Atheist Ireland Forum

That's a copy and paste of a Billboard chart

Bach/Gounod's Ave Maria (Yo Yo Ma and Bobby Mc Ferrin - Hush)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jvnqFoA0iE&feature=related

I don't suppose you could count music from the side of religion's 'bad guys?' (Read: Satan)

If you can, then there's a whole lot of religion in my Winamp library, even with Megadeth alone.

I also discovered a really good band called The Seventy-Sevens a few years ago.

Turns out they're actually Christian rock, though I'd have never guessed even given their band name.

I find it harder to listen to songs like 'Do it for Love' when I now know that they meant 'for the love of Christ'. It's kind of depressing.

I know this is an old thread.

Quick question:

Does Justice's album † count as religious?

I love it.

Hmm, isn't Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine a born-again Christian? Even if he wasn't, there is still far more Christian sentiment in his lyrics than in most music - and I mean this in the good sense of respecting others, not blowing them up and, er, not abducting visiting aliens.

I'm a huge fan of the Dubliners and regard Luke Kelly as a bit of a hero. In fairness not many of their songs have a religious theme but one that stands out as one my favourite songs is called 'Hand me Down me Bible'.

I play in a Irish ballad band and this is one song I really want to perform but never have because of the lyrics. I can't bring myself to sing the line 'I'm the lord's disciple' in public.

Why not change the line? I mean, it's just a song; it's not the Bible or anything (woops!)

A friend of mine was singing that Jimmy Crowley song about the pool table in a pub on the Isle of Eriskay when he noticed that there were some guys playing pool in a corner and at this stage everyone was listening to the crazy Irish guys singing. At the end of a line he whispered 'quick, what's an alternative'. I couldn't think of anything, my wits being dulled with whiskey, and he sang 'every oul mule has his hat in the air playing pool' instead of the original 'every oul fool has his arse in the air playing pool'. It went down well and a grand evening was had by all.

I guess I could rewrite the song as 'Hand me Down me iPhone' or something similar that brings our music to a wider, more contemporary audience!

Or keep the words and add in a bit of irony.
If you point me at the lyrics I'll have a stab at it.
Are we going to be seeing you perform on YouTube any day soon?

The lyrics can be found here. The song was originally written by Phil Coulter (who I'd regard as a great Irish songwriter). The religious theme is fairly entrenched in the song.

I have a Youtube Channel for the band alright. We recently did some recordings so I have a few songs up if you'd like a listen!

I think those lyrics were meant to be taken ironically. The guy is a hard-drinking redneck and a Bible thumper, the typical fundamentalist. If you threw in a 'Hallaluia' or 'Praise the Lord' I'm sure your listeners would get the picture.
I liked the Chancy Brothers - nice mandolin playing.
(By the way, I'm no Louis Walsh).

Van Morrison makes up a significant portion of my music collection and has done since I was 16. He rarely shuts up about god in half of his material too. It has never bothered me. Religious music, literature, folklore and art can all be wonderful things. It is only when people start believing the fantasies such things are based on that things go awry.