A Poor Wayfaring Man Of Grief

[Ironhold]

OK.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/radio/music-stream?lang=eng

The church website is now set up so that you can choose either LDS Channel, an all-Choir channel, a talk channel, and a Spanish-language stream. 

I swear, LDS Channel has five different versions of "A Poor Wayfaring Man Of Grief", each one as depressing as the others. 🥶

Is there something I'm missing as to why this song is so popular? Something I'm missing?

[zil2]

23 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

Is there something I'm missing as to why this song is so popular? Something I'm missing?

Every verse starts with a sad situation and ends in triumph.  How is that depressing?  Verse 7 may be the ultimate lesson of the hymn, but in a way, I think the end of verse 6 is:

Quote

The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,

But my free spirit cried, “I will!”

This is what it means to "overcome" - and we're all here to learn to overcome, to train our free spirit to tell our weak flesh and chill blood to get over it, cuz we're doin' this.

[NeuroTypical]

4 hours ago, Ironhold said:

Is there something I'm missing as to why this song is so popular? Something I'm missing?

It might be one of the most relatable stories about caring for the poor and needy out there.  Joseph Smith loved it, and it's been a favorite of the saints ever since.  

Plus: 

 

[LDSGator]

5 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

It might be one of the most relatable stories about caring for the poor and needy out there.  Joseph Smith loved it, and it's been a favorite of the saints ever since.  

Plus: 

 

You and I have posted this one so much that it should be the anthem here. 

[Vort]

5 hours ago, Ironhold said:

OK.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/radio/music-stream?lang=eng

The church website is now set up so that you can choose either LDS Channel, an all-Choir channel, a talk channel, and a Spanish-language stream. 

I swear, LDS Channel has five different versions of "A Poor Wayfaring Man Of Grief", each one as depressing as the others. 🥶

Is there something I'm missing as to why this song is so popular? Something I'm missing?

I sang hymns to my children for bedtime while they were little. A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief was one of the most popular—perhaps the most popular, often requested and greatly enjoyed. Secretly, I have never been a huge fan of the hymn. I mean, it's fine, nice message and all, but it has always seemed a bit maudlin and overwrought to me. Plus it has like twenty-eight verses, all pretty much restating the same theme of some hapless soul in need of charity who, in receiving the care, seems to give it back in manifold* measure. My wife likes it better than I do. But for some reason, my children just loved it. So I'm not sure why it's so popular, but it seems to strike an almost universal chord in the hearts of hearers, including my own children.

*I've been working on my son's car with him, so I guess certain words are on my mind.

[zil2]

As long as we're talking about hymns we don't like, how about "I Believe in Christ" - I mean, yeah, true teachings and all that, but I really dislike the tune, tempo, and I don't know what, but I'm not just indifferent, I dislike it.  :glances upward to see if lightning bolts are inbound:

My list of "favorite" hymns is ridiculously long, and yes, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" is one of my favorites.  "How Firm a Foundation" might top the list.

[laronius]

4 hours ago, zil2 said:

As long as we're talking about hymns we don't like, how about "I Believe in Christ" - I mean, yeah, true teachings and all that, but I really dislike the tune, tempo, and I don't know what, but I'm not just indifferent, I dislike it.  :glances upward to see if lightning bolts are inbound:

I feel the same, much too long of verses. I'm not a good singer anyway but that hymn just really taxes my vocal cords.

I actually really like A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief but now that I think about it I cannot even remember the last time we've sung it at church. Maybe years. That's a shame. 

[Jamie123]

On 2/19/2024 at 6:26 PM, Ironhold said:

OK.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/radio/music-stream?lang=eng

The church website is now set up so that you can choose either LDS Channel, an all-Choir channel, a talk channel, and a Spanish-language stream. 

I swear, LDS Channel has five different versions of "A Poor Wayfaring Man Of Grief", each one as depressing as the others. 🥶

Is there something I'm missing as to why this song is so popular? Something I'm missing?

I quite like this hymn, but I've always thought the narrator was blowing his own trumpet a bit.

[zil2]

3 minutes ago, Jamie123 said:

I quite like this hymn, but I've always thought the narrator was blowing his own trumpet a bit.

Yes, well, I'm reasonably certain the hymn is intended to teach us what we ought to do, not reflect what we generally do, which is more likely to be something like "Ignore the knocking at the door while binging our favorite TV show and eating excess junk food."  But that wouldn't make for a very good story, let alone hymn.  Here's my attempt to modernize it:

A poor wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
But I with mobile had bills to pay.
I had not time to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
The error message caught my eye
I walked on past, he knew not why.

Once, when my lavish meal was spread,
He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread.
I kicked him out; my nerves a'quake,
The door, I checked and locked again.
Mine was an angel’s portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste,
Dessert was manna to my taste.

Well, you get the idea...

[Ironhold]

2 hours ago, Jamie123 said:

I quite like this hymn, but I've always thought the narrator was blowing his own trumpet a bit.

At least two of the versions on LDS Radio are *incredibly* down-tempo, to the point that they sound like dirges. 

[Jamie123]

Two hymns I always find myself singing - usually when I think I'm alone - are "He Who Would Valiant Be" and "Thine be the Glory" - until I remember that the tune for the latter was written by Handel in honour of the "Butcher of Cumberland" (who brutally massacred the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie - and a lot of other people too - in the Battle of Culloden, 1746) whereupon I either stop singing, or else replace the words with "being sick" noises. That is not a good moment to realise you are not alone after all!

Edited February 21 by Jamie123

[zil2]

29 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

At least two of the versions on LDS Radio are *incredibly* down-tempo, to the point that they sound like dirges. 

I strongly prefer hymns to be performed the way the hymnal instructs, generally at the faster end of the tempo range; and dislike variations that differ from that.  (At least, I can't think of any variations I do like.)  And I hate that we have to sing at dirge-tempo all too often in church, but until I can play the organ or piano better, I don't have much right to complain.

Edited February 21 by zil2

[NeuroTypical]

On 2/19/2024 at 4:41 PM, Vort said:

Secretly, I have never been a huge fan of the hymn. I mean, it's fine, nice message and all, but it has always seemed a bit maudlin and overwrought to me. Plus it has like twenty-eight verses, all pretty much restating the same theme of some hapless soul in need of charity who, in receiving the care, seems to give it back in manifold* measure.

* @Vort (aka Julian Bashir) must be referring to a hyperspace manifold.