Odd Hymns
According to unnoficial fundamentalist dogma, the height of perfection in hymn writing was reached somewhere around 1947 and any music written after that point is automatically suspect. Fundies view CCM artists as tools of Satan to tempt young people to turn the fellowship hall into a dance hall. CCM artists view fundamentalists as the musical equivilant of Elmer Fudd.
As the official collection of approved hymns has been canonized, however, there have crept in some strange selections that can only be described as “absolutely awful.” These would include songs about honey coming out of rocks, boys wandering around, little brown churches in the valley, and holding a fort.
It can only assumed that these hymns were included because they were written by the General Editor’s brother-in-law or perhaps someone to whom he owed great sums of money.
Posted by Darrell
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Nothing was more fun than Sunday evening song request night when your Dad was the song leader and your mom played piano. I always picked the Amens at the back to stump them.
My mom would be fighting with me before church and then tell me to pick out music for the service. Anything with 5 flats and 6/8 timing would do fine.
My mom would be fighting with me before church and then tell me to pick out music for the service. Anything with 5 flats and 6/8 timing would do fine.
Honey in the Rock was always one of those songs that caused me to cringe when I had to sing it.
Hold the Fort is a wonderful song, written during the Civil War, and from then it receives it’s meaning-when the army was surrounded and thought all was lost, the enemy at the doors, the signal comes from afar, that reinforcements are on their way, and salvation is at hand. This kind of meaning and imagery can’t be found anywhere in the weak, watery CCM junk today, and it’s just as applicable today as it was then.
That being said, there are a lot of ‘approved’ hymns that I faithfully ignore, as there is no good theology in them, and often little real meaning.
Dude, you neglected to mention songs about coming to the garden alone while dew is still on the roses. Oh, and I believe there’s walking involved. Walking and talking.
I was just showing this to my wife. She literally is laughing out loud. You rock, good sir.
The pianist always enjoys playing “Wonderful the Matchless Grace of Jesus” as well.
Those are good. How did I manage to not hear “Honey in the Rock”? This topic brings up repressed memories of joybells that happen to be [or are supposed to be] ringing in my heart… Oh, and the joy of the Lord, which is my strength. : )
Hey man, don’t knock ‘Hold the Fort’! It’s one of the most inspiring tracks of all time!