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Why turn a hymn into a rock-n-roll song? Rant
First, let me say that I don't have a problem with a rock beat in music. "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music" right? It seems to be a big rage in most progressive churches to tweak classic hymns to have a rock beat. My family has visited many non denominational churches. The top 40 praise and worship songs dominate and are all played to sound exactly the same. When a worship leader wants to do a classic hymn they must feel like they have to update the beat. Let me give you an example that I heard at a church. Think of the old rock song (female singer, cant remember her name) "I want candy, sweet sweet candy" with the beat that goes something like "bop-a-bop-a-bop-a-bop-bop" Now mix that beat with the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul". To me that totally ruins the spirit of the hymn. If you lost some of your dearest family members, as the hymn writer did, and the Lord inspired you to put your feelings in a song, would you chose "bop-a-bop-a-bop-a-bop-bop" for the rhythm?
I'm not much of a Beatles fan. Once during a phone call when I was stuck on hold, I was treated to the tune "Let It Be". It had been reduced to a series of electronic beeps in two part harmony. Whoever did that arrangement was probably a computer programmer that used a mathmatical formula of tones and timing to come up with their version of the song. It had about as much character and feeling as a bucket of toxic waste. I cant stand it when I hear a classic rock song that has been turned into Muzak. I feel it is even worse when somebody tries to turn a hymn into a rock-n-roll song.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" is the most demon inspired song I can think of. What would happen if someone like Hanna Montana recorded it? "There"s a lady who knows..... Boom Boom Clap, Boom De Clap, De Clap". Satan would spend the next thousand years puking his guts out all over the halls of hell. Why do this same thing to a song inspired by God?
Hey, If you only love modern praise and worship that's cool. If you don't like hymns that's OK too. If you like songs with a "bop-a-bop-a-bop-a-bop-bop" rhythm, find some that were written that way. I'm not saying hymns should only be played on an organ. Be respectful to hymn writers. Play their music the way they wrote it and tell their story's. In doing so you can treat your congregations to some of the best music ever written.
I'm not much of a Beatles fan. Once during a phone call when I was stuck on hold, I was treated to the tune "Let It Be". It had been reduced to a series of electronic beeps in two part harmony. Whoever did that arrangement was probably a computer programmer that used a mathmatical formula of tones and timing to come up with their version of the song. It had about as much character and feeling as a bucket of toxic waste. I cant stand it when I hear a classic rock song that has been turned into Muzak. I feel it is even worse when somebody tries to turn a hymn into a rock-n-roll song.
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" is the most demon inspired song I can think of. What would happen if someone like Hanna Montana recorded it? "There"s a lady who knows..... Boom Boom Clap, Boom De Clap, De Clap". Satan would spend the next thousand years puking his guts out all over the halls of hell. Why do this same thing to a song inspired by God?
Hey, If you only love modern praise and worship that's cool. If you don't like hymns that's OK too. If you like songs with a "bop-a-bop-a-bop-a-bop-bop" rhythm, find some that were written that way. I'm not saying hymns should only be played on an organ. Be respectful to hymn writers. Play their music the way they wrote it and tell their story's. In doing so you can treat your congregations to some of the best music ever written.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stevo on -
Sometimes, the original can't be beat, so I agree with you. BUT, there are a lot of instances where the modernized version is pretty darn good. And I totally laughed at your Satan analogy. HOWEVER, it's a huge jump to say that these old hymns are inspired by God. Suffice it to say, a cheesy version of a hymn is worse than playing Stairway to Heaven.
BTW - what about that song is demon inspired? I've heard lots of rumors.
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Permalink Reply by Alex Morris on -
Supposedly if you play "Stairway To Heaven" backwards you can hear a voice glorifying Satan.
Even if that's not true, the song played straight forward has a pretty anti-Biblical message, not to mention the fact that Jimmy Page was pretty openly Satanic (he even purchased the house of the man who wrote the Satanic Bible).
On the original topic, I too try to be judicious about which hymns to modernize.
One of my favorite modern work-ups is the Promise Keepers version of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God", which has a pretty forceful beat in keeping with the strong message of the song.
One thing about that version, though, is that the acoustic guitar riff sounds almost exactly like the riff in "Pinball Wizard", so sometimes I forget myself and accidentally refer to the song as "A Mighty Pinball Wizard."
Oops...
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Permalink Reply by Stevo on
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Jimmy Page did have a fascination with majik and bought Alistair Crowley's old house, but it was actually Robert Plant who wrote they lyrics. My personal opinion is that it has very little meaning. But not to get off topic...
