My Issue With the Kingdom Melodies

by humblepotato 20 Replies latest jw friends

  • ChrisIncredulous
    ChrisIncredulous

    This is so true.

    Because of the stubborn fundamentalist conformity of the org, it is impossible for creative people to give free reign to their imagination. In a borg world, there is nothing to paint, sing, dance or write about. Everything is negated by its uncleanness.

    The committees they decide in make up arbitrary, inconsistent rules about content and style. They are often led by a strong personality with his own ideas about propriety,

    This is why JW paradise would be terrible. There would be no human creative expression that could pass their test of cleanness and perfection and not be boring as hell. And if life was perfect, and we had the answers to all our questions about life, what would you write and sing about?

    I could never understand how the Watchtower liked to make it sound good that the angels day-to-day life was to stand around God and sing praises to him. That sounded like a pretty boring existence to me. Yet that's kind of how the organisation sees the future.

  • Divergent
    Divergent

    As a music lover, I was disappointed in the quality of the "kingdom" melodies. As I was fading, I started to listen to "worldly" Christian music out of curiosity. I really liked the one in the video below. It's better than all of the JW songs I've ever heard!

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=byEUIzfVLAs

  • TimeBandit
    TimeBandit

    When they changed some of the songs a few years back, I couldn't bring myself to sing them any more. I would just stand there holding my song book and be disappointed. When I was a true blue JW, some of the songs were dear to my heart. 'Life without end at last', 'Prayer of god's servant', and a few others made me tear up when we sang them. After they changed the music and lyrics, I felt like they had betrayed all the fond memories I had had of singing them with my family. Of course, I realize now that they just another brain washing tool...

    TB-

  • prologos
    prologos
    hp:.. maybe only 5 of them are enjoyable to listen too.

    so, tune out the rest. and hum, play it on the piano at home, forget about the lie-rics.

  • xjwsrock
    xjwsrock

    My issue with the kingdom melodies:

    They are indoctrination set to music.

  • snugglebunny
    snugglebunny

    Remember the JW urban myth about the Las Ketchup song? That was supposed to be full of "Satanic" phrases.

    And the girls who sang it - weeeeow!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0PisGe66mY

  • millie210
    millie210

    I feel the same way as TImeBandit.

    When I think about "White Christmas or "Silent Night" or "Deck the Halls" I know its Christmas time and the music is very mood inducing.

    Can you imagine if some power were to take away all the dearly loved Christmas songs and make new ones that didnt have all the memories that are attached to them?

    People wouldnt stand for it.

    I think the Org is making a mistake in getting rid of some of the memory stirring and emotion rousing through song. They really need all the inspiring tactics they can muster, rather than getting rid of some.

  • TerryWalstrom
    TerryWalstrom

    Persons without knowledge, experience, acumen or creativity are in charge of Artists who are all of the above.)

    While I was serving time in Federal prison in the late 60's, the 40 brothers inside decided to stage our own assembly. I was the Music servant. (We didn't have Elders back then.)
    The theme of the assembly mimicked the free world assemblies being held outside.
    Long story short;
    I composed (what I think and everyone else thought was) a very good song titled: Following the Fine Shepherd as the End Draws Near.
    We rehearsed it (the bros who had instruments) and the consensus it was a winner :)
    Excerpt:
    "Jehovah God above, we owe you all our love; you are our shepherd and we follow you.

    Though Satan demands, that we must compromise; we'd sooner face death than be wrong in your eyes.

    Now and forevermore, we fear not Satan's roar;
    You are our shepherd and we follow you. . ."
    ____
    However . . .

    Just to make sure we were not "running ahead" of the Society, our version of an Elder, Tollie Padget, had the traveling Overseer (Circuit Servant) who visited the prison once a month, preview and decide the matter of each presentation on our "assembly" program.

    Guess what?

    Brother Bourgeois disapproved only MY song.
    Why?

    About a month previous, his step-daughter (whom I had dated on the outside) wanted to be added to my Visitor's list, but Brother Bourgeois had told her she could not visit because the incarcerated brothers could be a bad influence.
    I wrote him a personal letter filled with scriptures and made the error of quoting Proverbs 18:3 "Anyone replying to a matter before it is heard, it is a foolishness for him and a humiliation."

    He had his pride aroused and he sent me a rejoinder letter that pretty much excoriated me for attacking one of Jehovah's anointed. Yeah, he was anointed!
    ________

    To appear neutral and Theocratic the anointed brother excluded my song because "He had prayed on the matter and Jehovah's spirit had 'told' him it wasn't reverent and respectful."

    So. . .

    that's how things can go.

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    Let's face it.....the songs today are (expletive!) aren't they?

    Even the faithful old dubs who fondly remember the Kingdom Songs of their youth ,grumble about them. What tees them off particularly is when new words are put to an old tune or when a familiar song is re worked to a different tune.

    Last Sunday was a new song. The others all had it on their tablets and I Phones but a sister close to me was caught unawares. She was not happy! " I would not sing that rubbish anyway" ,she declared after standing stone faced through it.

    The oldies are not happy....

  • Crazyguy
    Crazyguy

    My issue with the kingdom melodies is they all suck and you want to drill a hole in your head and cut out your ears so you don't have to hear them anymore! Yuck!!!!

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