Comforting Songs

[Redlass]

Music has incredible power.

What songs this past week have helped to comfort you or helped you to grieve?

I find myself turning to the traditional hymns of the Nazarene and Methodist church. The two that have had the greatest impact have been:

(These have passed into the public domain, so I'm going to reprint the lyrics.)

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well, with my soul."

It is well (It is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Thou Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds rolled back as a scroll,
The triumph shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so"--it is well with my soul.

This song was written by Horatio Spafford. He and his wife lost their son and then he suffered complete financial disaster in the Great Chicago Fire. Still mourning, they decided to travel to England to visit Dwight Moody who was on an evangelical campaign. He sent his wife and four daughters ahead on a ship with plans to join them a few days later. The ship that his family was on was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank within 12 minutes. All four of his daughters died. He took the next ship out and the captain, at his request, asked him to tell him when they reached the spot where his daughters died. After looking at that spot, he went back to the cabin and wrote the above song.

The other song that helped me this week was:

A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, And armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name; From age to age the same, and he must win the battle.

And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed, his truth to triumph through us.The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, Not thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours, Through him who with us sideth: Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.

Those are just the ones that spoke to me. Probably because they represent my roots--a place where I can go to seek stability.

What are your songs? Share your comforts, I want to have songs of strength going my mind today, tomorrow, and for however long this nightmare lasts. I look forward to learning from all of you.

[lambchops]

One song always does the trick...

Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven.

[drmomentum[$]]

Music does have power. But often that power is in individual interpretation. That's why it's weird when you see how some people choose to interpret certain songs.

SlashDot reports that F***edCompany has a list of songs that the ClearChannel company is telling its member stations not to play. Among those songs are:

John Lennon - "Imagine"
The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
Louis Armstrong - "What A Wonderful World"
Frank Sinatra - "New York, New York"
Hollies - "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
Cat Stevens "Peace Train" and "Morning Has Broken"
Peter Paul and Mary "Blowin' in the Wind"

I guess wishing not to offend people is a business decision on the part of any media station. But whenever there is censorship (and even self-censorship) you get these interesting fringe cases and it offers a glimps into the mind of the person doing the selection.

I suppose I can almost understand their wish not to play "Great Balls of Fire", "Hit Me with Your Best Shot", "It's the End of the World as We Know It" and "Burning Down The House" which were also on the list. Of course none of those songs have anything to do with the tragedy.

But why not "Imagine?" Some people find that sone inspirational. Cat Stevens? Is he off the list becaue of his religious beliefs, or does "Morning Has Broken" have some hidden meaning that will get peope all worked up?

Some of the songs like "New York, New York" just baffle me. A local independant station was playing Peter Paul and Mary the other day and I found it to be comforting.

And why aren't certain other songs off the list... is it because they are less likely to be played? Sting's "Russians" song, or "History Will Teach Us Nothing." I've heard "Born In The USA" played a lot, and it's missing from this list. Perhaps that's because people are missing the social commentary.

We can only guess.

What am I listening to that is comforting me? Clapton, mostly. Music that celebrates freedom, but also the blues. Also, the nonsense of "They Might Be Giants" takes the edge off.

-JP

[drmomentum[$]]

The Snopes UL site clarifies that ClearChannel has not released an official list of songs to avoid.

Sorry if my post added to the distribution of this UL. it was reported by SlashDot, and I think I will suggest they check their facts a little better.

-JP

(P.S. Stations are avoiding some of these songs, but there is no official list.)

[realtraveller]

and I thought it was ridiculous.

Today, I took the kids to Universal Studios-Hollywood. "Great Balls of Fire" was playing near the "Backdraft" show, which shows scenes of firefighters burning to death. The "WaterWorld" show has plenty of explosions and stunt man violence.

It never occurred to me to associate any of this with the attack in New York.

These radio stations are going overboard in false sensitivity.

[realtraveller]

I've been singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" but I usually can't get past the first few lines without choking up.

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on."

Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
His truth is marching on.

[Mrsfitts]

It's a grand Old Flag,
it's a high-flyin' flag,
and forever in peace may she wave...

She's the emblem of,
the land we love,
the home of the free & the brave...

Every heart beats true to the Red, White, and Blue
And with never a boast or brag...

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag!



The words may or may not be exact -it's what I remember from an old James Cagney movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

There's a movie to get your patriotic juices flowing! :o

[ThePirateKing]

(And Cagney was an amazing dancer. He seemed to float an inch or two above the floor, just letting his feet graze enough to tap.)

What stirs me up lately is the final verse of the national anthem. Not enough people know all four verses, IMNSHO--the first verse is merely a question; the rest of the song gives the answer. I'm typing this from memory, so it may not be word perfect:

O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation
Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

[mshawpyle]

Originally posted by realtraveller
I've been singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"

It's a measure of the magnitude of these events that I have suffered in silence through numerous renditions of that song without my usual audible protests.

[amykhar]

Morning has Broken has actually been playing in my mind a lot since last Tuesday. We used to sing it in church quite often when I was a kid.

The last few mornings, the weather has been glorious, and there is a feeling in me that I need to be living each day to the fullest now. I think last week reaffirmed our knowledge that any given day might be our last.

This feeling, combined with the fact that I have been keeping my radio and television off quite a bit, has meant that I am strangely serene, and even unusually happy.

It has been a weird week because I alternate between being weepy about recent events, and feeling this newfound energy and joy at being alive.

Amy

[AmyLEnsor]

I did hear on CNN Headline News today that there is some sort of list of songs for radio stations to avoid playing, but that they don't have to follow it (obviously). So even if it was a myth, the story is being repeated enough that maybe the idea will actually take hold. The story didn't specifically say it was Clear Channel though. Anyway, one of the songs was Elton John's Bennie and the Jets. I honestly don't see the connection here. Is it because of the word jets??? That just seems utterly stupid.