1976    Tonight’s the Night – Rod Stewart       
1975    Island Girl – Elton John       
1974    You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive       
1973    Keep On Truckin’ – Eddie Kendricks       
1972    I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash       
1971    Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves – Cher       
1970    I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5       

1969    Wedding Bell Blues – The 5th Dimension       
1968    Hey Jude – The Beatles    
1967    To Sir, with Love – Lulu       
1966    Poor Side of Town – Johnny Rivers       
1965    Get Off of My Cloud – The Rolling Stones       
1964    Baby Love – The Supremes       
1963    Sugar Shack – Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs
1962    He’s a Rebel – The Crystals    
1961    Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean

As I said, this is a pretty bad list overall.  How about the music for your birthday?  Click the link above or here to find out what the number one songs were.

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A Break-up Letter to God

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The following quote is from the NPR Song of the Day blog:

Until 2005, David Bazan led the indie-pop band Pedro the Lion, which had spent the previous 10 years making smart, crushingly bleak records with Christian themes. Bazan himself has always sung outspokenly about his faith, but his work is invariably shot through with disappointment and doubt, with an emphasis on the sordid underbelly of human nature. For someone working in Christian music, he’s spent his entire career dwelling on religion’s many gray areas.

Still, it’s something of a surprise that Bazan’s new album (Curse Your Branches) is about the singer’s conversion to agnosticism — in some ways, it plays like a breakup letter to God — which has accompanied his forays into parenthood and sobriety. Many albums document the process of finding God, but not so many reflect on losing God, especially coming from someone whose work has been so outspokenly spiritual in nature.

I would submit that there are very few Christians who have not had attacks of atheism or agnosticism sometime during their lives.  Even Mother Theresa admitted as much in letters to her friends, and I know that I have had a few myself (but that is for another post).  So I think it is necessary for us to examine our faith closely, and to also be open to listen to what others who do not share our views are thinking or saying.  I found his song “Hard to Be,” which can be found at the top of this page, to be thought-provoking and decided to share it with you, my gentle readers.  I hope to buy Bazan’s album soon, and when I do, I will post my review of it here for you to read as well.

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Today In History – July 30th

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1718 – William Penn, 74, English Quaker and the founder of American colony of Pennsylvania, died.  Penn permitted in his colony all forms of public worship compatible with monotheism and religious liberty.

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1956 – “In God We Trust” became the official U.S. motto after Prseident Eisenhower signed a bill passed by Congress.

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One of my favorite female vocalists, Kate Bush, turns 51 years old today.  Here are three of her music videos.  Bush is a little strange, but I love her unique voice.  The first is a duet with Peter Gabriel.

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