#Gospel music

[thecreativemillennial]

[wakandamama]

My granny refuses to listen to any gospel music recorded after 1985 and she's been stretching our 'jam session' out for 6 hours now. Feel like I'm 9 years old being held hostage at revival again.

[schweizercomics]

Four years ago, I'm reminded, I posted this gospel song I wrote, based on Matthew 25:31-46. I mess up the chords something awful but I'm still pretty happy with it.

I got asked to lead music for the youth group a few years back and near on every song they had in the book was about praising God, which is only 1/2 of what you're supposed to be doing with your religion, so I figured we needed one about helping your neighbor, so I cobbled one together.

Lyrics:

When Jesus comes in glory he will gather at his side the many folks who have professed him lord and like a mindful shepherd he will thus his flock divide and to the first group gratitude award

“When I was hungry, you gave me food I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger, and you took me in You gave me warm clothes for to cover my skin When I was sick, you helped me to mend And you visited me in the clink”

They’ll say “Lord Jesus, you must be mistook, We would not forget if we had aided thee” But he’ll say “whatever help you gave to those deemed least deserving, I tell you, you gave it to me.”

“You did it for me, you did it for me, by making sure that no one was in need Whatever you did for the least of those among you, that is the very thing you did for me.”

To the others, though they’d praised him, and were very well-behaved, he’ll say “sorry, y’all ain’t welcome up above,” They’ll wail and rend their garments and demand that they’ve been saved But he’ll tell them how they failed to show their love

“When I was hungry you gave no food I was thirsty and you gave no drink I had no roof, you said “not my concern” I tried to resettle, you made me return I can’t pay the doc, but on that point you’re stern And you left me to rot in the clink

“They’ll say “Lord Jesus, you must be mistook, We would never have neglected aiding thee” But he’ll say “whatever help you kept from those you deemed unworthy, I tell you, you kept it from me

*********

If you do for God, but don’t do for your neighbor If you’d withhold food ‘til folks prove that they labor You’re fit to be split by his fiery saber You ain’t but a goat in his eyes

*********

So if you wanna get to heaven, you best do your part To make sure that no one teeters on the brink Let not a soul spend a night sans a bed Let no one be hungry without being fed Let no one for lack of a dollar get dead And be sure things are fair in the clink

“You did it for me, you did it for me, by making sure that no one was in need Whatever you did for the least of those among you, that is the very thing you did for me.”

[hooked-on-elvis]

"How Great Thou Art" (Live, April 1972)

"Elvis On Tour" unreleased footage + a little something about Elvis' Blue Nail jumpsuit.

April 9 1972. Elvis Presley performing at the Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (8:30pm), wearing the Blue Nail jumpsuit with White Fireworks suit belt.

I LOVE IT! I love it, I love it, I love it!

But I have a one thing going on my mind on why they kept this performance out of the final film. This is a different song but the vibe (even the scene) is very similar to the religious song that was performed by the Stamps Quartet on the same concert, a Gospel song that actually made it to the final cut, "Sweet, Sweet Spirit". The similarity between both performances (in scene and energy) is what makes me believe they had to choose between one of them. Elvis shows his appreciation for Gospel music in both performances - with that characteristic reverential shiny look on his face. We do have a better glimpse of the depth of E's love for God with both songs performed live so I believe the decision for one of the songs was based on little details on Elvis' behavior. For example, with "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" we see him gently shushing a fan that threatened to keep screaming during the Stamps performance... that little detail adds another layer to the scene, unarguably. We can connect better with E's feelings when we watch him just listening to the song instead of performing it himself, IMHO. Besides, the film already had Elvis singing gospels during rehearsal scenes. Those are just my thoughts... I have no info on what went on inside the editing room but knowing Martin Scorsese was there - and the actor he is - I believe he was sensitive enough to guide the movie's editing decisions based on such assertive and thoughtful consideration between those two great performances of religious music.

What are your thoughts?

--

JSYK: ELVIS ON TOUR: THE BLUE NAIL SUIT WORN WITH TWO DIFFERENT BELTS.

For two concerts filmed for the Elvis On Tour documentary, Elvis wears the Blue Nail jumpsuit but with different belts. Those concerts were on April 9 and 16, 1972. For the April 9 concert Elvis wore the Blue Nail suit with the White Fireworks belt, which originally belongs to the White Fireworks suit - first worn by El in 1971. Picture 1 above is from the April 9, 1972 concert (screenshot from the film) while the picture 2 is a cropped image that shows the Elvis wearing the White Fireworks belt on it's original costume. For April 16, 1972 concert Elvis wears the Blue Nail suit again but this time with its original belt, performing at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida (8:30 pm). The footage from April 9, 1972 was the one mainly used on Elvis On Tour, concerning the Blue Nail suit, to show Elvis' performance onstage itself, while the footage from April 16, 1972 was used in specific scenes with no singing involved. The first time the April 16th performance appears onscreen (as far as I noticed) is by the mid section of the film, with Elvis doing karate moves onstage while fans talk about their feelings for him. By the end of the movie, when we see EP wearing the Blue Nail suit again, the performance is, once more, from the April 9th concert. Below there's a screenshot from the film (3) and a picture taken of Elvis on stage (4), both images from the April 16th 1972 concert: The Blue Nail jumpsuit with the original belt.

