Written by “Run on for a long time, let me tell you God Almighty gonna cut you down.”
As usual, no idea what’s going to pop into my skull when I see a SoCS prompt. Today, it was Run On by The Blind Boys of Alabama (the Moby remix, different group, from the Play album is also good).
It’s one of a few gospel songs I like, despite my overall dislike of religion in general — I tend to think Marx had it right there.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “run.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
Linda G. Hill Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt
I should clarify and say “organized” religion. I think it’s nice to believe in something, but I’ll refrain from sharing my opinions on organizations like the Catholic Church (fuck them alter boys, literally) or the various strains of Evangelism in this country that have become nothing but fountains of hatred and white supremacy.
Anyways. We have gospel music to thank for some of our greatest singers — Aretha. Whitney. And a whole shitton I can’t think of just now because I’m not even a quarter caffeinated. Johnny Cash. All of the early country singers. All have roots in gospel.
Oh, we have gospel/church music to thank for John Legend.
What with all the god and Jesus stuff, it’s not in rotation often — I’m more a Baby Got Back or Strokin’ guy 🙂 — but there are a few . . .
Run on For a Long Time I’ve mentioned. There’s something about the rough-voiced delivery and beat on the version I heard in one of the Oxford American Southern Music Issues. Which, by the way, one of my favorite things every year. Here’s a link to the 2022 issue, the 24th – just some great stuff.
Oh, yeah, Cash does a great rendition on one of his American Recording albums (Unchained and The Man Comes Around are all time favorite albums)
Amazing Grace is a beautiful song. I have a memory from one of John Wayne’s movies from when I was 10ish watching on a Saturday afternoon one lazy hot Louisiana summer day (hot describes all of Louisiana summer days). Pretty sure it was The Cowboys, one of the few movies he died in, and Amazing Grace played at the end. I had heard it in church before, but I started liking the song then.
Amazing Grace is the only religious song I’d be OK with having played at my funeral (before or after Baby Got Back, I’m not sure).
Swing Low Sweet Chariot is another. In fact, “Swing low sweet chariot” pops into my head and I hum it a bit a few times a week. I have no idea why. I barely know any of the other lyrics. Who knows. I do like saying it in the deepest baritone I can manage. Makes me giggle with myself.
I went to Our Lady’s . . . of . . . shit, something, I should know this as I went there for 8 years. Anyway, first through eigth grade at Catholic grade school meant mass every Friday. The one that sticks out is a song that had “If the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack” and at “tack” you got to jump — with the penguins’ permission. Not jumping allowed anywhere else, though there was one kid in 6th grade who did jump a lot. He also wrote with his pen between his index and middle finger with his thumb sorta under the barrel.
It’s a fairly comfy way to write — I still do now and then. And no idea why that memory popped into my head. Can’t remember his name, he moved after only a few months.
I love the Allison Krauss version of I’ll Fly Away. Of course, I could listen to Allison Krauss sing about anything.
Go Rest High Upon That Mountain was written by Vince Gill after Keith Whitley drank himself to death. It will hit you in every damn feel you’ve got. The version below has Allison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs. Beautifully sung. Beautiful lyrics.
Sunday Morning Coming Down, the version sung by Cash, not Kristofferson, has always sounded like church to me. It’s also about the loneliest song around.
Speaking of Johnny, that made me remember the one I almost forgot: Unchained. While not officially gospel (I don’t think), it feels like a gospel song to me. Sung by a man of faith at the end of a long life full of the highest peaks and deepest valleys:
Oh, I am weak.
Unchained title track from album of same name
Oh, I know I am vain.
Take this weight from me,
Let my spirit be unchained.
That just . . . hits.
I know Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen isn’t gospel, but as a secular kinda guy, in my mind, it counts.
Gospel songs are meant for praise and to sublemate yourself before God. They can also be a celebration. They’re also for solace and a way to retreat from the world to recoup for a short time. In that last sense, my version of that would be IK’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” It’s got that hope for salvation and redemption and that, one day, it’s all gonna be alright, thing going. I’ll often give it a listen when feeling a little down in the dumps or aimless. Never fails to lift my spirits.
And that’s the gospel truth. Though, hmmmm, “gospel truth”?
Which gospels?
After all, there has been some extensive editing done over the years to prune the direction of the Christianity for it’s first 1400 years before it started to splinter into factions.
It’s a phrase that’s come to irk me lately. Anyway, that’s all for today.
Today’s issue’s musical selections. Of course leading with the two versions of Run On.
Still love this entire album. Took me a good dozen listens years ago before I realized this was a hymn.
Looking for an Amazing Grace version, too bad I can’t find a clip from The Cowboy, and came across this. The metal cover of Sounds of Silence vibes. Incredible.
How she continues to receive zero radio play is another indictment of the over-programming of mainstream radio.
And, of course, the amazing version of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
This came on just as was about to publish, so thought I’d include. Such a great song, though I think End of the Line is the best song they did. A room full of freaking music Batmans. How cool would it be to look up and be like “I’m playing with Dylan.” “That’s a Beatle.” “Holy Crap! Pretty Woman.” “Damn right, Damn the torpedos.” “Tusk.”
Photo by John Onaeko on Unsplash
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