Even before the election was over and done with, I had in my brain the idea to make a CD for mom which includes some of my favorite irreligious, pro-LGBT, anti-war music. Today I think I’ve finally gotten it sorted out. It’s a bit of a progression. It starts out with a beautiful Christian song “Down to the River to Pray” from O Brother Where Art Thou. It’s mom’s favorite, and mine, from that movie. The second song, however, REALLY illustrates what the remainder of the CD will be like. Here’s the song list and my reasons for their existance on the CD.
- “Down to the River to Pray” by Allison Krauss [I remember church as a kid – wonderful music, plenty of reverence, and not nearly the doubt that was to come.]
- “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” by Ray Stevens [I’ve been to churches like the one in this song. Thankfully they were only for a visit or two.]
- “Look! No Strings” by Chumbawamba [“Have your fun whilst you’re alive. You won’t get nothin’ when you die. Have a good time all the time, because you won’t get nothing when you die.” My current philosophy.]
- “Imortal Invisible” by Neil Innes [A message from God about our behavior here on Earth? Perhaps…]
- “All Things Dull and Ugly” by Monty Python [Just for a good chuckle.]
- “It’s a Sin” by The Pet Shop Boys [Of course, as doubt expands in your mind, you’re reminded by others that it’s a sin to doubt!]
- “Hell” by The Squirrel Nut Zippers [And we all know where sin leads…]
- “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. [So why not go that last step?]
- “Johnny and Betty” by Meryn Cadell [Switching gears for a bit, here’s a tale of a young couple. Who have just come out of the closet.]
- “In Denial” by The Pet Shop Boys [For many people coming out, there is a time when they’re in denial. But you can get over that denial…]
- “Homophobia” by Chumbawamba [Coming out, however, has its consequences, and homophobia is one of the worst to deal with.]
- “What About Love” by Heart [So yeah, what about love? Isn’t that the important thing? Is that what Christianity is supposed to teach us about?]
- “We Are Not Going Away” by Kindling [“God blesses His children who stand up and say, ‘We are not going away!'” The Mennonite LGBT version of “We Shall Overcome”? Could be…]
- “No Matter Who You Vote For, the Government Always Gets In” by The Bonzo Dog Band [Election time has come and gone, but once again, we’ve got politicians in office. *sigh*]
- “Mommy and Daddy” by The Monkees [And one thing that politicians are good at is lying to us.]
- “Jacob’s Ladder (Not in my Name)” by Chumbawamba [Bush Jr. and co. managed to turn 9/11 into a rallying cry for war – against another country entirely… “In the name of the Father, maybe,/but not in my name!” Download this free song for your own collection.]
- “I Ain’t Afraid (English Edit)” by The Klezmatics [Written as a response to 9/11: “I ain’t afraid of your Yahweh/I ain’t afraid of your Allah/I ain’t afraid of your Jesus/I’m afraid of what you do/In the name of your god.”]
- “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” by Peter, Paul, and Mary [Every war protest CD needs this song. Well, maybe not, but this one has it!]
- “Games without Frontiers” by Peter Gabriel [“If looks could kill, they probably will/In games without frontiers-war without tears”]
- “Zor and Zam” by The Monkees [“They gave a war and nobody came.” If only, if only…]
- “Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire” by Chumbawamba [A tribute to the poor soldiers who have to fight in the war – this is a protest song from WWI.]
- “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin [Well, we’ve got four more years (at least) to deal with this. Livin’ the crazy life. At least we’ve still got our music!]
In other news, capriuni has written a quiz/meme.