{"id":19778,"date":"2010-07-06T12:55:10","date_gmt":"2010-07-06T16:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstthings.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/?p=19778"},"modified":"2017-03-10T13:40:02","modified_gmt":"2017-03-10T13:40:02","slug":"the-ten-worst-hymns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/2010\/07\/06\/the-ten-worst-hymns\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ten Worst Hymns?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Regular readers know how passionately<\/strong> I have argued that too many modern Catholic hymns make one long to reach down one\u2019s own gullet until one has puked up one\u2019s own lungs and can in no way participate in the singing of same.<\/p>\n

Over at First Thoughts, Joe Carter has listed his choices of The Ten Worst Hymns of All Time<\/a>. For good measure, he includes music files, and you will easily discern why I completely concur with his choice as the #1 Worst Catholic Hymn, \u201cGather Us In,\u201d which is not only derivative of a repetitious Gorden Lightfoot song, but contains some awful \u201cworship\u201d lyrics:<\/p>\n

We are the young \u2013 our lives are a mystery
\nwe are the old \u2013 who yearn for you face.
\nwe have been sung throughout all of history
\ncalled to be light to the whole human race.
\nGather us in the rich and the haughty
\ngather us in the proud and the strong
\ngive us a heart so meek and so lowly
\ngive us the courage to enter the song. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Just typing it makes me shudder and go all Sideshow Bob Stepping on a Rake: ghururhhghgurhg<\/em><\/p>\n

But \u201cGather Us In\u201d is not the only derivative Catholic Hymn.<\/strong> \u201cHere I Am, Lord,\u201d at communion brings one into the parking lot singing, \u201cwho was bringing up three very lovely girls\u2026\u201d and you keep the Brady Bunch earworm all the livelong day.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s another song, and I can\u2019t believe that didn\u2019t make Joe\u2019s list, that cannot go unmentioned, David Haas\u2019 \u201cWe Are Called.\u201d It begins, \u201cCome, live in the light\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And if you want to know how it sounds, well, it sounds just like Styx\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m sailing awaaaaaaay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, it\u2019s truly wretched<\/em>. I would link you to an mp3, but I really like you much too much for that.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, go check out Joe\u2019s list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, it was just about this exact time last year that Deal Hudson was making the same sort of list<\/a> with the same sort of songs, and asking people where they stood on Catholic Hymns. Then again it\u2019s a subject that cannot be revisited too often<\/a>; we must continue to complain until they stop it.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t remember the last time Mass began with my own favorite: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty the King of Creaaaaaaaation!<\/em><\/p>\n

UPDATE: Mark Shea has much more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regular readers know how passionately I have argued that too many modern Catholic hymns make one long to reach down one\u2019s own gullet until one has puked up one\u2019s own lungs and can in no way participate in the singing of same. 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