Lord of the Dance (hymn)
Encyclopedia
Lord of the Dance is a hymn
with words written by English
songwriter
Sydney Carter
in 1967. He adapted the tune from the American
Shaker
song "Simple Gifts
". The hymn is widely performed in English-speaking congregations and assemblies.
It follows the idea of a traditional English carol
, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
" which tells the gospel story in the first person
voice of Jesus of Nazareth and originates the device of portraying Jesus' life and mission as a dance. Carter's lyrics show a liveliness and wry humour in his adaptation of the theme which is not present in "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day".
Some have expressed the view that this stanza should be altered. For example, an article in a Quaker
publication stated that although "Lord of the Dance" is "one of our most popular and widely sung" modern hymns, this particular stanza can be taken to be anti-Semitic, and "[e]ach time we sing this verse together we lend emotional power and the appearance of support for what is in fact a lie
". However, a response in the same publication noted that while "the holy people" happened to be Jewish in the particular case of Jesus, a "larger and more meaningful interpretation" of the phrase is to identify it with "those who consider themselves the most righteous" at any time and place, and of any ethnicity. The hymn "has been taken up widely throughout the Christian Church".
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
with words written by English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Sydney Carter
Sydney Carter
Sydney Bertram Carter was an English poet, songwriter, folk musician, born in Camden Town, London. He is best known for the song "Lord of the Dance" , set to the tune of the American Shaker song "Simple Gifts", and the song "The Crow on the Cradle", adapted from an old folk song...
in 1967. He adapted the tune from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Shaker
Shakers
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends...
song "Simple Gifts
Simple Gifts
"Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett.It has endured many inaccurate descriptions. Though often classified as an anonymous Shaker hymn or as a work song, it is better classified as a dance song.-Lyrics:...
". The hymn is widely performed in English-speaking congregations and assemblies.
It follows the idea of a traditional English carol
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day is an English carol usually attributed as 'traditional'; its first written appearance is in William B. Sandys' Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern of 1833...
" which tells the gospel story in the first person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
voice of Jesus of Nazareth and originates the device of portraying Jesus' life and mission as a dance. Carter's lyrics show a liveliness and wry humour in his adaptation of the theme which is not present in "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day".
Controversy
- I danced on the sabbath when I cured the lame,
- The holy people said it was a shame;
- They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high;
- And they left me there on a cross to die.
Some have expressed the view that this stanza should be altered. For example, an article in a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
publication stated that although "Lord of the Dance" is "one of our most popular and widely sung" modern hymns, this particular stanza can be taken to be anti-Semitic, and "[e]ach time we sing this verse together we lend emotional power and the appearance of support for what is in fact a lie
Jewish deicide
Jewish deicide is a belief that places the responsibility for the death of Jesus on the Jewish people as a whole.This deicide accusation is expressed in the ethnoreligious slur "Christ-killer." As a part of Second Vatican Council , the Roman Catholic Church under Pope Paul VI issued a declaration...
". However, a response in the same publication noted that while "the holy people" happened to be Jewish in the particular case of Jesus, a "larger and more meaningful interpretation" of the phrase is to identify it with "those who consider themselves the most righteous" at any time and place, and of any ethnicity. The hymn "has been taken up widely throughout the Christian Church".
See also
- Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing DayTomorrow shall be my dancing dayTomorrow shall be my dancing day is an English carol usually attributed as 'traditional'; its first written appearance is in William B. Sandys' Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern of 1833...
- NatarajaNatarajaNataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
, depiction of ShivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
as Lord of the Dance
External links
- Stainer & Bell, copyright holders for Lord of the Dance hymn.
- Lord of the Dance and Simple Gifts
- Words to Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day