Today, we have a guest post from Wheat &Tares commenter Instereo
With the election in the air, it’s sometimes hard to have a positive spirit. I’ve heard that carrying a hymn in your heart will help ease our burden. I don’t know if that’s right all the time or if there are even hymns that can address the problems we have in our society right now. As much as I like many of the hymns, even with the new hymnbook, there may be many modern problems that the hymns have a hard time addressing.
For instance, when I was divorced, I was in a bishopric and tried to find a hymn related to my wife, soon to be my ex-wife, leaving me and moving in with her boss at work. Every time I tried, all I could hear was a country song by John Conley, “She Can’t Say That Anymore.” I also remembered how much in the month before she left, she played The Rascal’s song, “How Can I Be Sure” a lot. Which, I liked then but have since had to turn off every time I’ve heard on some form of media.
At another time in my life, I was struggling in my job. It wasn’t so much what I was doing but the relationship I had with my boss. There was no pleasing her. She had her view of the way things should be run, and she took turns going after the leaders in the organization, of which I was one. It was a hard year, but songs like “Lose Yourself” by Eminem or “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi, which I sang all the time in a band I happened to be in at the time, helped me make it through the year when she turned her sights on someone else.
Finally, there was the time my daughter came out to me. She was just sobbing because she thought I’d reject her. While we had never talked about being gay before, we had a good relationship in so many ways. I always thought my children would grow up, find someone to marry, and I’d have lots of grandchildren. This changed things. As she cried on the telephone telling me, all I could think of was I had always loved my daughter; there was a special connection between us, and I wasn’t going to let this change it.
A couple of weeks before she came out to me, she was excited to share a song with me, “Bring Me to Live” by Evanescence, which talks about finding out you are not who you think you are and how you can’t go on with that knowledge. I liked the song because of the music, but I found I also liked the lyrics even though I didn’t know how much they were speaking to my daughter. I also didn’t realize how much I was going to be changing because in not rejecting her and in sharing her life, I met not only her partner but many other young kids and got to know their stories, mostly of rejection from their families and the heartbreak they felt.
This happened about twenty years ago, and it started a cascade of many small faith crisis moments, ranging from members in my ward telling me how they don’t talk to their children after facing something similar to watching the children of ward members commit suicide because of being rejected. If I talked In church, I’d talk about the commandment to love was more important than judging someone. The bishop even complimented me for the talk, but it didn’t change how people felt. Then I saw some of my daughter’s friends and heard their stories, but it came home one evening when we went Karaoke singing at a “gay” bar, and the cashier started crying as she was taking our money and said, I wish my dad would come to see me sing, we haven’t talked in years.
One more story. After a few years of new relationships breakups, etc, my daughter and I collaborated on writing and recording a CD of original music together. It was a very personal work that took us a couple of years and was more of an expression of what we went through than an effort to get into the music business. Still, we did play out a bit afterward to promote it, and we did sell a few. We also learned a few cover songs to play as well so we could play for a couple of hours. One was a mashup of “House of the Rising Sun” and “Amazing Grace.” We got the idea from a Blind Boys of Alabama version of Amazing Grace played with the same chords in the same progression as House of the Rising Sun. The messages of the songs were very much opposed to one another, and we did it just for fun, but the first time we played, there were people in the back of the room crying. It seemed whenever we played it; we would get the same reaction from others. It became our encore song because if we didn’t play it people would be upset.
During this time, there were a lot of songs that rang true to me with their lyrics. I also started thinking about social justice and how closely related the civil rights movement and LGBTQ movements were linked, so many more songs and lyrics came to mind. I’ll just share one by David Gundersen called “David” with these lines:
I don’t want to be a proud man, I just want to be a man
A little less like my father and more like my dad
I want to hunt like David
I want to kill me a giant man
I want to slay my demons
But I’ve got lots of them, I’ve got lots of them
It got me thinking that many people had “lots of demons” from either excess or judgment.
This essay is not about coming to terms with LGBTQ issues or Social Justice Issues but is about how hymns and music can shape our beliefs. Here are a few questions to consider:
Are there Hymns in the LDS Hymnal, old or new, that move you and open up the greater world to you? Do the Hymns answer your questions about life?