The final scene of EOT (Elvis leaving the venue) is composed by a combination of images from the concerts on April 9th ​​and 16th. When he runs off the stage and goes backstage it is footage from April 16th (original belt, photo 5 - screenshot from the film); when EP is running down the hallway, rushing to get into the car waiting for him outside, it's footage from April 9th ​​(White Fireworks belt, photos 6-7).

That all leave us wondering... There definitely is more footage of Elvis On Tour, in good-enough quality and great performances, yet to be released... So why is taking so long? *~*

[glass-strawberries]

The Valley by The Oh Hellos: A Biblical Song Analysis

*Full analysis under the cut*

By @glass-strawberries and @glass--grapes

Author's note: we grew up Christian and we love whimsical music so hearing all these references from our childhood hit pretty well. We wanted to analyze it and share all the references because The Oh Hellos are honestly some of the best lyricists we’ve seen. 

This analysis does contain references to Genius Lyrics where we didn’t know what the lyrics were referring to. We didn’t copy them, but we added additional information.

The Valley 

Background/song summary: The Valley is the first track in The Oh Hellos Through the Deep, Dark Valley. Though the album is coined as a concept album, the concept itself is very loose. The album was made in respect to love, journeys, and righting past wrongs. 

This song is about the struggle and confusion of being born into wickedness or sin, as all humans are following the fall of humanity (the original sin). The speaker seeks a leader to the light. 

Lyric Analysis:

We were born in the valley Of the dead and the wicked

A reference to the Valley of Canaan, the ancient land that is now known as Israel/ Palestine. 

That our father's father found And where we laid him down

Moses led the Israelites to the land of Canaan as they were fleeing Egyptian captivity. Before Moses could get there, he essentially pissed off God and was banished from entering the promised land. He dies in Moab and God buries him there(Deuteronomy 34). 

We were born in the shadow Of the crimes of our fathers

 After the fall of humanity, every human ever born is born with sin. The “fathers” in this sense is everyone who came before them(Romans 3:23-24). The speaker struggles with discrimination and labels placed on them from their fathers. 

Blood was our inheritance No, we did not ask for this Will you lead me?

Canaanites were considered wicked, and were killed in a genocide against them. The speaker resents the sin that they have inherited, having been credited to this crime against the Canaanites. They once again yearn for a leader.

We were young when we heard you call Our names in the silence Like a fire in the dark

The speaker did not know God until they started to hope for a leader or divine intervention. God says that He will reveal Himself to those who truly seek him(1 John 3:2). The Bible states that when God calls out to you, He will call you by name and you will know immediately that it was Him that was speaking (Isaiah 43:1).

Like a sword upon our hearts We came down to the water And we begged for forgiveness

Water baptism is a symbolic representation of death in the flesh and being brought back to life in a new “body” that will “live” forever. The purpose of baptism is defined differently in different branches of Christianity and even among churches, but the two popular ones are: 

To proclaim your faith publicly(either way, you are saved as long as you have faith)

To become a true christian and be saved(you will not be saved unless you are baptized)

The singer chose to repent for their sins. Shadows lurking close behind We were fleeing for our lives Will you lead me?

Psalm 23:3- He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

1/24

[ntls-24722]

Pretty lights!

[tani-b-art]

This had to be one of the most beautiful interactions (scenes) this season. Of the series.

[rainejen]

do Jedi sing? I feel like obi-wan kenobi and anakin skywalker could each benefit from a good amount “it is well with my soul” every day

[dyingforbadmusic]

lol

[lisamarie-vee]

[mahgnib]

Vivian Maier 1967 photo of blues and gospel busker Arvella Gray, a familiar face on Chicago’s Maxwell Street in the 1960’s and 70’s.

[blackmensuited]

[hooked-on-elvis]

ELVIS' RESPECT FOR GOD

On one occasion in Elvis' suite, J.D. and The Stamps were gathered around the piano, singing "Sweet, Sweet Spirit", while the other visitors were noisily chattering away. Elvis became irritated, jumped up on a stool, waved his arms and hollered at everyone, "Shut up, goddamnit! They're singing about Jesus!" A hush fell over the room, and all you could hear was the sound of the lilting spiritual. "Y'all should be quiet," he whispered. "They're singing about Jesus … come on." Everyone was looking up sheepishly at Elvis, like he was Moses standing on Mt. Sinai. His choice of words struck me as incongruously hilarious, but I did realize that in his own way he was expressing his reverence for the Lord, and I admired him for this. Excerpt from "Elvis and Kathy" (1987) by Kathy Westmoreland

[ntls-24722]

he asks wesley if he wants to kiss him with the same casualness of asking someone if they want to grab lunch. I mean, he still really wants Wesley to say yes (and then will promptly try to ask "will you kiss me if I buy you dinner?" as if it's a deal), and is still nervous about whether or not Wesley likes him in the same way that he does, but DJMM is simply far more blunt and to the point about it

I wish this was digital because there was an extension of this where Wesley was like "GOSH you're so casual about this, how are you so casual about this" and DJMM's like "Sorry" and then he asks him again but in times new roman and with the formality of a business email

Also. he says yes

Thingamabob! (me?) (its not a sona and it doesn't look like me but it's something. something of me)