or hate? Why?

I hated all of them , especially that one with the wicked power chord that went "deep in the mountain side" or something like that.

I almost said that when I wrote this thread. It was something about the golden plates are hidden, DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE . . . That last phrase sounded loud and almost scary when we sang it.

Or at least thats what it sounded like to me.

Cheryl Wrote:
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> I almost said that when I wrote this thread. It
> was something about the golden plates are hidden,
> DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE . . . That last phrase
> sounded loud and almost scary when we sang it.

Yeah. That diminished chord in "The Golden Plates" is one of the few cool sounds in Mormon music.

I didn't like the actual song because it has a vaguely country feel to it and I've never been a fan of country music, but I always liked the lyrics of the first verse and refrain of "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus." It conveyed to me what Christianity should have been about more than did most of what I read and sang as an LDS child.

I hated “popcorn popping on the apricot tree.”

And, I wondereded why I never heard “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” like I heard in other churches.

I liked the “Hamms, the beer refreshing” one.

My favorites were -

"Pioneer children screamed as they walked, and walked, and waaalllked."

"Anti-Mormon stories that the ex-mos told to meeeeeeeee. All about how Joseph Smith committed adulteryyyyy."

"I hope they call me off my mission, when I've been out a month or two..."


Having an abusive mother, I used to cringe singing "Mommy Dearest I love you so...". One Mother's Day I didn't sing it and was beaten when we got home for not doing so. From then on I mouthed it. Wasn't real crazy about singing "I'm so sad when daddy comes home..." either.

Yes, and what about that part where you sing, "Has given me an
earthly home with parents kind and dear."

I think about all the kids in abusive homes who sing that each
week.

"Has given me a messy home with parents kind of weird." I knew some kids who thought these were the real words.

Later, I had a Mormon boss who was giving a meeting with the whole company. As the meeting was beginning to start, from the lectern he told a joke, "What does a dyslexic atheist lay awake at night thinking about? . . . If there really is a dog."

I asked, "What is a hard of hearing Mormon high priest's favorite song? . . . 'The Spirit of God like a Tire is Burning."

He didn't take it too well, but I got my chuckles.

We also had to sing "Love at Home." Can't remember how many times we repeated that phrase.

I experienced an unusual mind twist. Aside from spankings from acting up at church, I had love at home. However, I had several primary teachers reinforcing the idea that my family wasn't eternal due to my wayward siblings that had stopped attending church.

I clearly remember while singing primary songs in front of the congregation, that I was looking at other parents because my own parents weren't Mormon-righteous enough. I secretly wanted to belong to a different family.

I remember sobbing buckets at a Youth Conference when the speaker went on and on about the poor non-Mormon families who would not be together in heaven with their families. I was a recent convert and my dad never joined. Still can't believe nobody noticed nor cared.

When I think of all the wasted time on my knees praying to get my dad to convert I have to cringe. Sure glad God wasn't listening to that sincere, innocent child's prayer. God is really pathological but he did me a favor back then by not bothering my poor dad.

I liked "Give Said the Little Stream" too.

I remember thinking that "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" was about
me being a metaphorical kitchen appliance.

My little sister loved "Give said the little stream". She would sing it at the top of her lungs while sitting on the toilet.

What was that song about, anyway ?

Give oh give.
Give oh give.

Gives, said the little stream,
As it hurried down the hill.

I'm small, I know
But wherever I go
The grass grows greener still

Singing, singing all the way
Give away
Oh, give away

Singing, singing all the way

Give, oh give away.

I liked it when I was a kid even if it sounds silly now. The tune was quick and lively, not like most mormon music.

Even when I was a kid, I thought this song was an attempt to get kids to grow up to give away everything. My parents certainly did. The church kept us poor.

Give your money
Give your time
Give your talents
Give your family
Give your janitorial services

I still don't get it. Is the little stream ordering us to give money to mormonism or is it telling the land to quit resisting the erosion the stream causes ?

In the Leafy Treetops always made me happy.

There was a jazz piano album published sometime in the early/mid '90s where all the tunes were primary songs; it was one of the "approved" CD's we could have as missionaries. I didn't have the CD, but at least one of my companions or roommates had it (I wrote "roommates" because we were usually 4 to an apartment). I can't remember the pianist who recorded that album...Kurt Bestor? Anyway, "In The Leafy Treetops" was on that album.

