August 02, 2006

Composed in 1963 by the late Mr Sydney Carter the Lord of the Dance was based on a Quaker song Simple Gifts

Dance, then, wherever you may be, I am the Lord of the Dance, said he, And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he It's still in copyright, and currently the fifth most sung copyrighted song in the UK. The FPP website also refers to a "so called 'Pagan version'" which I think is this one. "Sometimes, for a change I sing the whole song in the present tense. 'I dance in the morning when the world is begun...'. It's worth a try". -From Green Print for Song, Stainer & Bell (1974) and from here; Sydney Carter shared a birthday with Elder Joseph Brackett, who wrote "Simple Gifts". See that link for more on Shaker music as well.

posted by polychrome 18 years ago
  • The BBC's religious affairs programme 'Sunday' is currently running a vote for favourite and least favourite hymn. I'm sorry to say I thought seriously about nominating 'Lord of the Dance' in the latter category. hard to put my finger on exactly why, but I find it excruciatingly annoying. Nice tune, though, and if Carter worked for Donald Swann he can't have been all bad...
  • this is interesting. i've always considered "lord of the dance" to be a conflation of pan and jesus.
  • LORD SHIVA IS BEING BETTER DANCER THAN YOUR TWO-ARMED CRUCIFIX HUMPER YOU STUPID CHRISTIAN-WALLAHS!!1!
  • The Lord of Tango.
  • That's okay, Aaron Copeland ripped them off, too.
  • It's a ridiculously catchy tune, especially if you sing/play it reeeeally fast. I've had it going through my head for days on end at times. I'm only preventing it from doing so now with a heavy dose of "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes."
  • My grandmother hated this song with incredible passion. She thought it made the life of Jesus appear frivolous. When it was sung at her church she would stand rigidly with lips firmly clamped, while lightning bolts shot from her eyes.
  • I find it excruciatingly annoying. You've obviously never had to sit through too many renditions of "Our God Is an Awesome God." Five hearings of that and "Lord of the Dance" damn near sounds like Bach.
  • God forbid that fate should ever befall me, mct. Fish Tick's granny sounds like a woman after my own heart. That's why it annoys me, I realise now - it makes the life of Jesus appear frivolous. I mean, this is the living God we're talking about here, not funny old Jesus with the big red nose and a custard pie for everyone. Jehovah: "Lord of the Dance", eh? Is that in the Bible? Sydney Carter: Well, not exactly, but you see.... Jehovah: Ten thousand years of dancing round the mountain of Purgatory in a red-hot lead overcoat for you then, I think. Sydney Carter: But... Jehovah: Make it fifteen.
  • Now THAT'S a momentous personal saviour I can really "dig".
  • Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts with lyrics by Alison Krauss becomes one of the most peaceful few minutes you'll have. If you like the music, download this version!
  • I agree with Quidnunc. Completely.