KJV vs S&G

[boogieshoes]

so, i was listening to simon & garfunkel on the way to work this morning, and singing along, of course.  i notice i like the songs that have a juxtaposition of contretemp ideas in them best.  like the lullaby about the atom bomb, the version of scarborough fair with the descant about death.  'blessed' came on, and i was thinking about the beatitudes, which it quite heavily references.  so i was searched for the lyrics to show y'all the differences between the song and the original (according the KJV Bible, in this case, which i happen to prefer for the beautiful language). 

here's the original (Matthew 5:3-12):

 

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
 

and the song:

 

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit.
Blessed is the lamb whose blood flows.
Blessed are the sat upon, Spat upon, Ratted on,
O Lord, Why have you forsaken me?
I got no place to go,
I've walked around Soho for the last night or so.
Ah, but it doesn't matter, no.

Blessed is the land and the kingdom.
Blessed is the man whose soul belongs to.
Blessed are the meth drinkers, Pot sellers, Illusion dwellers.
O Lord, Why have you forsaken me?
My words trickle down, like a wound
That I have no intention to heal.

Blessed are the stained glass, window pane glass.
Blessed is the church service makes me nervous
Blessed are the penny rookers, Cheap hookers, Groovy lookers.
O Lord, Why have you forsaken me?
I have tended my own garden
Much too long.
 

 

the song, of course, references other pieces of the Bible, but one of the things that makes it work for me is the music it's set against is very 'broken' sounding - almost a metal band sound, 20 years before metal came along.  it's not exactly jarring, but indicates a definate disturbance away from the first half of each verse.  the second half is sung/spoken in such a low voice that it's almost swallowed up in the music.

when i was looking up the song lyrics, i came across a review that said Garfunkel had written this song after listening to a sermon about the Beatitudes.  he was angry because the sermon seemed to be so disconnected from reality, and glossed over what was really going on in the world.  the music certainly shows that contempt and anger.

but i was thinking about it, and i think if you take the Beatitudes in context, they don't gloss over the reality of life.  Jesus' time was filled with strife: the Romans were trying to expand everywhere, and were certainly not happy with the Jews, who refused to worship Roman Gods in addition to their own.  the Jewish culture itself spoke of a Messiah, who would be a war-leader, leading to the over-throw of the Roman yoke of oppression.  Jesus himself said he had not come to give peace, but to set brother against brother - he was an agitator, stirring up the Jews, even if the end result over the years wasn't anything anyone could have anticipated.

in this context, the Beatitudes speak of blessings to be given in the future.  being poor, hungry, mourning your dead - that is his audience's lot *right now*, in the 'present' of his speech.  the blessings are their lot in a future life - whether that's a life after the Romans are overthrown, or in a more literal Heaven is debatable.   here again, we have that juxtaposition of opposing ideas that i love so much.  such irony.   and for it, i find the text of the Beatitudes just as sad and hopeful as the later S&G song.  sad and hopeful, sad and beautiful.
 

-bs
 

Comments

[spartanwerewolf.livejournal.com]

See, there you go, making me use my thinking-meat again. *ponders*

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

lol. tough having two brains, isn't it? ::smirks::

-bs

[spartanwerewolf.livejournal.com]

*takes a deep breath*

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*laughs* No, but I do find my blood supply inadequate at times.

Random: lol_typo is over 200 members :D