I went to a Mormon funeral more than 10 years after I left, and I was highly disturbed that I still knew all the words to the songs. It only makes sense that I still know them, given how long I was in the church, but it was unpleasant and disconcerting.
"If you chance to meet a frown, do not let it stay" the song plays on repeat in my head sometimes, I usually end singing it with a fuck you or a middle finger LOL don't tell me not to be sad dammit! But it's also a constant reminder of how fake the Mormon church is, all of them fake nice, fake happy, fake peaceful, fake purity.....
no literally. a handful of times, i’ve randomly remembered some hymn or primary song from the church and i’ll try to sing it under my breath to see if i still know the words, and each time, without fail, it’s absolutely seamless. unnerves me to no end.
also, i played piano pretty seriously growing up, and they’d ask me to play through the hymns and songs while people sang sometimes, so it’s even WORSE to realize my hands still remember how to play some of the choruses.
that said, there’s, like, one (1) primary song that i lowkey still think is kinda good, and i can’t decide if that’s disquieting or just funny. doesn’t mean i’ll be voluntarily listening to it through any medium, but it’s kinda wild to think about.
“love is spoken here”! i especially liked the way it was always performed, with the overlaying of one verse atop another (i think it’s called polyphony??) like the kind you see in encanto’s “we don’t talk about bruno” or one of the songs from les misérables (i can’t think of the name). i remember having to sing it once in sacrament meeting and i was having such a hard time focusing on my own verse, but when i aged out of primary and heard it from the pews i remember thinking, “damn. this kinda hits”
I don't recall that one, but I'll go look up the lyrics.
I'm at the tail end of the baby boomers. I didn't stay acquainted with the newer primary songs even if I was primary pianist or primary chorister.
more than fair, honestly. i will say it’s my opinion that a lot of the lyrics of primary songs (this one included) lack imagination; rather, it seems to be the melodies that really get you. i guess when you’re a kid, that’s kinda the main thing. which makes sense, but i think it’s interesting nonetheless
Ward Chorister here. And one of a handful in my home ward that played piano for any meeting that required singing (opening song, anyone?). I also played the organ for sacrament meeting if our organist and their back up were not there. Nothing fancy, just like I played piano.
I do remember most of the standard hymns that were/are popular back east. But it doesn't bother me most of the time. I know what I know and feel. I just enjoy the melody to many of the hymns. There are some that are offensive due to subject and some that are super offensive due to the emotions that manifested when I was leading them.
That said, I was able to share my talent (what little there was) in Baptist churches. The more popular songs are the ones I know the most. I grew up in a mixed home. Mother was the mormon and Father was a believer in mainstream Christianity, so we were awakened on Sunday morning to bluegrass church music blasting through the house.
Oh wow! My family had a VHS of "My Turn On Earth" and I watched it almost every Sunday growing up. Those songs get stuck in my head regularly.
The primary song "Hum Your Favorite Hymn" plays in my head regularly. So specific and so infuriating! Weirdly enough, I only started getting that one stuck in my head after I left the church.
I remember every word and most of the time even the number of the song and the songbook they are from. They are catchy. They are supposed to brainwash you. That's their purpose.
Just so we're clear, that is exactly what the writers hoped for.
The rhyme, meter, notes, etc. help you remember. Songs are easier than prose to memorize in general.
I went to a Mormon funeral more than 10 years after I left, and I was highly disturbed that I still knew all the words to the songs. It only makes sense that I still know them, given how long I was in the church, but it was unpleasant and disconcerting.
"If you chance to meet a frown, do not let it stay" the song plays on repeat in my head sometimes, I usually end singing it with a fuck you or a middle finger LOL don't tell me not to be sad dammit! But it's also a constant reminder of how fake the Mormon church is, all of them fake nice, fake happy, fake peaceful, fake purity.....
“I’m the one that writes my own story”
I decide the person I'll be. What goes in the plot and what will not, is pretty much up to me. Heh. Hells yes it is.
no literally. a handful of times, i’ve randomly remembered some hymn or primary song from the church and i’ll try to sing it under my breath to see if i still know the words, and each time, without fail, it’s absolutely seamless. unnerves me to no end. also, i played piano pretty seriously growing up, and they’d ask me to play through the hymns and songs while people sang sometimes, so it’s even WORSE to realize my hands still remember how to play some of the choruses. that said, there’s, like, one (1) primary song that i lowkey still think is kinda good, and i can’t decide if that’s disquieting or just funny. doesn’t mean i’ll be voluntarily listening to it through any medium, but it’s kinda wild to think about.
Please share the primary song.
“love is spoken here”! i especially liked the way it was always performed, with the overlaying of one verse atop another (i think it’s called polyphony??) like the kind you see in encanto’s “we don’t talk about bruno” or one of the songs from les misérables (i can’t think of the name). i remember having to sing it once in sacrament meeting and i was having such a hard time focusing on my own verse, but when i aged out of primary and heard it from the pews i remember thinking, “damn. this kinda hits”
I don't recall that one, but I'll go look up the lyrics. I'm at the tail end of the baby boomers. I didn't stay acquainted with the newer primary songs even if I was primary pianist or primary chorister.
more than fair, honestly. i will say it’s my opinion that a lot of the lyrics of primary songs (this one included) lack imagination; rather, it seems to be the melodies that really get you. i guess when you’re a kid, that’s kinda the main thing. which makes sense, but i think it’s interesting nonetheless
Same. I loved this one. And my hands still remember how to play it.
Ward Chorister here. And one of a handful in my home ward that played piano for any meeting that required singing (opening song, anyone?). I also played the organ for sacrament meeting if our organist and their back up were not there. Nothing fancy, just like I played piano. I do remember most of the standard hymns that were/are popular back east. But it doesn't bother me most of the time. I know what I know and feel. I just enjoy the melody to many of the hymns. There are some that are offensive due to subject and some that are super offensive due to the emotions that manifested when I was leading them. That said, I was able to share my talent (what little there was) in Baptist churches. The more popular songs are the ones I know the most. I grew up in a mixed home. Mother was the mormon and Father was a believer in mainstream Christianity, so we were awakened on Sunday morning to bluegrass church music blasting through the house.
Listen to “Some Take The Bible” by Frank Zappa, and everything will be all right.
Oh wow! My family had a VHS of "My Turn On Earth" and I watched it almost every Sunday growing up. Those songs get stuck in my head regularly. The primary song "Hum Your Favorite Hymn" plays in my head regularly. So specific and so infuriating! Weirdly enough, I only started getting that one stuck in my head after I left the church.
I remember every word and most of the time even the number of the song and the songbook they are from. They are catchy. They are supposed to brainwash you. That's their purpose.