I think it's funny to hear some hymns modernized. But the ones that work well sometimes amaze me.
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Permalink Reply by Alex Boxall on -
As with all things, we mustn't tar everything with the same brush. What we forget is that many of those old hymns were actually very modern and upbeat (and often very jarring to congregations of the time!). Charles Wesley, the renowned hymn writer, for example, based a large number of his most popular hymns on popular tavern drinking songs. Essentially he wrote hymns based on music that appealed to the current taste and trends of what was then the music of the masses. If you look at it in that light, then it is almost wrong not to update the beat and feel of the hymn.
The important thing to note, however, is that, as with any song, the music must relate to the words. An upbeat rock feel to what was originally written as a lament would definitely be wrong, however, there is no reason not to add modern feel to it. No reason not to add electric guitars and a drum beat of some definition, as long as it is appropriate, not distracting and, most importantly, glorifying to God.
As an aside, I don't know whether Stairway to Heaven is a satanic song or not. As far as a piece of music goes, it is amazing, but I think that without proper evidence or proof to back up these claims, we should be very careful to judge secular music in such a way. There are so many Christians who say "This is satanic, that is satanic" without any proof, basing it on anecdotes or rumours heard, normally from other Christians who have heard similar rumours... We end up becoming judgemental, disconnected and alienated from the very world the God loves so much. In this case, much as I love the analogy, (and it made me laugh out loud!) I don't think it's relevant to the actual discussion. Maybe we should start a new thread...
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Permalink Reply by Stevo on
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I actually like the discussions this thread can generate. And I tend to agree with the original post. If I'm not mistaken, the original post was trying to bring out an important point: let's not take a hymn that was already good and schlock it up.
If you're going to modernize a hymn, do it justice. "A Mighty Fortress" doesn't deserve to be sung to "Tie a Yellow Ribbon". That being said, there are some great modernized versions of hymns out there.
Another thing to note about hymns - many of them have been associated to more than one melody over the years. It seems that generations like ours made decisions to "modernize" them in the past even!
Also - are we all past the whole line "satanic music" thing that was made popular by a person who's last name rhymes with "blopherd"? Good music is good music no matter the source, yes?
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Neisinger on -
"If you look at it in that light, then it is almost wrong not to update the beat and feel of the hymn."
That's a great insight. I think that the real problem in the original post had more to do with a lack of taste on the part of whoever did the "It Is Well" arrangement. There's this little thing called "contextual agreement" that you learn about in music school. The music should enhance the message of the song. In your example, it seems to have contradicted it instead. There are many well done hymn remakes (yes, love the PK Mighty Fortress), and I think that a well thought arrangement gives new life to a powerful song.
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Permalink Reply by Jon on -
"Good music is Good music" do we really want to go there. Do we really believe that? I hope not! If a song talks about sleeping around or taking drugs or killing people but it has a good beat do we say "music is good music"? Do you really think that God is going to say "Well, you were a good atheist so come on in."?
I am sad that some have lowered their guard to allow those ideas to come in. Christians who believe that as long as you are a "good" person you get to go to heaven is throwing away the death and resurrection of Christ. When we stop making distictions between God and not God things we are in trouble. Do not be luke warm. ALL IN OR ALL OUT!
I know this got off the original topic but that last comment is very disturbing to me.
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Permalink Reply by Stevo on
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The last comment means just what it says. Music about sleeping around or taking drugs wouldn't qualify as "good" in my book. If I said otherwise, I'm not sure where. What I am saying is that it's a disservice to dismiss all rock music as evil or satanic. It's also fair to say that NO musical genre is free from adherents who are immoral or at least theologically incorrect - hymns included.
And no, you're not off topic. I think it's very relevant since we are talking about picking various melodies to "modernize" some of the old hymns. The mood/mode of the music needs to support the message in the lyrics. I wouldn't think about trying to fit "Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel" to the music of Metallica. (For more reasons than one.) In fact, I can't see a reason to look for another melody in that case, it's a great song!
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Permalink Reply by Jon on
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With that defined, I agree with you Stevo. I am definitely not one to classify music by its type. Having grown up in a family of classicly trained musicians (Dad still plays organ at age 77 weekly, Mom is a clarinet player and both sing in 3 choirs one being a German choir) and I'm leading our contemporary music I see all sides of most music. So if "good music is good music" was meant that if its good don't change it then I agree 100%.
I apologize for the rant. It went a different direction than it should have.
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Permalink Reply by Robert on -
This is perfect evidence that the accuser the devil is loose in the church. This is not the 'good news' the Gospel, the Love of Jesus. This is some 'other doctrine'. It is shamefull.
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