Are there popular songs that answer life’s questions for you?
Please share a hymn or song that spoke to you and helped you during a time of trial or helped you feel joy more completely.
Wheat & Tares 
There are many, many songs by the French Canadian folk rock band Les cowboys fringants that I consider honorary hymns. Not least is the melancholy but hopeful Ici-bas:
Few hymns resonate with me. But John Prine could sing any of his songs and I always felt cradled in a heartbeat of goodness. https://youtu.be/-aiTBJ2Vlws?si=M0ufaIj_CVSuN3M5
He died at the beginning of Covid but I know he’s in Heaven with Buddha and Jesus, making a joyful noise unto the Lord.
Thank you for this post, Instereo. Not long before my mission, I became fond of “Beautiful Zion, Built Above” (Hymn #44 in the green hymnal). Lovely tune with easygoing harmonies. My fingers loved plucking it out on the piano, and the bass line is very enjoyable to sing. The word lilting comes to mind. Looking back on it now as an agnostic, it strikes me as the Mormon hymn equivalent of Harry McClintock’s great hobo anthem: “The Big Rock Candy Mountain.” That is to say, it’s so likeable I can forgive it for seeming naive and too good to be true. I just relistened to it on the Church’s website and I still enjoy it, though I feel a tinge of sadness in its sweetness.
Shortly after the election, I did a guided mindfulness meditation where the guide happened to use the phrase, “Let it be.” After the meditation ended, I sought out the Beatles’ classic song with that title. A pop-culture hymn to be sure, and it’s provided me a lot of comfort in the ensuing days.
I don’t suppose either of the above give me absolute answers, but they pluck the right heartstrings and leave me feeling valid and assured that others experiences are similar, so… less alone.
Music was probably the earliest wedge between myself and the church. Even as a child the hymns just did not speak to me. Sometimes on a Sunday I’ll remember that I don’t have to go to church or listen to/sing hymns ever again and that’s a small win that keeps me going through the week. I discovered rock music pretty early in life. I’ve found much more meaning and community from worldly music than I ever did in the church.
I spent the day after the election listening to NOFX. Their particular brand of liberal nihilism hit just right.
I love the hymns. Probably that’s the thing I get the most from at church. Today I sometimes find that I disagree with the words, but usually the music will carry me past that. I was ward organist for several years and I always end up accompanying the choir because the bishopric undervalues choir and fails to call an accompanist. Right now we are singing “Come Thou Fount”. I love it!
My favorite songs that took me through the painful beginnings of my faith crisis when I first struggled with my bishop were:
Rufus Wainwright’s “Hallelujah”
Katy Perry’s “Roar”
Sara Barrielle’s “Brave”
Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Stronger”
I particularly recommend the last three songs for women under patriarchy trying to find their own voice and authority.
Instereo, Thanks for asking
During this very challenging week I’ve been drawn to one of my favorite hymns, “Now in This Moment,” in the Community of Christ hymnal. It has new words set to a very old, familiar tune. They were written by friends of mine, my former editorial colleague at the church’s publishing house, Barbara Howard, and her husband, CofC historian emeritus Richard Howard. The hymn speaks of the presence of Divinity in the past, present, and future. It gives me some hope when, at least in my mind, it seems like the moral fabric of the USA is disintegrating.
I’m a trained organist who used to *love* hymns. I’d write my own variations and play alternate Harmonies which was so fun! Come Thou Fount, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, and a few others really used to love me. One highlight of my life was when I accompanied a full orchestra and choir on the organ for Come Thou Fount.
Having formally left the church I’m not at a spot to enjoy hymns again yet. I saw a YouTube video of hundreds of singers, many with MAGA hats, singing How Great Thou Art right after it was announced Trump won. It’s possible that I’ll never love hymns again because I belief that Christian congregations in the USA have largely sold their birthright for an orange tyrant.
I still love music. Beethoven’s 5th and 7th move me. Always Remember Us This Way (Noelle Johnson version) is beautiful and poignant. Hurt by Johnny Cash is a reminder to remember what’s important. Whatever Comes by the National Parks was written as an uplifting song celebrating the singer leaving the LDS church (or so I’ve heard).
