Sunday, March 14, 2010

2 song settings of Psalm 137 (not required)

Psalm 137

The Reggae version of Psalm 137 ("By the rivers of Babylon") became hits in two recordings; one by The Melodians  (here) and the other by the Disco group, Bonny M. (here). Go here and here.
    It's actually a combination of Psalm 137 and, in the final lyrics, a reference to the final verse of Psalm 19: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
    "King Alpha" is the Rastafarian (black Christianity) version of God (also called Jah in that religion, short for Jehovah, actually used once in the King James translation of the Bible).
    This is a very popular psalm, despite its gloom. It's of great beauty, though most churches do not sing the final verses, which they consider too violent. The Italian opera composer, Guiseppe Verdi also set these verses to music, in his opera, Nabucco. It's a very melodious setting, but the sweet melody doesn't seem to fit the gravity of the text!
    The lyrics of the Melodians' version are here:
By the rivers of Babylon Where we sat down And there we wept when we remembered Zion. Oh when the wicked carried us away in captivity Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strang land? So let the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart Be acceptable in thy sight
    The lyrics to the Bonny M. version of the song are here. Both versions are taken from the Internet and I don't have time to check them, though I quickly revised the first version (above). But the music will transport you nonetheless!
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)
there we sat down (You got to sing a song)
ye-eah we wept, (Sing a song of love)
when we remember Zion. (Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (Rough bits of Babylon)
there we sat down (You hear the people cry)
ye-eah we wept, (They need that ???)
when we remember Zion. (Ooh, have the power)

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