I think many of the primary songs (both new and old) have pretty melodies and nice harmonies. Just ignore the lyrics and the "message"...

From one of my favorite plays the Drowsy Chaperone:

"A haunting lament from a very depressed bride. Now, when you're listening to this, umm, try to ignore the lyrics. I know it'll be difficult, but block them out. They're not the best, but the tune is beautiful, and it truly communicates the bride's state of mind. Just ignore the lyrics."

In ancient times we sang "Do as I'm Doing" to get the wiggles out.

I liked "when we're helping we're happy" Grandma sang it when it was time to clean up.

"Oh hush thee my baby" is a lullabye sung for at least 5 generations. "

I liked Give - one of my favorites. And "Popcorn popping." The Mother's Day songs, "I love to go walking in meadows of roses ..."

And the Christmas carols and children's songs we sang each year for the holidays.

Book of Mormon stories was another popular song.

I am a child of God. Another one I used to play my violin with another girl as a duet was, "Where love is, there God is also." Yeah. They are sweet melodies that were easy to play along and to sing along.

I did learn the books of the New Testament by one of those songs we used to sing (bible book names,) ie, Matthew, Mark, Luke John, the Acts and the Romans ... la da da da.

I used to like "Book of Mormon Stories". Nowadays, I feel disgusted with it.

Me too! That song has a great Disney-like feel with the Bum-bum-bum sorta like "Polly-wolly-dum-dum" from Peter Pan.

Looking back that song is truly cringe-worthy.

Give, Said the Little Scream always freaked me out. I understood that the stream would dissolve itself in the giving, and what was left would vanish in a river. It disturbed me, so I changed the title to scream. I learned early on that if I rewrote things it helped to take away some of the sting.

blue, blue sky. It has a name that doesn't really sound like the song and I can't remember it right now. That was my favorite song for a long, long time.

Does anyone remember the song they actually sang in the 1960s in primary that was the one "I have a little gospel light." They had it in the movie "Corinna, Corinna." I had forgotten about it.

Nephi's Courage for both. It is a really catchy tune, but the sentiment is dubious. We had a primary presentation last year and it stayed in my head for weeks.

The cute catchy songs are a great way to give the kiddies a positive feeling for all the indoctrination to come.

"Get 'em while they're young."

I wish I'd never sung those songs. It's like your first hit of heroine.

"Follow The Profit"

I wanted to be rich when I was younger.

I pretty much hate all church songs, regardless of the denomination, because they are almost impossible to sing in my voice range. I must constantly change octaves because every damn song has a significant number of notes that are just a little too high or just a little too low for me in whatever octave I choose to sing.

I enjoy singing, and quite comfortably in several genres, but church songs are by far the most difficult for me to sing. The national anthem is easier for me to sing than most church songs.

Having been Sacrament chorister for five years, I have a soft spot for the hymns. The primary songs are no exception. With a caveat. The songs that I grew up with. The songs that were becoming popular as my children were growing up were not as catchy of tunes or melodious as the songs from the 60's and 70's that we grew to love.

Some of them were still around when my children were growing up, but were being phased out. The newer songs just didn't do it for me. When we left and started attending other churches, it was other songs that supplanted my children's repertoire.

Cutting the church loose also meant a loss of many of the songs I grew up with. Some of them I see now as more brainwashing - but some are really just fine church standards peculiar to Mormonism.

"Put your shoulder to the wheel push along, do your duty with a heart full of song. We all have work. Let no one shirk. Put your shoulder to the wheel." Really, this sounds like a slave driver's song to the slaves. And we were slaves to that "wheel." Church with its callings and duties was exhausting. It's a wonder there was any thing left over for ourselves or our families. I recall the occasional Monday morning I'd have to call in sick to work to recuperate from Sundays as a f/t TBM.

Amyjo Wrote:
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> Having been Sacrament chorister for five years, I
> have a soft spot for the hymns.


My last two callings were Ward Organist and Stake Choir Director. Doing those jobs certainly beat giving lessons to the Aaronic Priesthood or teaching Sunday School or any of the other assignments I probably would have had if it were not for my musical training.

