Nov 22, 2009
Heaven = no trouble. No trouble = no sad songs.
I’m not sure anyone around the dinner table truly empathized when I confessed some concern that Heaven may have no country music.
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No country music, That would truly be heaven! :)
There’s an Over the Rhine song that says, “The saddest songs are the happiest…”
And I think JMB might not realize that you mean classic country, not contempo country.
+1 for OTR. (I was born to laugh / I learned to laugh through my tears.)
ok, ok, I do like Johnny Cash, but it’s not country as we know it. My 3 yr old loves to sing “Ring of Fire”…
Yes, thank you Molly, I was unclear.
I’m referring to real country music, which is pretty much none of the stuff that’s been on country radio every since Bryan White came along and made it cool to be sissy.
Can I say that after my post about girliness yesterday? Not sure, but I’ll see what happens.
I was going to call you out on your hypocritical sissy comment, but then I saw your mom’s comment right there. You should never be disrespectful to someone in front of their mother. Hello, Mrs. Piper!
No sad songs, but no sadness either. Thus the core aspect that connects you to the songs you love won’t be there.
I’m pretty sure most (not all, but most) of your favorite crooners will be there. So you’ll get to enjoy their melodious harmonies in the context and tone they were meant to sing in all along.
It’s going to be pretty sweet.
I feel your pain, son, I really do.
I spent my teen years not knowing the difference between country and pop. It was all the same on the radio in middle GA. So it may be even more deeply ingrained in me than in you.
Country music? Which Country?
Daddy
One thing I don’t understand about the whole “no sadness” thing is: what about all the people in hell? If the people in heaven are unable to be sad about that, wouldn’t they be missing part of what makes us human?
And what about thinking back to old memories? Some memories make us sad — and isn’t that okay? Do I want to look back on a sad memory and feel nothing — or worse, feel happy about it?
It seems like in order to have the capacity for happiness and pleasure, there must be the capacity for sadness and pain.
I have this same thought line…
I’ve thought the same thing as well. Maybe our pleasure in God’s presence comes from a deeper understanding of the good, and the glory to God that comes from it, of all things, including both happy and sad memories.
One of the drivers for me is the picture in Rev 21: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Maybe we won’t hear it because the troubles of this life will be over. We won’t be able to go with Lyle, Johnny, Gillian, & Hank Sr. in our minds or souls and empathize with the pain. Although I could see dancing to heaven-swing Texas-style with Lyle or singing about knowing our Savior “by the mark where the nails had been” with Gillian.
good thing Johnny Cash recorded a lot of hymns, I hope I get to hear him sing those when we’re in heaven…
Just listening to country music is painful and I am convinced there will be no pain in heaven; therefore, that completely eliminates country music for the heavenly musical repetoire. Amen?
Sorry.. FROM the heavenly musical repetoire.
WHAT?? NO country music in heaven?? My husband would be saying AMEN, but that is a sad thought for me…hey, I could turn that into a country song, and at least enjoy the pilgrimage music while it lasts
I think that Buddy and Julie will be in heaven and I can’t imagine them not having something to sing. Ricky Skaggs will probably be there to. Johnny Cash. Maybe Charlie Louvin. That is just a start to a pretty good country/bluegrass band.
There was a good book out a couple of years ago called “Honky Tonk Gospel” or something like that. Worth finding.
In heaven, it will be like country music, only better. Think the psalms. All the hurt with a dose of hope at the end.
“It’s hard to miss you if you just won’t go away…”
So no blues either, I suppose.
By nature of your argument, there will be no blues music in heaven either. And I’m not sure what to think about this. Obviously, the Bible tells us there will be no more sorrow, so even sad memories will somehow be erased. It’s been my thinking that the vision of God’s glory, which will be so pervasive as to render the sun redundant, will consume us so much that sadness and sorrow and pain simply won’t have time or room to occupy our minds.
We’ll all be singing “I SEE the Light” with Hank Sr. (hopefully).
When did country music make it to MN?
Country music makes you so sad you’re happy…
Now that made me laugh out loud Abraham. :) Thanks. But I don’t think my kids beleive there will not be any Taylor Swift music in heaven. Shudder at the thought!
I have been thinking about this a lot this week. Whether because of my love of classic country (and new classic country, i.e. Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin) or because of my deep interest in and longing for Heaven, I’m not sure.
Two points: First, I’m not sure that there won’t be sad songs in Heaven. What better way to glorify God than to remember the pain of this world and see no longer through a glass dimly how He redeemed those sad things. So while we’ll hear those great old country songs like “I’m so lonesome I could cry”, we will understand them in a new way.
Second, there are so many GREAT country songs that speak of God’s redeeming work. How about this for a great post–”What good country songs are we sure to hear in heaven?” I just heard JC sing this morning “Like a Soldier”. Give it a listen. This is for sure to be one I’ll request of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C20mOQvdqqU
Whether Willie will be there to sing the harmony, I’m not sure. Maybe we could find someone to sit in.
We create music because God made us to be creators.
I think we’ll still be creating music there, be it blues, country, jazz…
And we’ll create it out of our new bodies, so won’t it be better than anything we were capable of creating here?
****
Also, I am not sure of its relevancy here, but I love Madeline L’Engle’s perspective on creating. http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Water-Reflections-Wheaton-Literary/dp/087788918X.