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<  Lyrics / Chords  ~  religion in OCMS lyrics?

frogbotfan
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:14 am Reply with quote
Raisin' a Ruckus Joined: 16 Jun 2011 Posts: 59 Location: North Carolina
Is there a pervasive, coherent religious attitude in OCMS lyrics, particularly those that OCMS band members themselves have written?

Their lyrics are full of religious references (like much of bluegrass and old-timey), e.g.,
"walkin' the line between faith and fear"; "God's got it"; the prophet Elijah; the gentle lamb of Judah; etc.

A religious attitude might also be revealed in which traditional songs the group chooses to sing.
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kg
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:35 pm Reply with quote
*Data Miner* Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 3427
Definitely.


(We had a related link around here some time ago, I believe.)

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Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's life. --Phil Ochs
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GumboStu
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:08 pm Reply with quote
*Irish Stew* Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 3666 Location: Joe's Cornfield
I'd say more like 'Kind of ... maybe ... a bit'.
In fact if i was being finicky I'd say 'no'. "A pervasive, coherent religious attitude". No. I'd probably be put off if there was.

There's no mistaking the culture the band was raised in. And christianity is the language of the music they love, but 'I Hear Them All' goes out of it's way to be inclusive of several disparate religious perspectives, and "We're all in this thing together' isn't religious so much as ... well let's just say that the word faith there can mean whatever the listener thinks it means (and that's part of the beauty of the song).

A quick look through their releases for other songs that might give us clues and i can only really pick out "Take Em Away", "Pour It On Dock" and 'Gospel Plow". That isn't saying coherent or pervasive to me. As I said elsewhere recently, I think they revel in the mythology of the old timey culture. That is pervasive and coherent.

What i do get is a clear sense of peace-lovin' fun havin' moved by the spirit good timers who aren't afraid to sing from the hymn book of their congregation!

But of course your mileage may vary Wink

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The whistle knows my name
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:16 pm Reply with quote
Thousandaire Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 1143
I'm more on GumboStu's side here. It would be more surprising if their repertoire contained no religious or spiritual references, considering the genre they're working in. It's sort of an inevitable topic to come up in all the folk music they're pulling from, but I don't really see a consistent effort to provide a religious message. I don't have that expectation either. I think they must realize that to be well-rounded and representative of the tradition they're coming from, it has to be part of the repertoire, but it doesn't feel like a key part of their MO. If anything "I Hear Them All" comes more from the hippie side of the spectrum and less the fundamentalist/preachy. I'm trying to rack my brain for any sort of examples in their lyrics of exclusion or taking a hard line (no pun intended), religious or otherwise, and the only thing I can come up with is the "right winger" lyric in Humdinger, but even that's balanced with the "folk singer" lyric, which I assume is a playful jab at the progressive school of folk. When I think of Old Crow I hear: "Hey! Up for a good time? Join in!"

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frogbotfan
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:18 pm Reply with quote
Raisin' a Ruckus Joined: 16 Jun 2011 Posts: 59 Location: North Carolina
GumboStu wrote:
...."We're all in this thing together' isn't religious so much as ... well let's just say that the word faith there can mean whatever the listener thinks it means (and that's part of the beauty of the song).



Glad you mentioned this one. I consider this song to be one great Ode to Humanity. And a great song to boot. I can't think of any other song that
expresses our common humanity so well. That line about "when you cry,
I taste the salt in your tears" is a wonderful metaphor for sharing of the world's woes with others. It's simultaneously one of the great songs about Friendship.

We're here--that's about all we know; other people have been in the same
situation ("worn-out shoes have trod"). A more traditional religious element comes into play with "heaven above and the devil beneath". This seems like really traditional Christianity to me. Yet a previous line seems to contradict it: "All there is is a slow road to freedom." Not a road to something else less pleasant? Universal salvation? Will everyone make it?

I love the line "spell your name to God". I think that must be completely original with OCMS. Surrender to God? Get your name written in the book?

And I haven't even talked about the melody or musical effects of this song, which are tremendous.
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GumboStu
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:12 pm Reply with quote
*Irish Stew* Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 3666 Location: Joe's Cornfield
frogbotfan wrote:
I consider this song to be one great Ode to Humanity.


My sentiments exactly.

And i love the idea that God might not know how to spell your name! Although i hadn't really thought that before. I can't think of another example of the idea of spelling your name to God. I think it is a metaphor for telling God who you are, and of course you have to know yourself to be able to do that, and be open enough to admit it, so yes, surrender.

Despite the possible buddhist influence of the 'slow road to freedom' I think it is more likely rooted in the ideas of Martin Luther King, or the places where those ideas came from. There will be an end to our struggle. Some day.

I was watching a documentary about Leonard Cohen today, and there was a guy talking about Ray Charles. About how Ray's voice communicated all the struggle the joy the hardship and the heartbreak, communicated it so deeply that the listener knew that Ray knew whereof he sang, and while the listener was able to recognise the struggle Ray was able to say "Me too" and share a burden. ( I paraphrase).

That's what i got when i first heard The Old Crows. And they did that not through some religious mission, but by a sharing, singing the music that spoke to them, that lifted their Spirits, and lifting the Spirits of those who could hear them. Oh yes!

And if that is some kind of a church then i am SAVED! Oh yes! Wink

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trtle8819
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:09 pm Reply with quote
Old Crow Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
I always thought of the line "spell your name to God" as introducing yourself to him. I feel like the more important part of the line is "give up your jaded ways" (during which, of course, you didn't know God, and He didn't know you...)
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kg
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:29 pm Reply with quote
*Data Miner* Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 3427
I may have to spend some time with this tomorrow. I think the religious (or spiritual) element in what the boys themselves have written is more prevalent than what one might think.

Spelling one's name to God IS a delightful thing. I come from a Roman Catholic background, but I've tried hard in life to learn a little bit about most "major" religious traditions. The idea of a Book of Life is one that appears in the Old Testament with Moses and the Psalmist and is continued in the New Testament in one or two of the epistles, as well as the Apocalypse. I imagine St. Peter looking confused when--and if--I arrive at Heaven's gate and asking me, "HOW do you spell your name?"

It's interesting to me that the Jews--and more and more Christians--do not spell out the name of God. (The Christians write it as "G-d.") Jewish scribes have very demanding rules for writing out even the so-called lesser names of God.

Oh! And I'm reminded of the assurance we are given that God knows our names even before we are formed in our mother's womb.

Spelling one's name to God might (might) have something to do with the practice of having one's name written down in a book of believers once one is "born again." I believe this is done in some of the fundamentalist churches.

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Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's life. --Phil Ochs
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