Lord Revive Us

I'm pretty down for reasons I don't like revealing. Since lunch I've had one song on continuous replay from 'In Sweetest Union Join', "Return Again," a scared harp/ shape note song.
The recording has these few lines:

Savior! visit thy plantation;
Grant us, Lord, a gracious rain!
All will come to desolation,
Unless thou return again:

Lord, revive us, Lord, revive us:
All our help must come from thee!

Keep no longer at a distance,
Shine upon us from on high!
Lest, for want of thine assistance,
Ev’ry plant should droop and die:

The rest, not included goes:

Surely once thy garden flourished:

Ev’ry part looked gay and green;
Then thy word our spirit nourished,
Happy seasons we have seen:

Lord, revive us, etc.

But a drought has since succeeded,
And a sad decline we see;
Lord, thy help is greatly needed,
Help can only come from thee:

Lord, revive us, etc.


Where are those we counted leaders,
Filled with zeal, and love, and truth?
Old professors, tall as cedars,
Bright examples of our youth!

Lord, revive us, etc.


Some in whom we once delighted,
We shall meet no more below:
Some, alas! we fear are blighted,
Scarce a single leaf they show:

Lord, revive us, etc.

Younger plants, the sight how pleasant!
Covered thick with blossoms stood;
But they cause us grief at present,
Frost has nipped them in the bud:

Lord, revive us, etc.

Dearest Savior, hasten hither,
Thou cans’t make them bloom again;
O, permit them not to wither,
Let not all our hopes be vain:

Lord, revive us, etc.


Let our mutual love be fervent,
Make us prevalent in prayer;
Let each one, esteemed thy servant,
Shun the world’s bewitching snares:

Lord, revive us, etc.

Break the tempter’s fatal pwoer,
Turn the stony heart to flesh;
And begin from this good hour
To revive thy work afresh:

Lord, revive us, Lord, revive us;
All our help must come from thee.

-John Newton

I've become that woman

When I was a snarky teen, I and my friend Tracy made fun of those women in our differing churches, who overcome with emotion would sway and carry on in church. stand jump all that stuff associated with gettin caught up with the holy spirit. Well that crossed my mind in church as the cantor went into the second part of his negro spiritual melody. I can't really remember what the earlier part of the melody was, but the second part was "I don't feel no ways tired" (hear on YouTube if unfamiliar). And something began to well up inside of me. I wanted to sway, stand and just open myself up to the song and G-d's grace or whatever, I can't really explain it. Tears of joy did make it to the corners of my eyes and I did clap loudly at one point. The teens behind me, who hadn't really sat quiet snickered at my outburst.
So it has come full circle, I have been the teen, now I am that woman.

The problem with being an adult

....is that you listen to lyrics. I just downloaded Iron Man by Ozzy Osbourne. Great Jimminey Cristmas!

iTunes world

Okay I started this post to complain that iTunes didn't have the bad Euro-pop song I wanted to explain why my last 6 purchases have been nothing but non-English songs. But I did a quick check and low and behold there it was, Toy Box's The Sailor Song.
So let's look at my last 10 purchases.

10. History by Matthew West. This was recommended by iTunes with the purchase of the sacred harp song Christian Soldier, which I really like, and What a Friend We Have In Jesus, which I don't like so much.

9. Je veux te vior by Yelle. I this was recommended by iTunes when I purchased the English version of 8 & 7. It is a fun high energy French-pop-dance song.

8. I'm a Gummy Bear. I bought this in the Orlando Airport when I was curious about what was tops on the iTune dance chart.

7. Ich bin dein Gummibar (Marschmellow mix). Same song, remixed and in German.

6. Maahi Ve (Soundtrack). This came after watching the Bollywood film Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow may never come). It is from the high energy wedding dance scene where the guys rock the sandals in Hindi.

5. Mambo Italiano by Mauro Ottolini. Was in an italian music mood. I got a lot of French songs. why not. And I wanted a version not done by Dean Martin or Rosemary Clooney.

4. Bella Bella Signorina by Patrizio Buanne. see above.

3. Tu Vuo Fa' l'americano. I have 2 English versions of this, why not.

2. The Sailor Song (Extended version) by Toy Box. Bad, bad, morally questionable bubble euro-pop.

1. Caramelldansen by Caramell. The speeded up version of a dance song. More bad brain rotting Euro-pop. I can't tell if it is in German or English.

