Weird songs at Mass

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smessner

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This is my first new thread, so please forgive me if I don’t do it correctly. 🙂

A recent thread addressed Liturgical music issues and it started me to think about my own previous Liturgical Violations, or violations that I’ve witnessed.

I was in 7th grade when Guitar Masses came to our parish. Some of the early songs I remember are:

God Loves A Cheerful Giver
The Wind Blows (woo-oo-oo)
Sons of God (can be sung to the accompaniment of “Heart and Soul” on piano)

Coincidentally, about the time that these songs were being introduced, an organist at our parish, whose keyboard talent was undeniable but her mental stability came into question, was known to break out into rousing renditions of “Take me out to the ballgame” and the Notre Dame Fight Song.

For anyone else out there who has not repressed the memories of this era, I’m just wondering what other songs have passed for Liturgical songs. Over the years, I think almost every John Denver song - with the exception of “Grandma’s Feather Bed” - has been used at Mass. I think I’ve heard Randy Travis’ (?) “Forever and ever, Amen” used as the doxology. The Beatles’ “Let it Be” as a Marian hymn?

I don’t think we need to go into songs used at weddings. It goes without saying that weddings are often off the radar Liturgically. The weddings I’ve attended that ARE Liturgically appropriate are few and far between.

So I’d love to hear some of the “D’oh!” liturgical music moments you’ve experienced.

Anybody game?
 
I confess…I started the Folk Mass at my little country parish way back when. One of the songs that “musicians” passed around was the inscription from the Statue of Liberty - “Give me your tired, your poor…”

We sang Sons of God, too. Hear O Lord. And a bunch of others that went C, Am, F, G.

And some miserable ditty that some girl composed on a retreat: “My God is real to me, He’s touched me and He’s smiled. My God is real to me…Goodness runs wild, goodness runs wild…It’s in the way you walk, the funny things you say, and the happiness you are to me…”

How about “Bridge Over Troubled Water?” And the immortal “Sounds of Silence?”

Then I went to college, and the Sunday evening Mass had a priest directing a choir that sang a bunch of music from the Dutch composer Bernard Huijbers - Song of the City - “Here is a city built far as the eye can see … Houses and gardens and men made of light and clay…” We gathered around the altar for the Eucharistic prayer and Communion was pita bread which we passed to each other in baskets and broke off our own little piece. It was all very exotic.

Fortunately at the same time, I sang in the Concert Choir, who were Gregorian chant experts. I was introduced to the chant and other great sacred music, and was saved from the Folk Mass forever. I sold my guitar to buy Christmas gifts one year and never looked back.

I got a job in Lutheran church choir when I was a senior, and when I graduated, I became a paid cantor at a good, solid Catholic parish. Whew! Thirty years later, still a Catholic cantor and still singing in a protestant choir. Some things never change.

Betsy
 
Lets see…
There are more modern but:
  • Oasis “Wonderwall”
  • Audio Adrenaline “Get Down” (Christian, but not Catholic)
  • and a death metal version of “Jesus Loves Me” that scared the bishop (it was Confirmation) and started a mosh pit
 
Ride on Jesus , Ride

I am sorry I could not look at the words. Jesus on a Harley is all I could think about.
 
hilde_the_dog said:
Ride on Jesus , Ride

I am sorry I could not look at the words. Jesus on a Harley is all I could think about.
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This would be unbiblical. If Moses rode his Triumph throughout the land, so would Jesus. Jesus would ride his Triumph throughout the land.
 
pprimeau1976 said:
This would be unbiblical. If Moses rode his Triumph throughout the land, so would Jesus. Jesus would ride his Triumph throughout the land.
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Nah, everybody knows Jesus had a Vision (Victory’s new bike).

Deacon Ed
 
I’m surprised Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” hasn’t been used anywhere.
 
icequeen said:
You forgot the big tool box!! 😃
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I’ve been told that all those “WWJD” bracelets, bumper stickers, etc. stand for “What would Jesus drive?” Looks like we have some possible answers to that question. 😛
 
Talk about being hijacked! Can’t recall any weird stuff in our parish unless you count “They Will Know We Are Christians by our Love.” Still brings tears to my eyes.
 
rwoehmke said:
Talk about being hijacked! Can’t recall any weird stuff in our parish unless you count “They Will Know We Are Christians by our Love.” Still brings tears to my eyes.
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Wow, I hadn’t thought about that one for ages. I still remember all three chords and probably all the verses.
From that same era, how 'bout “What so EVer you do to the least of my Bruh-uh-thers…” We sang that song every day at Communion time where I went to grade school. Back in the day when going to Catholic elementary school meant starting the day with going to Mass.
Ok, I’m showing my age…
 
We had a youth band sing a selection of contemporary hits of which I only remember Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven”. I was expecting “Stairway to Heaven” after that, but thankfully, they gave that one a miss . One of the songs was composed by the band and seemed to be singing about suicide. All their selections were very black, depressing and dismal. The band was very loud and treated the occasion, which was the Feast of Christ the King, like a concert.

It was the first and only time I have left Mass early. Well, early for me, Father had recessed but they weren’t finished singing the Recessional yet. My eardrums needed a break.

I heard afterwards that Father read them the Riot Act and they never ‘performed’ again.
 
Lion_of_Narnia said:
Jesus is a carpenter, he drives a work pickup truck. 😃
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No He doesnt, as a carpenter He would drive a Ute or a four wheel drive. He needs to go onto other farms to measure gates etc. so he needs to get into difficult places. 😃 🙂
 
smessner said:
Wow, I hadn’t thought about that one for ages. I still remember all three chords and probably all the verses.
From that same era, how 'bout “What so EVer you do to the least of my Bruh-uh-thers…” We sang that song every day at Communion time where I went to grade school. Back in the day when going to Catholic elementary school meant starting the day with going to Mass.
Ok, I’m showing my age…
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You are showing your age when you quote the last word of those lyrics as brothers. For years now it has been “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people…”
 
Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All”

“We are the World”
 
dranzal said:
You are showing your age when you quote the last word of those lyrics as brothers. For years now it has been “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people…”
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Mea culpa. Oops. There I go again.

Actually, since I’m the only girl in a family of 7 kids, the song probably was more pertinent to me when it was “brothers”. Not that I had anything to worry about as far as doing anything unto the least of them…:whistle: (I hope none of them reads this.)
 
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