by DNCall 17 Replies latest jw friends
Some of the staff writers were and are professional musicians and no one has been more critical of the songbook than these writers.
After having lunch with my father one day, he offered to give me a Kingdom Melodies CD for my car ride home. I told him "Dad, it's a long drive and I have to stay awake!" I then proceeded to pop in Matchbox 20's "Yourself Or Someone Like You". Needless to say I stayed awake the whole drive home and enjoyed the music too!
Thank you for sharing. I dare say that few of us have seen the organization from the angle you have seen it. Fascinating.
Jeff
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your experience. Some of the songs in that 1982 songbook are notoriously bad--even the most ultraconservative Witnesses snicker at the "molested bees" and at the rhyming "mendacious, efficacious" etc. in another song. And yes, the "controlling body members" line in Make the Truth your Own always struck me as really weird. Also, the dirgelike Lazarus song which suddenly and unexpectedly turns into a joyful little hopscotch. Too strange.
Thank you for sharing your story, DNCall. It's fascinating - especially some background to the songbook. Yes, it certainly is a songbook consisting of the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Nice to know why.
I always thought 'Make The Truth Your Own' would be a great anthemic drinking song (picture swaying tankards of beer). The slow orchestral version that they always played at assemblies made it sound like a tired dirge. Did it grate on you every time you heard it, knowing what they'd tampered with?
I really liked 'Make Sure of the More Important Things' - if played on a recorder and pepped up, it sounded to me like a medieval, skippy, Maypole dance.
And 'Joyful All Day Long' always left one breathless when singing it. A jingle for war bonds - that's just too funny!
I'm sorry you and your wife got unceremoniously booted. Dagney says you're good people, salt of the earth, etc. And I also know someone who was removed as an elder (his son-in-law also removed as a MS) for showing normal human affection/interest and attending his DFed daughter's wedding. Crazy.
Now going to read your next installment ...
Wow!!! Thankyou for sharing your story!!! My family are facing a similar prospect when my brother marries his fiance next year. Though he isnt Df...if he was, I wonder what my parents would do? I would stand by my brother no doubt...he is my flesh and blood. And if I got kicked out for it, so be it. I truly appreciate your opening up :)
I remember those first weeks in 1982-1983 when we tried to slog through those new songs. In fact, you were the pianist for at least three months strraight as we tried our best to sing incredibly difficult melodies! Funny yet painful too. But mostly funny!
Say hi to Barbara for me!
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