Instereo:
First, thank you for this guest post. I’ve been playing hymns on piano and organ for church since I was a pre-teen. My church has introduced four hymnal during my lifetime, each representing a transformation of Theology and praxis.
I’m so sorry for your daughter’s experience with religious folks related to sexuality. Here’s a wonderful hymn included in our most recent hymnal, “For Everyone Born” (although I have to admit the accompaniment is a bit of a stretch for this old, rhythmically challenged guy).
Here’s one more:
❤️
Thank you instereo and thank you Rich Brown for the hymns. The hymn For Everyone Born has become one of my favorites since I learned of it (maybe from you). Thanks!
Also instereo maybe you would be willing to link to your mashup if that’s a possibility. It sounds amazing (Pun not intended)!
Thank you for your post and for the subject. Music helps me tremendously. I’m not a professional musician (I’m not nearly good enough), but I manage a few hours of practice on the guitar a day. I find it incredibly calming and centering.
As far as songs that answer life’s questions, there are always two that I return to over and over. No offense to other folks, but I don’t like hymns at all, so when I really need a musical pick me up, I go to Springsteen’s “She’s the One” (the live version at Largo in Maryland on the 1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour is sublime) and Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”. Both so full of passion, youthful exuberance, and poignant longing–really just the soundtrack of my young adulthood, even though I came of age in the 80s, not the 70s. These songs remind me of the importance of living in the moment and how brief and fleeting and rare are the intense moments and relationships that really change us, and how we should cherish them. The previous sentence makes it sound like these songs should depress me, but instead, they inspire me to retain and connect with what little passion and enthusiasm for life I have left as late middle age is slowly and inevitably taking everything away from me.
Agree with Jake C about “Let it Be”, also. The Beatles weren’t a band; they were a miracle.
In my ward, we are singing the cougar fight song for the opening hymn this week and I’m here for it. I can’t think of anything more faith promoting. Miracles truly do happen. (Rah rah! Rah rah rah! Gooooooooooo cougars!)
I have the most access to my emotions through music. A lot of the time, I can’t put into words what I am feeling very well – mostly in those conversations where boundaries are being settled and re-settled and I feel anger, uncertainty, or a host of other emotions. But song lyrics can put my feelings into words, which means I have a road to navigate to access those feelings:)
NOTE: I think that most people use music to access emotion, they might not need to lean into this tool as much as I do – or may be thinking less about it right now.
Most of my favorite hymns are my favorites because of the music. I’ve certainly spent more time playing the hymns in church than singing them. But I took a few minutes to go through the hymnal and see what songs stuck out to me for their lyrics. I came up with:
#85 How From a Foundation
#127 Does the Journey Seem Long?
#198 That Easter Morn
#214 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I clearly have a type. All those songs speak to finding hope through difficult times. None are about victory, missionary work, prophets, or Adam-ondi-ahmen.
Other favorites are mostly associated with good memories that are more about the memories than the song. #242 was discovered (by me) when picking songs for me to play at my sister’s wedding. #81 was a favorite to sing with my favorite mission companion. 8, 284, 162, 324 and others are just fun to play on the organ.
Thank you, everyone, for such wonderful comments. I love how so many are inspired by the hymns or have found hymn-like songs for themselves. I appreciate how music brings back memories when you are in or out of church activity. I saw some research a few years ago about how reading activates one part of the brain, math is another part of the brain, but music activates the entire brain. I’m sure that’s why it’s so powerful and used by everyone to reinforce messages, teachings, or sell things.
madiW: I don’t have a link to the mashup but I do have one to the song that inspired it and you can hear House of the Rising Sun while Amazing Grace it being sung: https://open.spotify.com/track/4eZ03oQlzkTipq8uW1UUyR?si=dc648a49844b47b7
Plastic Jesus.
The best rendition is Paul Newman singing it in Cool Hand Luke after he learns of the death of his mother.
Great post. I cast my vote for “Be Still My Soul” (all 5 verses; the three verse version in our hymnal eviscerates so much of what makes it resonate). Sibelius. Amazing.
Great post! Personally, I still love Amazing Grace and Come Thou Fount…..I’m not much into any kind of organized religion any longer; but these can still deliver calm.
Another hymn I do like is “Can The Circle Be Unbroken” by the Carter Family and also Johnny Cash