I have an undergrad degree in piano performance in addition to the microbiology degree I earned for premed. I had to take a course in hymnology for my music degree. Almost any of the hymns that I would consider musically decent pieces of work are either direct lifts from more orthodox Christianity [ex: "Come Thou fount of Every Blessing"] (Most are Protestant; Protestantism has a greater or at least more celebrated hymn tradition than does catholicism for the most part.) or musical lifts with LDS text ("If you Could hie to Kolob/ Hymn Tune Ebenezer; frequent texts "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" and "O Sing a Song of Bethlehem"). LDS hymn writers came up with few really dignified or stately hymn tunes on their own. I recognize that quality of music is subjective, but most listeners, however subjective or as objective they may be, usually reach the conclusion that most LDS music sucks.

" 'Give,' Said the Little Stream" is a sweet song. I don't know anything about its origins. I'll have to see what the Internet has to say about its origin.

scmdnotloggedin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> " 'Give,' Said the Little Stream" is a sweet song.
> I don't know anything about its origins. I'll have
> to see what the Internet has to say about its
> origin.

It's by Fanny Crosby, arguably the most prolific writer of hymn text in Protestant history, and William Bradbury, a frequent collaborator. Once again I learn that another good "LDS" song was not originally an LDS song.

scmdnotloggedin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> scmdnotloggedin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > " 'Give,' Said the Little Stream" is a sweet
> song.
> > I don't know anything about its origins. I'll
> have
> > to see what the Internet has to say about its
> > origin.
>
> It's by Fanny Crosby, arguably the most prolific
> writer of hymn text in Protestant history, and
> William Bradbury, a frequent collaborator. Once
> again I learn that another good "LDS" song was not
> originally an LDS song.

Give said is one of the first songs I remember about Primary. That, and Popcorn popping. Those two at my first primary meeting where I attended in our Las Vegas ward as a pre-schooler. The teacher or some adult ushered me up to the front to pick a song from the picture board of a what else, but a tree. The song I picked was "Popcorn."

Give may have been right behind it picked by the next child, that we sang that day.

Nice to know Mormons don't get to claim the rights to that song. :)

My first thought on being dressed in outrageously ridiculous robes, wearing a funny hat, and being told to make death gestures in the temple was, "What happened to my 'Jesus wants me for a sunbeam' church?"

Same here. I had the exact same thought!


The last calling I had in the church was as a primary teacher. As a youth I used to love Primary. As I sat through singing time with my class I was actually physically ill as they were taught to learn songs about following the prophet and being a member of the church instead of the more innocent Give Said the LIttle Stream or Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam. I couldn't believe the hardcore indoctrination being directed at these little kids.

I likes the primary penny song mostly because it was a march and I always liked martial music.

They were all lame.

I don’t remember the exact title, but it was “I’m So Glad When Grandpa Comes.” There was a line in that song that said he was always “happy and gay”.

The words have been changed since the gay movement started, but it always made me laugh.

There's only one I truly love, and I actually discovered it as a primary teacher shortly before leaving the church, "I'll Walk With You" by Carol Lynn Pearson

If you don't walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won't! I won't!
If you don't talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won't! I won't!
I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.
That's how I'll show my love for you.
Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev'ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, "Come, follow me."
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.
That's how I'll show my love for you.

It really hit me because I felt like I was alone in my doubts and anytime I trusted a a ward member enough to share, I was subsequently held at arms length or shunned altogether, to the point that I was released from primary over my lack of belief. To me it pointedly was calling out the hypocrisy of church members who claimed to follow the teachings of christ.

I can't remember my favorite: It was a tune by Mendleson, I think, and the words were something like, "For the something-something, we give thanks, Oh Lord." It was two lines long.

I'm so happy that I can't remember it!!! I've been purposely trying to forget my Mormon childhood!

My most hated song was when I was playing the piano and teaching in the primary: "The Bishop is the Father of Our Ward." Our bishop had tried to hit on me, and on one of my neighbors, too. He was a creep. I told my kids that they didn't have to sing that song. They didn't have to sing "I'm so glad when daddy comes home", or participate in father's day, either, after my TBM husband abandoned us. Father's Day was fine--I loved my father--but being FORCED to participate made us dig in our heels. Of course, later, I discovered that these songs were just small lies, compared to all the bigger Mormon lies.

Ugh--let time heal things over.

Too bad a church can't provide only cheerful happy experiences and memories.