Vatican Rag

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nat682
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
It’s really no more sacrilegious than clown masses, liturgical dancing, ad nauseum…
 
Believe it or not, that song was really popular in my circle of friends when we were in high school at the turn of the millennium.

“National Brotherhood Week” was also very popular…

Oh heck…just…Tom Lehrer in general. We were really really geeky. :o
 
didymus said:
I love Tom Lehrer!

MLF Lullaby

Werner von Braun

Pollution

. . . and the ever popular The Elements
Click to expand...
My sister had the album ‘That Was the Year that Was’; everything on it was great. I particularly liked- "So long, Mom. A song to be Sung for WWIII’ I shudder to think how long before the millenium my group of geeks was listening to it. (High schoolers playing bridge in the halls on rainy days listening to Tom Lehr)
 
I always wondered whether this would’ve been considered sacrilegious or not. Seems there is some debat as to the issue.

I’ve always thought it was actually kind of funny, at least in and of itself, if you take it in a more light-hearted manner. The original intent, however, does seem to be a bit cynical. (On the CD set “The Remains of Tom Lehrer”, he says something about V II wanting to “sell the product”.)

I do love (the geekier side of) Tom Lehrer, though (Lobachevsky, New Math, Elements), because I’m just a girlgeek like that! 🙂 Some of the other stuff can be a bit too edgy for me, though.
 
I enjoy Tom Lehrer, too; I credit my cousin who was a fan for getting me interested.
MysticMissMisty said:
I always wondered whether this would’ve been considered sacrilegious or not. Seems there is some debat as to the issue.
Click to expand...
My cousin said that when “Vatican Rag” came out, a priest told the the religious education students that there’s a song out called the “Vatican Rag” and that if you listen to it it’s a sin.
 
signit said:
My cousin said that when “Vatican Rag” came out, a priest told the the religious education students that there’s a song out called the “Vatican Rag” and that if you listen to it it’s a sin.
Click to expand...
Question is: What do you think and why?

Also be interested in hearing others’ opinions on this.
 
“Ave maria, gee it’s good to see ya …”

He was really great, I wonder why he didn’t continue doing this satirical cabaret stuff.
 
As I think I’ve opined before, intention of the author is one thing, how we personally take a work, quite another.

I (though obviously speaking as yet? a Protestant not so familiar with every aspect of Catholic teaching/life) have always personally taken it in a light-hearted way.

I guess the question here really might be, are we permitted to “make fun” in a light-hearted (or non-attacking) way on the customs of our faith? Is any kind of humor about our faith to be deemed sacrilegious or is some humor permitted within certain limits?

I’ve always been of the opinion that light-hearted faith humor is fine, so long as it doesn’t take away from our serious regard for it when we participate in it. This reflectts, I think, my view on humor generally, especially regarding otherwise more serious/sombre subjects. For me, humor about such does not take away from the seriousness of the subjects themselves when seriousness is required, i.e., in most other cases.

(OK, I hope I’m making some sense. Somehow this post doesn’t feel as eloquent as most of mine tend to be. 🙂 !)
 
He has a song called New Math - making fun of the education changes in the 60’s. He contrasts how a subtraction problem would be done the ‘old’ way, and how they do it in the ‘new way.’ I don’t get at all how it worked in the old way though. >.<
 
He has a song called New Math - making fun of the education changes in the 60’s. He contrasts how a subtraction problem would be done the ‘old’ way, and how they do it in the ‘new way.’ I don’t get at all how it worked in the old way though. >.<
 
Rhubarb said:
He has a song called New Math - making fun of the education changes in the 60’s. He contrasts how a subtraction problem would be done the ‘old’ way, and how they do it in the ‘new way.’ I don’t get at all how it worked in the old way though. >.<
Click to expand...
Oh, yes. When I was in school in the 1960s learning the “New Math” one of our teachers brought in the record and played it for us. I still remember some of it.
 
Tim Lehr is great.

Gotta love the lyrics:
“First, you get down on your knees, fiddle with you rosaries,
bow your heads with great respect, and
Genuflect, Genuflect, Genuflect!”
 
Birdpreacher said:
Tim Lehr is great.

Gotta love the lyrics:
“First, you get down on your knees, fiddle with you rosaries,
bow your heads with great respect, and
Genuflect, Genuflect, Genuflect!”
Click to expand...
You gotta admit, it is kinda catchy and fun, if you don’t take it too seriously(?). I mean, as I understand it, there are Protestant “Christian” comedians who “make fun” of their traditions quite often and don’t seem to have a problem with it. They also seem, when appropriate, to regard them quite soberly.
 
Birdpreacher said:
Tim Lehr is great.

Gotta love the lyrics:
“First, you get down on your knees, fiddle with you rosaries,
bow your heads with great respect, and
Genuflect, Genuflect, Genuflect!”
Click to expand...
I believe it’s Tom Lehrer.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top