I think the best thing I can do for the people around me is listen to music with my headphones, because no one should have to listen to my iPhone go from traditional Christian to Euro-pop to modernist classical (Peter Glass) to sappy 80s power ballads and the like.

This Weekend

Friday I, well the whole block and several parts of the neighborhood lost power for about 24 hours. I was able to sneak in a quick shower in the morning, but as night descended I deserted the house and found shelter at DC Education Blog's family home. I stayed there for the night and the family showed me a hospitality that makes me very thankful to have them (even the nutty little chicklettes) in my life. After some good waffles and laughable antics by 3 year olds, I came back home.
While reading the Watchmen, I had the radio on and heard a wonderful acapella song, a lovely gospel song, "G-d is Good." (Youtube). As soon as the DJ announced the artist behind it I went to iTunes and bought it. I played it over and over and went I went to bed parts of the song kept bouncing around in my head. One of the reasons why it is a good song is that is like a hymn that calls for others to sing along, regardless of vocal talent. Another reason is that it builds. First she sings that 'he brought me out of darkness', then 'he saved my soul and brought me out of darkness', building on with other elements til at the end she sings:

I said that he healed my every sickness, with no money in my pocket, he still made a way out of no way, then he put food--- on my table, then he put shoes--- on my feet, so he could guide my every foot step, Jesus saved--- my soul, and then he brought me out of darkness.
G-d Is Good----.

Ash Wednesday is coming up. I think, depending on the hour, I'll be doing Christ Church as I'm not sure if my place is with Immaculate Conception as of yet. I admitted to Sam the caretaker at CC I was moving to another church when he noted that he doesn't see me around as much at CC. He asked pretty pointed questions, asking if the new church was Episcopalian. He probably was wondering if I was attending his church, which is 1 block from the house. No, I gave him my cop out reason, the same one I gave B & IT (yes, what do the atheistic/agnostic Jews care, but I keep them aware of my life)... 15 minutes after waking up I can be in a pew at IC. IT didn't think convenience was a valid excuse.

Chicken

J. brought much joy to my heart last night when he brought over a chicken calendar.
I like chickens.
I've currently got a song "Chicken Rhythm" on repeat. The lyrics go "Bocka, bock, bock, bock, bock, bock, bocka...."
I decided to go on a search for chicken songs.
I have 'A Chicken Ain't Nothing But A Bird'(two versions); 'Chicken Today, Feathers Tomorrow'; 'Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens'; 'I get the neck of the chicken' and 'Chicken Shack Boogie." Maybe next I'll add songs where chicken is mentioned, like "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House."

Yet the chicken love is limited. If any chicken paperweights come my way they'll immediately go into the Goodwill bag.

Music and the problem of getting older

The problem is you actually wind up listening to, and contemplating the lyrics. The only way I can explain my love of some songs during my youth is I paid more attention to the beat then what the heck anyone was saying. in Culture 11's (conservative version of Slate) article on music and weddings, Lil John's "Get Low" is probably not the best thing to play at the reception with Grammy and the 5 year olds around. Neither would most of 50 cent's stuff. Golddigger is fun to dance to, but poor taste, even bleeped, for a wedding.
When Nora Bombay and I were in the car the other day we noticed the lyrics of some song, I forgot what song exactly, but they were not good. Songs we like can be degrading to women and contain the bleeped N word, which she can't say and I won't.
There are mixes I can't listen to because the crude graphic sexual descriptions are too much. Good beat, great hooks, but really I don't wanna know what you do with some random man or woman you picked up at da club for sporting sex. Not causal sex, recreational almost like a sport like activities.
Maybe that's why I'm fonder of the blues and jazz. Yes, Eartha Kitt, total money grubbing slut in her music, but there is much to leave to the imagination.

Albums loved and lost

Funny thing about iTunes is that I find myself occasionally stumbling across an artist or an album I once but no longer have. I remember when I sold off a bunch of tapes so I could convert to CDs, I think I had a bunch of Billie Holiday's, a Muppet Movie soundtrack, some college band I've completely forgotten the name of and Prince. I gave some away, sold some, lost others. Then in the world of iTunes, I find them again. Then I question my releasing the album I once had into the world, and question whether if I should buy the darned thing again.

Patsy

Someone please tell me why I've been singing Patsy Cline tunes all week. It started Saturday with "Leaving on Your Mind", now I'm stuck with bits of "She's Got You". Strangely, 'Crazy' or 'Walking After Midnight' the favs never cycled through.